Travel Blog

NOTE: The California Pizza Kitchen Palm Springs is no longer at this location. As a result we will provide more updates to come, stay turned.

We just got back from the restaurant. It was located on Palm Canyon road, just down the street from Starbucks and the Marilyn Monroe statue. We enjoyed our meal at California Pizza Kitchen Palm Springs very much. We had a Caesar salad and a chicken pasta dish. Very good!

Thursday Night Street Fair

This was on a Thursday night in March with the temperature at 75 degrees! In addition this is the night of the street fair and we sat outside for our a meal. In addition we enjoyed watching people walking up and down the street! The street fair is held every Thursday night. As a result thousands of people come to stroll up and down the street every week in the year.

Moving?

The California Pizza Kitchen is located in the old  mall that has been closed for over 10 years. Fortunately for them they have an outdoor entrance with a patio on the street sidewalk. Unfortunately the mall has been torn down. Hence the restaurant is closed. Subsequently we will provide an update once we hear what is happening to this restaurant.

In addition for more Palm Springs restaurants to try out, click here.

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We recently visited the Three Sixty North Palm Springs restaurant in Palm Springs for happy hour. It had been recommended to us by some people who are staying in the same condominium as we are. We found the prices for happy hour to be on par with most other places in Palm Springs. The food that we had was quite good. We had sliders with caramelized onions. We would have liked something else with them such as the standard mustard and relish. However these are not offered. We also had baby clams which were excellent.

Normally happy hour is only inside around the bar area, however they allowed us to sit in the sidewalk patio area since it was not that busy on the evening we went. They seem to be pretty flexible. The only complaint that I have is that the chairs are not that comfortable. they also had a jazz band playing which was very pleasant to listen to.

Three Sixty North Palm Springs

The following is an excerpt from their website:

One of the valley’s newest restaurant and entertainment venues, Three Sixty North is located on the strip in the heart of downtown Palm Springs, California. Drenched in dark woods, linen, granite, and stacked stone, the atmosphere is comfortable, stylish and relaxed.

THE LOUNGE.
A great place to hang with friends or just shoot the breeze with the friendly bartenders, The Lounge features HDTV’s to watch your favorite sporting events, as well as unique specialty cocktails, fine wines and an enticing, yet varied, selection of appetizers and small plates from $4-$8. With “Happy Hour All The Time”, this is a great place to unwind at the end of your day.

THE RESTAURANT.
Similar to the famous “supper clubs” of the 50’s and 60’s, Three Sixty North reinvents this popular era with live entertainment and dancing every night in our dining room. Enjoy great steaks, chops, seafood, pasta and pizza, along with great specialties from our famous “Little Italy Menu”, all at very affordable prices.

THE ENTERTAINMENT.
Three Sixty North features Live Entertainment Wednesday-Sunday! Enjoy great bands, musicians and singers performing Standards, Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Pop and more!

For other restaurant locations in Palm Springs, click here.

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Trio Palm Springs restaurant  uptown on Palm Canyon Drive just two blocks north of Amado road. This picture shows the patio for the Restaurant Trio where you can enjoy a happy hour glass of wine for $3.00. Pinot Grigio which is not normally a house wine in many restaurants and bars. We spent several afternoons wiling away the time at this restaurant chatting and enjoying the weather. On this particular day the temperature was over 90F so they have the mist going to cool off their patrons. If you have not experienced this before, you should. It really works and will keep everyone cool even on the hottest days.

Trio Palm Springs

Uptown is a bit less popular than the downtown area of Palm Springs, however the restaurants, coffee shops and bars are adding to the antique shops that have been in this area for years. If you like to browse and look at many unique pieces, this is the place to visit and then relax afterwords with a glass of wine. You do not have to deal with the crowds of tourists that typically are in the downtown area. There is time to browse the art shops without having to jostle with people. You can usually get into a restaurant with no problem and no need to wait in line for any length of time. Uptown is definitely worth exploring.

There are lots of great restaurants in Palm Springs, Click here for more restaurants.

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Spencers Restaurant at the Mountain
Spencer’s is a very nice restaurant is attached to the tennis club. It has a lot of traditional members and is part of the Palm Springs social scene. We recently had breakfast at Spencer’s outside in the courtyard area. It has an inside bar as well as an inside restaurant and you can see the pool area and the tennis courts from the restaurant. As you can see there is lots of trees providing shade which is important on the warmer days. The sun can get pretty intense.  You do have to put up with leaves occasionally falling on your table and on you. Not a huge problem, unless it falls into your food.

