Finding Life's "Silver Linings" or "the medicine" for the soul

Who doesn’t dream of Palm Tree lined lanes with the backdrop of the mountains and sun shiny days!! Palm Springs is ubiquitous for this and with Joshua Tree National Park only a hour away. You can enjoy relaxation and great food. You can stay active and healthy by visiting this National Park in the desert. It can feel like you are entering another planet or galaxy far, far away…..

Do you need another reason to go!!

If so, Let me tell you Why….

• Palm Springs Airport is Awesome! It is w/in 10 minutes of everything w/in Palm Springs city limits….which means you have more time to enjoy your vacation w/o long trips from the airport!!
• Plenty of Options for Great Food w/ multiple James Beard winners!
• Date Farms. Did you know that this area produces the most Dates of anywhere in the US? You have to try a Date Shake….best shake I have ever tasted and I learned where dates actually come from…I pictured a low-lying shrub which is not the case!
• Salvation Mountain & The Salton Sea are close-by. If you are really looking for an adventure/day trip….these are like nothing I have ever seen! Warning that you will be “off the grid”…..
• There is NEVER a bad time to visit…it does get really hot in the summer but otherwise you are in for sunny days and great weather!
• If you wish…there are plenty of ways to stay active (or just chill by the pool). There are some pretty epic hikes right in Palm Springs. You can bike and walk everywhere. There are some pretty famous golf courses and tennis courts as well if you fancy a game.

If you are intrigued, keep reading….As I’ll give you all the deets!!

Top Places to Eat, See and Do!!

• Everyone has to EAT right? Well if you gotta do it I say you do it Right!! These are all Exceptional! Workshop Kitchen + Bar, The Pink Cabana, King’s Highway, Cheeky’s, Azucar (restaurant or eat at Rooftop bar), Norma’s in the Parker Hotel (this is a Jonathan Adler designed hotel so Book a date at one of their 3 restaurants!).

1. Workshop Kitchen + Bar https://www.workshopkitchenbar.com/

They won a James Beard award for design and are listed on the Michelin Guide. We enjoyed trying a lot of small plates to try a lot of different things. There was not 1 dish we did not enjoy!

2. The Pink Cabana https://sandshotelandspa.com/dining-bar/

They are located in the Sands Hotel & Spa which is super cute! I loved the pink & green and black & white interiors. The Food & Services was also impeccable!! There is a drink w/ “the button flower” that is not just a cocktail but an experience in itself! I will not spoil it….just have one!!

3. King’s Highway https://www.kingshighwaydiner.com/

REALLY, REALLY tasty food diner style! You can even sit outside by the pool with the mountains surrounding you.

4. Cheeky’s https://www.cheekysf10.com/

For Breakfast, everyone comes here for obvious reasons. Great Food, Great Service & it is very cheeky!!;) Checkout the bathroom.

5. Azucar Restaurant or Rooftop Bar https://www.azucarpalmsprings.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAire5BhCNARIsAM53K1hH1Vrg5S0NjoAmoo9fvVFOBGelsH-HcRM7wTxtxOdXacFehWPWsBIaAs-NEALw_wcB

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED….the setting, the interior, the food, the service….

6. Norma’s in The Parker Hotel https://www.parkerpalmsprings.com/food-and-drink

I enjoyed visiting this Jonathan Adler designed hotel. We sat in the bougie lobby and orders drinks and appetizers from the Mini Bar….You could easily do this. Still, you may need a reservation at one of their restaurants to get in. Norma’s was good with over-sized entrees and desserts.

• Hikes in Palm Springs

1. Palm Canyon Trail at Agua Caliente Indian Canyons (does not open until 8am). I LOVED this hike which is right in Palm Springs proper. It took us less than 5 minutes to get there. I thought “Am I in Palm Springs or Tahiti?” Look below & judge for yourself. We also got up close & personal with the Bighorn Sheep!
2. Lykken Trail. If you want to see the sunset, this trail is always open. It gets your blood pumping as you hike up a mountain for views of Palm Springs.
3. Thousand Ponds Oasis in Two Bunch Palms. This is in the Coachella Valley which is about a 30 minute drive that is well worth it!

• Joshua Tree National Park Day Trip (about 1 hour from Palm Springs). There are tons upon tons of hikes you do here. We saw a lot of people camping (must reserve spot in advance)! These are the ones we did!!

1. Skull Rock
2. Heart Rock
3. Cholla Cautus Garden
4. Arch Bridge
5. Keys View (we did not do this b/c the road was closed but it looks cool)

NOTE: We selected a bunch of smaller hikes to see some cool sites since we were just spending 1 day. But there are TONS of hikes to choose from. This is especially true if you are spending more than 1 day.

• Salvation Mountain, The Salton Sea, East Jesus (about 1 hour & 30 minutes from Palm Springs). You will travel along the Salton Sea….it’s hard to explain what to expect here as you will be “off the grid”. Be prepared for this….you can go to Salvation Mountain and East Jesus….a lot of people go just for the Insta Photos….This area is a whole community of people. They are eschewing modern life to live without modern conveniences. They live to “the beat of their own drum” (and I won’t say that some might be running from the law;)

• Shields Date Farm–If you have never had a Date Shake you have to have one!! Tour the Date Garden in the back to see where dates come from. This is on the way to the Salton Sea & Salvation Mountain.

• Moorton Botanical Gardens: I LOVED this place! They had about every species of plant native to the area + animals + gifts ++

Get to Palm Springs–It has it all!!

Please let me know your favorite destinations in Southern Cali. Upcoming Post on other places in Southern Cali I’ve been….