Things to do in Palm Springs for first time visitor

It can be very exciting for the first time visitor to explore Palm Springs. He gets carried away by the plethora of activities, a large number of restaurants, numerous museums, and loads of activities and sporting events. As for lodging, he can pick from any of those luxury resorts, great hotels or splendid villa in Palm Springs. Needless to say, he remains spoilt for choices. After all, there is so much to do and explore here in the desert resort city, brimming with swimming pools and cabanas. If you are looking for a genuine experience in Palm Springs, especially if this is your first visit, you are just on the right page. Read on to know how you can plan a great and memorable holiday here. A trip of 3 to 4 days is good enough for a holiday.

Adventure in Palm Springs

Palm Springs is filled with adventure spots, and interesting activates and tours.

• Rent out a vehicle or a jeep to explore the Joshua Tree National Park, the Painted Canyons, and the Indian Canyons.
• Board a rotating car on the Tramway Road and enjoy a panoramic view of the Coachella Valley below. Later you can hike deeper into the San Jacinto Mountains after enjoying great food served at the mountaintop restaurant and café.  San Jacinto fault line is another tour that one should take.
• Hop onto the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to get a mountaintop experience of the towering, snow-topped peaks of the second-highest mountain range.
• You can hike through the natural palm oasis and walk through the Cahuilla Indian village or make a trip up a narrow slot canyon to the center of the fault.
• Explore the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens, which are like a living slice of the Sonoran Desert. The large locale is split into North American and African environments where you find wild cats, giraffes, and other mammals.
• It is hard to believe the stream of flowing water right in the middle of the desert. Tahquitz Canyon carries a 50-foot waterfall tucked into it.
• Moorten Botanical Garden is filled with a great variety of cacti and other desert plants, and there are more than 3,000 specimens of desert plants here.
• Sunnylands has been a popular summit space for presidents for decades and is a favorite with the wealthy. THe palce e boasts of a nine-hole golf course and holds regular tours of the mansion.
• Indian Canyons consist of Palm Canyon, Andreas Canyon, and Murray Canyon and are located on the reservation lands of a local Native American tribe. Enjoy the breathtaking desert scenery as you hike and shop for authentic Native American pottery.

​Art and history in Palm Springs

• Check out the Palm Springs Art Museum that boasts of more than 12,000 pieces of art. You can spend a couple of hours at this great contemporary art museum with natural science collection.
• Another distinctive spot worth visiting is the Space Age structure, and you cannot help admire its architecture.
• Palm Springs Air Museum showcases combat aircraft from World War II. The three warehouses house more than forty flyable and static planes, and there are F-4 fighter jets as well as a B-17 flying fortress.
• Midcentury modern homes are another attraction in Palm Springs, and one can cruise through the notable neighborhoods and have a look at the private abodes which are architectural gems.
• Cabazon Dinosaurs beckon motorists on their way to Palm Springs, and it is amazing to see sculptures of the 100-ton Brontosaurus and T. Rex sculptures. There are gift shops housed inside Brontosaurus’s belly.
• There are a number of art galleries and furniture stores that one can browse along the Palm Canyon Drive. Ignoring the eye-catching furniture showrooms and unique galleries is really tough. You’ll come across plenty of retro-inspired galleries and furniture stores.
• The Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway was home to 1960s socialites Robert and Helene Alexander during the 1960s. The couple honeymooned at the estate, and today the house lure the visitors who can take a tour of the property.

Shopping and eating in Palm Springs

Palm Springs is a name that is synonymous with celebrities, and there are well-developed shopping centers and retail destinations here. Desert Hills Premium Outlets just outside of Palm Springs are a popular haunt with shoppers. Kate Spades, Escada and Saks, Westfield Mall and Fifth Avenue are high-end names in the neighboring shopping districts. Drop by The River in Rancho Mirage to get a unique open-air retail experience. You can browse exclusive local boutiques, vintage finds and designer shops, in the Greater Palm Springs. Discover locally crafted souvenirs and shop for retro-fabulous vintage clothing or the high-fashion here.
After all that shopping and touring, you are sure to get hungry. And, Palm Springs will not disappoint you when it comes to shopping and dining out. Enjoy a stiff martini along with live piano music the unique restaurant Melvyns. Enjoy being served by tuxedo-wearing waiters and listening to the show tunes of Old Hollywood glamour. If looking for fresh, artisan brunch items, head towards Cheeky's. Pinocchio's is another popular joint known for serving bottomless mimosas and generous portions. If in a mood for fresh muffin and coffee, Koffi coffeehouse is the ideal place. Norma is another really cute spot to dine at, and you will love the pottery on the white walls. Kings Highway restaurant is bright and just perfect for brunch and cocktails.
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P.S. This is a guest post contributed by Wander With Jo.