Our rating of this restaurant is as follows., the ambiance is fantastic, the quality of the food is average, the service of the food is average. The overall value for the money that we spent at this restaurant I would say is below average due to the cost of the breakfast we had. For example, three eggs, scrambled, toast, hash browns and a small amount of fruit the cost was $6.99 Add to that coffee at three dollars and your bill plus tip for one breakfast his well over $10.

This is more than in other locations. I guess you are paying for the location, the name and the ambiance if you like that sort of thing.

Spencers Restaurant at the Mountain

There are better meals at other locations. Some may not have the ambiance that this one has, however it really has to be something that appeals to you.

We did not like the occasional leaf that dropped into our food or coffee. I am not kidding when I write this. I had to fish a leaf out of my coffee several times. There is something that is not just hygienic about removing a leaf from your coffee.

We would not go back to this particular location, however, many people do enjoy eating there. I am sure it is very nice in the evening under the stars with soft lighting among the trees.

Friends of ours go to Spencers twice a week because they enjoy it so much. It is not for us due to pricing and the leaves falling all of the time.

For more Restaurants in the Palm Springs area, click here.

Visit the Living Desert in Palm Desert and feed the giraffes at the living desert at feeding time.

Feed the giraffes at the living Desert at 10 o’clock every morning. Game wardens will open the gate to visitors to come through and feed the giraffes. Each visitor is given a twig for the giraffes which is one of their favorite foods and all you have to do is hold it up in the air and the giraffe will reach down with his long tongue and grab the twig from your hand. It can be pretty exciting for the kids.

Feed the Giraffes at the Living Desert

Sometimes  the giraffe will slobber all over you but that’s just part of feeding the giraffes. Everyone will get a chance to feed the giraffes so don’t worry you don’t have to rush or crowd around.

The kids especially enjoy this part of the visit to the Living Desert.  If it is not too busy, you can also go back to the end of the line and go through a second time. When the food runs out, that is the end of the feeding the Giraffes activity. They all seem to know when it is time to be fed and when time is up. They just wander off in search of more sustaining food for them to eat.

For more things to do in the Palm Springs area, click here.

Borrego Springs state park is a wonderful place to visit if you love the desert. There is camping available for those hardy enough to brave the dry desert and the hot sun. Anyone planning on camping in this area must make sure they have lots of water with them to avoid dehydration.

Dehydration can really sneak up on you and we cannot urge people enough to  make sure that they have water with you.  The picture below really gives you an idea of just how arid the area is and why you really need to take the proper precautions when camping or even driving in the areas.

Borrego Springs State Park

The town of Borrego itself is a nice little quiet village with a couple of small restaurants, a golf course and a community of homes around the golf course. They have a school and the other usual small town support, however do not expect too much excitement in this small town at night.

People come here for the quiet and solitude, the clear air and the environment. It is also a long way to any major stores such as Walmart or a supermarket. Gas can also be more expensive, but then you will not be driving too much in the area either.

For more things to do in the Palm Springs area, click here.

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A magnificent view of the Coachella valley with a picture of a road runner in Palm Springs in the foreground. It does not get better than that! This was taken in march 2013, on the hiking trail that starts at the west end of Ramon road. You do not get chances like this very often and this guy was very nervous of us. It seemed as if he was protecting his nest, although we could not see a nest, but then it would have been very protected and difficult to see.

This particular trail is just one of many that can be found in the area. Some can be accessed easily within the city of Palm Springs and others are further a field and must be driven to by car. There are hiking books covering all of the hiking trails in Palm Springs available.

Road Runner in Palm Springs – Trails

In the same general area as this trail that begins on Ramon Road, there is another trail. It starts in the parking lot of the Museum in Downtown Palm Springs. This particular trail ends up at the same place at the top of one of the ridges where there are picnic tables to sit on and relax, have your lunch or a snack and enjoy the view.

This hiking trail that begins at the museum, is a more difficult trail to go up and down. it would be considered difficult for most people unless you are an experienced hiker. This trail is well traveled with lots of people going up and down it every day.

Always take  water with you regardless of how long you plan to be hiking. You never know when a bottle of water will come in handy especially if it takes longer than you planned.

For more things to do in the Palm Springs area, click here.

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Dinner at The Falls Palm Springs restaurant in Palm Springs sitting on one of their balconies over looking Palm Canyon street is one of the best ways to spend an evening! Unfortunately you cannot have dinner at the Falls restaurant any longer. It closed in 2017. Of course, you may still enjoy reading this post. It really was a great restaurant to spend an evening and enjoy dinner. It was one of the best we ever had. Hence we still talk about it with couples that we have been there with.

