City: Palm Springs, CA

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (760) 778-8418, (800) 347-7746

Address: 2901 North Palm Canyon Drive

Description: A fashionable resort city, Palm Springs is known worldwide for its celebrity residents, perfect winter temperatures, and endless golf greens. Once considered the playground for the rich and famous, Palm Springs and the adjacent desert communities—including Palm Desert, La Quinta, and Rancho Mirage—have become family vacation destinations. Sure, there are still plenty of celebrities who live here full or part-time and plenty of celebrity sightings at golf tournaments and other events. Golf, tennis, and spa packages abound at the hotels and resorts, and during the winter “snowbirds” flock to the areas from colder climes.From San Diego you reach the desert towns by traveling north on Interstate 15 to Interstate 215 and connecting with California Highway 60 or I-10. From there take California Highway 111 to Palm Springs. The trip from San Diego is about two and a half hours.For shopping fun while you’re in the area, don’t miss a stop on I-10 about 17 miles west of Palm Springs at the Cabazon Outlet Stores (909-922-3000; www.cabazonoutlets.com). Here you’ll find a rest stop (restrooms and food) blended with outlet shopping that Insiders say is the best in the area.For mildly adventurous types, photo buffs, and outdoor enthusiasts, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is a must-do when you’re in the desert. Kids love it. Call for hours of operation as they change depending on the season, (760) 325-1391, (888) 515-TRAM, www.pstramway.com. To take the tram, exit I-10 at CA 111 and head toward Palm Springs. Exit again at Tramway Road and follow the signs. The entrance is about 4 miles up the road toward the mountain. There are three kinds of rides you can take: Standard, Twilight, or Ride & Dine (which includes dinner at the Pines Café). Twilight prices are reduced from the standard; Ride & Dine runs $35 for adults, $23 for kids. Once the admission fee is paid (about $22 for those age 13 and older; about $15 for kids ages 3 to 12), you’ll board the tram, which transports passengers 2.5 miles from Valley Station in Chino Canyon (at an altitude of 2,643 feet) to and from Mountain Station (at 8,516 feet) at the east edge of Long Valley. The trip in an enclosed hanging gondola isn’t the proper jaunt for those who avoid heights or are uncomfortable in enclosed areas. If you love scenery from a bird’s-eye view, this is a spectacular way to see the mountains and the entire Coachella Valley below. On any blistering summer’s day, you can leave Palm Springs in 100-degree-plus weather and feel a chill on top of the mountain. At the summit you’ll find a restaurant, cafeteria, observation area, picnic spots, museum, gift shop, and snack bar along with walking and hiking trails. Guided nature walks are free.Once you’re back down in the desert, you can take a celebrity-spotters bus tour with Palm Springs Celebrity Tours (760-770-2700; www.celebrity-tours.com). The one-and-a-half to three-and-a-half-hour tours start at $25 for adults and $12 for children. (You can call ahead for reservations, and they’re recommended during the popular winter season and during the film festivals.)Also down in the desert, you can shop along trendy El Paseo, with stores such as Escada beckoning you inside. Ice-cream parlors, classic coffee shops, and chic dining establishments will satisfy your appetite. Be sure to check out the Palm Springs Art Museum (101 Museum Drive, 760-325-7186), which has a gamut of fine art, concerts, and classes. The museum holds events from drama to dance in the Annenburg Theater. Call for dates and performance information; general admission is $12.50.Golf is a major draw, with more than 100 courses in the greater Palm Springs area. Check out www.palmsprings.com/golf.html for a comprehensive listing of the most popular courses.Just east of Palm Springs in Palm Desert is the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens (47-900 Portola Avenue, 760-346-5694, www.livingdesert.org). Here visitors can take a self-guided tour of the grounds and learn about the more than 400 animals representing 150 different species, such as coyotes, bighorn sheep, birds of prey, and cheetahs. Hours are seasonal, so call ahead. General admission from September 1 through June 15 is $12.00 for adults, $10.50 for seniors and military, and $7.50 for children ages 3 to 12. Summer rates are about 25 percent less expensive.