We ordered Caesar salad which is made from scratch in front of us and tastes excellent. Then we dined on filet Mignon steak that was cooked to perfection. Add to that a baked potato, Brussels sprouts and spinach. You have an excellent meal with fantastic ambiance.

Dinner at The Falls Palm Springs

A trifle on the expensive side. But when you add the location, the ambiance and the company you have a wonderful evening. The restaurant is in the heart of downtown within easy walking distance for many residents. If you drive there is also street parking in front. In addition there are several parking lots available, with one immediately behind the restaurant.

Our evening often starts with a drink in the bar area which is open to the sky. There is  a small waterfall at the back of the bar and happy hour prices for the drinks. Subsequently we proceed into the dining room which is very nicely appointed and out to one of the three balconies that look out onto the street.

One of the balconies is in front of a large sign which we would not recommend. Of course the other two are fine and will seat four people very comfortably. On a warm evening, these are the tables to dine at with the view of the street, the palm trees and the lights.

For other restaurants, click here.

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This is Goldie Hawn’s Palm Springs home. We walked past this home one spring morning. You cannot help but admire the nice clean lines of this property and the surrounding landscaping. There was no sign of Goldie Hawn on this day. You would have to be really lucky to actually see her out around her home. If she was in Palm Springs, chances are she would show up in a black windowed car were you could not see anything. They would drive straight through the gate. You would not know if it was Goldie in the car or just the body guards on a run to the grocery store. Sometimes the stars will go out to an event or to a restaurant in the area. Many have been seen about the city from time to time, however you really need to be there at the right time.

Goldie Hawn’s Palm Springs Home

Still it is neat to have walked past her house and admired her home in Palm Springs California.  The majority of these homes are walled and gated to prevent passers by from looking in or even entering the property. With the paparazzo and the general public who can sometimes be quite bold, we cannot really blame them for wanting their privacy. Although it would be nice to see her or see her home, it is really nonce of our business.

Palm Springs is a perfect location for Goldie Hawn’s Palm Springs Home, with great weather, more than 330 days a year of sun and heat as well as a location that really caters to the movie set. Many of the newer stars are taking up residence in some of the other desert communities, but Palm Springs is still the main location for many stars.

We have a number of other stars homes listed on this web site with more coming. Hope you enjoy.

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Hiking the Shannon Trail in Palm Springs is a fun thing to do when you are staying in the city. The views from the top of the Shannon trail are truly fantastic whether you are looking at the snow covered mountains or the desert around Palm Springs. The first picture is looking west towards the mountains surrounding Palm Springs. On this particular day it was a bit cloudy, however you can still see the snow covered mountains quite easily. On sunny days the views are spectacular and well worth the time and the exercise. In addition hiking is one of the best exercise things to do and you are rewarded with scenery like this in the picture.

Hiking the Shannon Trail in Palm Springs

The second picture is looking towards the valley of Coachella where the cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral city, Rancho Mirage, Indio etc are located. This is a great view of the valley and the mountains on the other side of the valley. The Shannon trail is a popular trail for many hikers in the Palm Springs area. This trail is approximately four miles in length and has an elevation increase of 800 feet. It is an easy to moderate trail and is named after an equestrian rider, Shannon Corliss, daughter of a past president of Desert Equestrian Riders named Ray Corliss.

On a clear day you can literally see for almost 100 miles. On the day this picture was taken visibility was down to around 50 miles. It is still a spectacular view from on top of this trail. Next time we head up to this area, we will make sure that it is a clear sunny day. It will be hot, so we will take lots of water with us, hats and sun screen lotion.

For more hiking and things to do information in the Palm Springs area, click here.

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We have been coming to Palm Springs for many years and feel that it is a really healthy place to visit and enjoy. We rent a condo close to downtown and are able to walk to almost everything. No need to be concerned about drinking and driving, since you can walk to hundreds of really good restaurants. We have a pool that is at least 75 yards in length to swim in and I can do 40 lengths every day. The water temperature is kept at 83 degrees all year round which makes it really pleasant in the wintertime when the nights are cool. there are lots of things to do in the valley.

List of Things to do in Palm springs

There is lots to do for people of all ages. Here is a brief list of things that people of all ages can do in Palm Springs:

• Swimming
• Sun Tanning
• Hiking
• Biking
• Dine at many restaurants
• Living Desert
• The Tram
• The Windmills
• Casinos
• Golf
• Scenic walks
• San Andreas Fault
• Many more!

Visit our travel site for more detailed information about the area. Select the category Palm Springs or Palm Springs restaurants for information about Palm Springs. Click Here

Hiking trails

There are at least a 100 hiking trails to hike on and so far I have been averaging twice a week going on various trails in the area. There are also various trails for people who like to bike and the streets are great for biking on as well. Regardless of how wide the streets are, you still must be really careful of drivers.

For some reason, they just do not seem to see you and unless you make eye contact, there is a risk of being hit at corners and intersections. There are really wide streets making it safe to bike on. There are lots of bike trails as well to go on.

Sunny Days

Then there is over 350 days a year of sunshine as well. What more could you ask for? The weather is fantastic all year round and there is something for everyone to do and enjoy. There are many really great restaurants to go to, with different foods to try to enjoy. We enjoy spending time in Palm Springs.

For more details about what to do in Palm Springs, click here.

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The Pacifica Restaurant Palm Springs is a great little restaurant in palm desert along El Paseo. The restaurant is located upstairs above the shopping area. Patrons can enjoy a view of the street. Or sit at the bar or in a secluded booth for a more private rendezvous. There are many great restaurants in the Palm Springs area. This one although actually not in Palm Springs, is another absolutely great place to try. My wife loves to shop and after spending a few hours shopping we headed upstairs to the Pacifica Restaurant Palm Springs for a glass of wine and a snack. What a great way to spend an afternoon.

Pacifica Restaurant Palm Springs

If you have not been to El Paseo, and love to shop at some of the best and most exclusive shops in the area, then you are missing an opportunity. They have golf carts to bus you from one end of the street to the other. Only the best shops are located here.

Be prepared for high prices and high quality. Although personally I am not sure that some of these things are actually worth what they are asking. But you do once in a while find a bargain item that has been marked down a great deal.

Personally I like to go to the Apple store and either play with some of the display machines, talk to one of the store consultants or just use the free WiFi to update my mail and catch up with what is going on in the world while my wife shops. When we are finished we can always meet up at the Pacifica Restaurant for a cold beer.

For more Palm springs restaurants and restaurants in the area, click here.

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McCormick’s Classic Car Auctions takes place every February.  They set up the auction just west of the casino in the casino parking lot. There was a a tent to hold the auction and stage the cars during the auction.  Inside the tent there are tables and chairs. As well as food stands where you can grab something to eat while you are waiting for your car to come up to be auctioned off.

With over 600 cars were to be auctioned over a three day period in Palm Springs, this is a really busy time for the auctioneer’s and also for the various car dealers and individuals who are selling or buying cars.

Auction Well Attended

Thousands of people attend every year to buy cars and dream about cars they would like to buy. Admission is free during the first day and you can browse the cars and talk to some of the owners of the cars that are for sale. there is always a story behind these cars. Most are in mint condition and people are parting with the lover of their lives when they sell their cars.
Once couple we spoke with had a beautiful jaguar for sale. He loved his car and really did not want to sell it, however he had an accident with another car and now had a lot of medical bills to pay for. He was selling his car to help pay for the medical bills which were piling up. There are probably a thousand stories about the cars, who they belonged to and why they were selling their car.

We felt sorry for this couple, but since we were not buying, there was nothing we could do to help them. I would have really liked to buy his car. It was immaculate as most of the cars are and it would have been a good buy.

Johnny Carson’s corvette was also for sale with his name emblazoned across the windshield. This would have also been a great collector car to have as well. We are looking forward to going to next years auction as well.

For more posts about the Palm Springs area, things to do and restaurants, click here.

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Lulu’s  is one of the best restaurants in Palm Springs. virtually any day of the week, this restaurant is busy with many satisfied customers. They have an all-day happy hour at the bar and at the high tables around the bar. If you are sitting at one of the tables anywhere in the restaurant you will pay regular price for drinks and appetizers. They have an extensive patio situated along the sidewalk on Palm Canyon Drive where you can dine in comfort and also people watch as residents stroll along the sidewalk.

Even better on Thursdays when the street fair is taking place, there are thousands of people on the street to watch. Customers can sit in the comfort of the restaurant sipping on their favorite beverage and enjoy the warm evenings.

Palm Springs restaurants – Lulu’s

Lulu’s also has mist sprayers on the patio to keep you cool on those really hot nights when you are sitting on the patio. Surprisingly the mist blowing on you really does cool you off when the temperatures are in the 90’s and above.

Most restaurants have this feature to keep their patrons cool when the weather gets too hot to be comfortable. It can really make a difference particularly when the sun is beating on you.

Lulu’s also has various specials during the day and evenings. When we went for supper at this restaurant, for $19.95, they offered a three-course meal which included a salad, the main course, and dessert. There were several choices that all were excellent.

Although this is a very busy restaurant,  it is an excellent place to dine. If you are looking for something a little more quiet and romantic, you may want to try another restaurant down the street from Lulu’s in Palm Springs.

For more things to do in Palm Springs, click here.

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We went to the Acqua Pazza Restaurant in Rancho Mirage recently and enjoyed a very good meal with some friends of ours. This restaurant is located on Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage in what is called the River. There is a small man-made lake with several restaurants around it with both indoor and outdoor seating. Although it was a cool night we sat outside at tables in an area that was surrounded by glass walls so that we could see the water and the scenery while still protected from the wind. The night was cool so they had the heaters turned on as well to keep us pleasantly warm.

Acqua Pazza Restaurant

They have a full menu and label themselves a California Bistro. With everything from soups and salads, to pizza to full course meals, there is something for everyone. Our group had soup and salad, pasta, fish, pork chops, and Filet Mignon with dessert. In fact, they had a special on for $19.95 which included soup or salad, a main course, and dessert. I had a salad, the filet which was 10 oz’s with mashed potatoes and beans. For dessert, I also had cappuccino ice cream to complete our meal. Everything was excellent as far as the food and decor were concerned.

The service was very good as well providing everything that we needed. However, the waiter was a bit fast and did not hang around very much to confirm our orders. We felt a little rushed when ordering our food and he actually left in the middle of one order assuming we were finished with the order. In the end, everything was fine and we enjoyed a very good meal. With so many places to try, we may not be back for some time to this restaurant, only because there are many in that area as well as in the valley to try yet.

For information on a lot more restaurants in the Palm Springs area, click here.

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This was Marilyn Monroe’s Palm Springs Home when she lived there and it was just down the road from Elvis Presley’s honeymoon house as well. She grew up or lived in Palm Desert area. At the present time there is a thirty foot statue of her in down town Palm Springs. It is at the corner of Indian Canyon and Tacquitz road. We have included this picture of Marilyn on another post that is on this site. Just look in recent posts or in categories under Palm Springs. This particular statue is on Palm Springs until sometime in 2014, at which time it is supposed to go back to Chicago.

Marilyn Monroe’s Palm Springs Home

The city  is trying to purchase the statue for several million dollars, however the current owners do not seem to be ready to sell at this time. I guess further negotiations will be needed before a final decision is made.

The city is also trying to obtain her statue at a significant cost to be placed in the downtown area. It was here for roughly a year and it turned out to be very popular with tourists. Many people would have their picture taken with Marilyn in the background. She stood over 30 feet tall and dominated the Palm Springs downtown area in a very positive way.

For more Palm Springs things to do, click here.

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We really enjoyed our breakfast at Peabodies in Palm Springs this morning. This Restaurant is always popular in the mornings for breakfast. They have heaters for cool days and misters for really hot days. It can be a bit crowded if you are eating on the patio, along the sidewalk, however, most people do not mind on a beautiful morning as they enjoy their coffee and breakfast. They are well known for really good meals, lots of food and lots of coffee with great service. There are also heaters that will keep you toasty warm on cooler nights.

Peabodies in Palm Springs

These are some of the things we enjoyed and liked about Peabodies in Palm Springs:

• Lots of coffee
• Large meals
• Large enough to split
• Real potatoes or home fries
• Excellent food
• Great service
• Heaters to keep you warm
• Free wi-fi

What more could you ask for! The only negative comment that we can make is that sometimes delivery trucks will park in front while delivering products to various stores. Not only do they block the view, but they also leave their engines running. The sound of a diesel engine running and the fumes can be annoying especially when you are trying to enjoy breakfast. this does not happen often, but it does occur so you may want to keep that in mind.

For more information about Palm Springs Restaurants, click here.

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This was George Burns home when he lived in Palm Springs. His home was just below that of Barbara Streisand . It is a very elegant looking place with lots of desert plants around the property. Of course palm trees as well. One of the unique things about this home is that it has quite a few pieces of art around it. They are strategically placed were you can see them from the street. This really adds to the beauty of the place and contributes to the value of the property.

You can find this home in the Las Palmas area of Palm Springs and if you live in the down town area of the city, it is within easy walking distance of down town. There are also walking tours that you can sign up for that take you past this home as well as many others were famous stars stayed when they came to Palm Springs.

George Burns home – Security

This home is also protected by gates. There is an armed response sign on the fence. This is to ward off anyone who might be thinking of jumping the fence. For instance it is surprising how many tourists if given a chance will try to walk on the grounds or peer inside a window to look around.

For more posts and articles about the Palm Springs area, click here.

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This was where Johnny Carson’s home was when he was in Palm Springs. Cannot see much , he was a very private man even though he was the king of late night TV! His home reflected this privacy. Even if your on a bike or in a bus you can still not see over those hedges.

The entrance door was also opaque to avoid anyone looking through and catching a glimpse of the famous late night show host. I used to think that these shows were taped late at night as well. We went to a Jay Leno show which was taped at 5pm Pacific coast time.  I realized that by the time we saw it on the east coast it was already 11 pm.

Johnny Carson’s home

The neighborhood is very private with quiet streets. Almost all of the homes have private walls with lots of shrubs to provide everyone living there with privacy. There is not much traffic in this area other than local traffic and people like ourselves wandering around looking at the movie star homes.

These homes are all over the million dollar range, so if you want one of these homes, be prepared to spend lots of money. For more information about other Palm Springs homes and Palm Springs in general, click here.

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Elvis Presley spent a lot of time in Palm Springs. This was Elvis Presleys honeymoon House where he spent his honeymoon with Priscilla. He intended to be married at this home, however, there were just too many reporters camped outside his home. Instead, he borrowed Frank Sinatra’s plane and flew to Las Vegas and was married there. He spent some time in this house with his bride Priscilla in Palm Springs. The house itself is located at 1350 Ladera Circle in Palm Springs. this home is a two-bedroom home with 4,695 square feet and was built in 1960 and is a good representation of the 1960’s modernism design that is so popular in Palm Springs.

Elvis Presley’s Honeymoon House

This home in Palm Springs is close to downtown and within easy walking distance of the downtown area. Of course, it can also be driven to as well and can be seen easily from the car. It is on a public street and very accessible.  This is one of many homes that many of the stars have either visited, rented, or owned in the Palm Springs area.

Elvis Presleys honeymoon House is on a little cul-de-sac with lots of privacy while at the same time with a few of the streets. It is now privately owned. Tourists can approach the home in this quiet Palm Springs suburb with little problem. However, everyone should realize that this is a private home and respect the owners privacy.  For more articles about the Palm Springs area and things to do, click here.

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We really enjoy hiking in Palm Springs and the area around Palm Springs. These are pictures taken at various places around Palm Springs. This trail is about 11 miles long in one direction. It is considered a challenging trail to take for many people. The portion shown in the picture is pretty flat. However this was after we had been hiking for an hour and climbed probably a thousand feet in elevation. On a hot day this trail can be pretty challenging. Always bring lots of water with you to avoid getting dehydrated.

Hiking in Palm Springs

A beautiful day for hiking, with little wind and some cloud, however we were very hot with the 75 degree temperatures in February 2013. If you decide to go hiking in late spring or summer, sun screen , lots of water, and even a snack is mandatory. People have died due to lack of water, even on some of the short trails that are available. There are fewer people hiking during these times so there is les chance someone will find you if you are hiking alone!

This was another picture  below that was taken on the same day in Whitewater canyon overlooking the Coachella valley.  Beautiful views with at least a 50 mile distance to the other side of the valley. In this picture, there is Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City and Palm Springs in the far distance. The views are fantastic, the air is clear and clean and the hiking is healthy and exhilarating.  If you are in the Palm Springs area this is a great sport to take on and it costs virtually nothing.

There are over 100 trails that are available for hiking in the area. Some are well maintained, most are not monitored. You really should tell someone where you are going, when you will be back and always hike with a partner to ensure that in case of injuries, there is someone to help. Take lots of water  with you, more than what you think you might need.

For lots of details about things to do in Palm Springs as well as restaurants to visit, click here.

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There are lots of road runners in Palm Springs but it is not often you get this close to one. This guy likes sweet potato fries and is not afraid of guests sitting on the patio having lunch. We are pretty sure that the waiters keeps him well fed.

This picture was taken at the Agua Caliente Casino on Ramon road in the Palm Springs area. We were sitting out on a patio enjoying our lunch and the scenery when this road runner came along. He was looking for food and his favorite seemed to be sweet potato fries which he would grab and then take off to eat somewhere in the foliage. He was quite entertaining.

Road Runners in Palm Springs

If you have never had your lunch at the casino, this spot is one of the best. You can eat indoors or outdoors. It is shaded from the sun which is nice when it is really hot and you overlook the pool area. This is quite a nice spot to spend an hour or two having lunch or dinner.

It is also a good place to take a break from the casino. If you are looking for some peace and quiet, this restaurant is a great place to take some time out and enjoy the outdoors. For more information and things to do in Palm Springs, click here.

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This picture was taken at the Agua Caliente Resort, Rancho Mirage, in Rancho Mirage at Ramon road and Bob Hope drive where they both meet interstate 10.

We had lunch sitting on a patio overlooking this tropical paradise, which is actually a pool for the hotel. Lunch is very enjoyable at this location and I am sure dinner would be as well. There is an overhang so you can get out of the sun and enjoy your meal without getting overheated.

There was a little road runner who came to visit looking for meal scraps. We talked to the waiter who told us that he is a regular and knows exactly when to come to lunch or dinner. One of his favorites is sweet potato fries. Turns out they are ours as well so we shared some with him.

Agua Caliente Resort, Rancho Mirage

If you spend any time at this particular casino, take a few minutes to enjoy the scenery and even have lunch if you have more time. This is a beautiful way to spend a couple of hours.

There are also quite a few shows and events that are held at the Agua Caliente Resort, Rancho Mirage. We have not actually gone to any. However some of our friends have and they have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. There is a large hotel and also a large show room that can accommodate many people. For More details about Palm Springs Restaurants, click here.

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We visited the Spa Casino several times while staying in Palm Springs. This is a great casino, located in down town Palm Springs. It is close to all of the stores as well as many motels and condo’s that are filled to capacity during the winter months by all of the snow birds.

There is always something going on in or around the Spa Casino in addition to the obvious gambling in the casino. But first a couple of points of information about the casino itself.

Spa Casino, Palm Springs

Owned and operated by the Agua Caliente band, this casino has a large number of up to date slot machines. All the way from penny machines up to the high denomination machines. They also have a dozen or so tables were you can play blackjack and numerous other games. One of the attributes that we really liked is that there is a bar in the center of the casino where you can relax with a drink or play poker on a slot machine while observing the action around you. There is another bar in a quieter area were you can also watch sports as well as play keno and poker on machines located in the bar.

The Spa Casino routinely has various events in their show room. One such event was a tail gate party for the super bowl. Filled to capacity we watch the game, participated in free prize draws and enjoyed pictures of beer for $6.00 and an all you eat buffet for $10.00 Not a bad deal!

Car Auction

Recently there was also a car auction held in one of the adjacent large parking lots were over 700 cars were put up for sale over the weekend. We were amazed at the cars and the prices. There were some pretty nice cars from jags up to Bentley’s up for auction.

For more information about what to do in Palm Springs, click here.

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There are many places to go hiking in and around Palm springs. We will list them as we go hiking on  some of them and add pictures as well

• The Palm Springs Museum Trail
• Ramon
• The Clara Burgess – This trail takes you to the top of Murray Hill.
• Whitewater Canyon Nature Preserve
• Tram
• Borrego Springs
• Pushwala
• Murray Peak

These pictures were taken at a trail near the end of the Ramon trail on the north side of the city. Access is a bit difficult. You have to park on the street and walk to the end of the street. Then along a wire fence until you come to an opening which you can crawl through.

This particular area is actually a large wash that has a dike or dam across it to protect the city from flooding. Water comes down off the mountains over the cliff you see in the distance and then down into this wash. It is huge and can control / contain a great deal of water. It is also very nice to hike in. You can go all the way up to the cliff in the far distance. There is a lone palm tree sitting at the very top of the white cliff you see in the distance.

Views are Fantastic

This is an example of the views you see when you are standing with the cliff immediately behind you. The rocks are pretty rough and tumbled and hiking is something you must take carefully to avoid breaking a leg or scaring up a snake or two.

this hike took us about 3 hours although it really does not look as if it should take as long as it did. The distances are disbelieving in the desert and you usually end up walking much further than what was originally planned.

If you are interested in seeing where the earthquake zone is and the San Andreas fault line, head out to the end of the Ramon Road into Pushwalla. there is a cabin staffed by volunteers who can fill you in on the fault line, why there are palm trees in this area and sulphate hot springs as well.

The entire area is really one big fault line which is where the pacific plate meets the North American plate. I forget which one is going under the other, but apparently that is what is happening in this area.

Murray Peak is one of the fun hikes, although it has just about everything from flat sections to steep switch backs. It takes about two and a half hours to go up and around two hours to come down. There are picnic tables at the top and you need to take lots of water and something to eat when you go.

For more things to do around Palm Springs, click here.

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This picture was taken in early February 2013 after a snow fall in the mountains around Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. These are two of the desert cities in the Coachella valley, east of Los Angeles. We were actually on El Paseo street in Rancho Mirage. This street is an upscale street of shops. There are a variety of stores that offer very expensive clothing and a variety of accessories that many stars will shop for. if you want to see  fancy cars, this is the place to go.

Rancho Mirage – El Paseo

The scenery is fantastic, with the palm trees in the foreground and the mountains covered in snow in the background.  The highest ones are over 12,000 feet in elevation. Palm Springs has an elevation of 485 feet. Less than 40 miles away there is the Salton sea which is below seal level.

This area is a great area for snow birds and weekend vacationers from LA to spend their time. There are warm temperatures, golf, hiking, biking and swimming activities for all.

One of the big attractions for the writer in Rancho Mirage – El Paseo is the Apple store. This is a great place to spend some time while your spouse shops. Down the street and across the street are several coffee shops as well to relax at.

For more posts about things to do in Palm Springs, click here.

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The Palm Springs Match Box Restaurant is a great place to go for happy hour. We just got back from happy hour at the matchbox restaurant! Bottled beer was $3 per bottle and sliders are $5! We sat upstairs along the fire pit overlooking the street. Great view and we met a bunch of people from Canada.  You can see the fire pit in this picture just above the words Mercado. We sat up there and enjoyed our evening looking out on the street and chatting with these folks from Canada. On cooler evenings they have this fire pit to keep you warm and also heaters in other areas near the tables to provide warmth.

Palm Springs Match Box Restaurant

This is a great place to go for a quick couple of beers, something to eat for less than $20! The Match Box also has a regular restaurant of course where you can order an assortment of foods. We have only dined there once, preferring to take advantage of the happy hour specials and try different things from that menu. The location is great with four restaurants in the same area to chose from all offering their own specialty and all providing great service.

These include a Mexican restaurant with entertainment a couple of nights a week, Ruby’s which provides a 50’s style atmosphere, and The Falls( Now closed) which also has a happy hour and a large formal restaurant. We highly recommend The Falls for both happy hour and dining as well. For more Palm Springs restaurants, click here.

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We recently just went to the Panera Palm Springs restaurant at the corner of Gene Autry and Ramon Road in Palm Springs. This is a fabulous restaurant, fast food but with the standard restaurant fair that most people would like fresh food,  fresh salads, sandwiches, soups and lots of pastries. The quality is very good and the prices are reasonable for such great food.

They also put out coffee with the second cup free, and there are outside patio tables and lawn chairs and umbrellas. We really enjoy going to this restaurant and would recommend that anyone should really try it. It is Zagat rated for Palm Springs.

They also have comfortable reading chairs inside along the windows which are really great to sit at and enjoy your coffee while reading the paper.

Register Your Panera Palm Springs Card

If you obtain one of these loyalty cards, make sure that you register it online. Present it each time to get credit for your purchases and pretty soon you will receive free drinks or pastries. Also on your birthday, they give you a special gift of a coffee or pastries or something else.  You may as well receive these small gifts instead of just paying for them all of the time.

We will also try other locations, but so far for us, this is one of the best.

Panera Bread
Place page
5200 East Ramon Road # F1
Palm Springs, CA 92264-3616, United States
(760) 778-5120

For more information about other restaurants in the Palm Springs area, click here.

Just got back from Wangs restaurant Palm Springs. As usual, it was packed for happy hour. In case you did not know, well drinks are $2, bottled beer and wine is $3 and Martini’s are $4. Pretty good prices. This is a very busy place on most days. However, Friday nights and Sunday nights appear to the day when many gay men and women go to Wangs. If you are not into this sort of lifestyle, then we suggest you might pick another time to visit this great restaurant.

Wangs Restaurant Palm Springs

The food is actually great as well. We had two appetizers, garlic chicken with rice and also green chicken with rice. The food is really excellent. One thing we would recommend is that if you are several people, it might be better to order several main courses and then share them. Better value and more food to eat than just eating the happy hour menu items.

Wangs is usually very busy on the weekends, crowded in fact, so if you are looking for a more quiet evening, we suggest that you try their happy hour during the week or go for dinner during the week.

For more information about Wangs, click here

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Held every Thursday night in Palm Springs, the Palm Springs Street Fair runs from 5 pm to 10 pm and extends for at least 5 or 6 city blocks. Hundreds of vendors and thousands of people descend on Palm Springs every week to take in the fair! We always enjoy buying fresh-picked strawberries and trying out some of the various barbecued meals. If you are in Palm Springs this is one event that should not be missed regardless of what time of the year, including the summertime as well as the winter.

Palm Springs Street Fair

There are lots of snowbirds in Palm Springs during the Jan to March period and this is when the street fair is the most crowded. During the rest of the year, there are still lots of people and vendors, however, it is not as crowded. During the busy months, it is so crowded that you have to line up at food stalls to eat and you have to be careful walking down the street as well. There are just so many people!

Many people will leave on March 31st. Crowds are less, traffic is better and it is a much more relaxed atmosphere. Even the restaurants are not as busy. Some will even offer better happy hour prices on food and drinks. April is a great time to be in the Palm Springs area.

For more things to do in the Palm Springs area, click here.

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