FIVE DAYS EXPLORING THE PALM SPRINGS REGION
Feb 8th, 2011, 06:11 AM
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FIVE DAYS EXPLORING THE PALM SPRINGS REGION
My adult daughter and I recently spent a few days in the Palm Springs area, using La Quinta as a homebase. We went the first week of February. Weather was perfect - mid 70's.We stayed in a very spacious condo that allowed us each to have our own "suite." The condo itself was very well equipped and in a scenic area near Old Town La Quinta. La Quinta itself has a cute town center with a few unique shops and restaurants. If we were to come to this area again, we think we would stay closer to Palm Springs (like Palm Desert or Rancho Mirage) just because all we wanted to see necessitated a drive in that direction.
We mixed shopping with hiking on this trip. I had wanted to hit the Premier Outlet Mall - gigantic with all the shops you would expect. I unloaded a lot of money at the Jones New York and Kasper shops while my daughter went for Esprit. This mall has three large complexes - we only went to one and spent a couple of hours wandering around. One could spend a whole day or more if one was a shopaholic! Fast food options here but we didn't try anything.
An excellent shopping experience was strolling along El Paseo in Palm Desert. Very nice shops and several blocks of interesting window shopping. Since we are from Canada, we do not have a Target store. My daughter wanted to check it out - kind of like a large Walmart (same smell too!) My daughter didn't buy anything but I bought several tank tops for $8 each! Downtown Palm Springs is truly a blast from the past. Great people watching and fun little bars and shops. Not a high fashion place at all but worth spending a couple of hours strolling around.
Our highlight was going to Joshua Tree National Park. Amazing rock formations and fascinating vegetation. We drove the Park, stopping at most Exhibits to do the related walk or take in the view. Spent all day here. The highway to get here isn't very pleasant (ie scenic) but once here it is great. Remember there is no food to be had in the Park. You can pick up water at the Information center prior to entering the Park. When we were there it was very windy and quite cool.
Our other hiking adventure was going to Indian Canyons near Palm Springs. Gorgeous, gorgeous and diverse scenery. There is fast food and water available at the Trading Post that you can grab before you go down to start a hike. I'm talking hotdogs, etc. We hiked the Palm Canyon and then the East Loop Trail. However, we got terribly lost. Once inside the rolling hills, you can't really see very far into the distance. The sign post markings are few and far between and don't indicate distances. The map provided didn't help us either really. We had enough water but I wish I had brought my cell phone and GPS in my backpack. Long story short: our two hour hike turned into seven hours. We eventually got back (obviously) with no harm done. We went on a Monday and we literally saw no other people on the trail except at the very beginning. Just a cautionary tale
Heading back into the snow and cold is not appealing - this was a most welcome break. Although we are not golfers, we found plenty to do and really could have spent more time here.
We mixed shopping with hiking on this trip. I had wanted to hit the Premier Outlet Mall - gigantic with all the shops you would expect. I unloaded a lot of money at the Jones New York and Kasper shops while my daughter went for Esprit. This mall has three large complexes - we only went to one and spent a couple of hours wandering around. One could spend a whole day or more if one was a shopaholic! Fast food options here but we didn't try anything.
An excellent shopping experience was strolling along El Paseo in Palm Desert. Very nice shops and several blocks of interesting window shopping. Since we are from Canada, we do not have a Target store. My daughter wanted to check it out - kind of like a large Walmart (same smell too!) My daughter didn't buy anything but I bought several tank tops for $8 each! Downtown Palm Springs is truly a blast from the past. Great people watching and fun little bars and shops. Not a high fashion place at all but worth spending a couple of hours strolling around.
Our highlight was going to Joshua Tree National Park. Amazing rock formations and fascinating vegetation. We drove the Park, stopping at most Exhibits to do the related walk or take in the view. Spent all day here. The highway to get here isn't very pleasant (ie scenic) but once here it is great. Remember there is no food to be had in the Park. You can pick up water at the Information center prior to entering the Park. When we were there it was very windy and quite cool.
Our other hiking adventure was going to Indian Canyons near Palm Springs. Gorgeous, gorgeous and diverse scenery. There is fast food and water available at the Trading Post that you can grab before you go down to start a hike. I'm talking hotdogs, etc. We hiked the Palm Canyon and then the East Loop Trail. However, we got terribly lost. Once inside the rolling hills, you can't really see very far into the distance. The sign post markings are few and far between and don't indicate distances. The map provided didn't help us either really. We had enough water but I wish I had brought my cell phone and GPS in my backpack. Long story short: our two hour hike turned into seven hours. We eventually got back (obviously) with no harm done. We went on a Monday and we literally saw no other people on the trail except at the very beginning. Just a cautionary tale
Heading back into the snow and cold is not appealing - this was a most welcome break. Although we are not golfers, we found plenty to do and really could have spent more time here.
Feb 8th, 2011, 05:05 PM
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jranger,
I am very happy you enjoyed your visit. Your trip report is great. I'm also happy your hiking ordeal turned out ok, if not a little scary and long. I can't emphasize enough how much people need to be prepared, even for casual hikes. I am an avid, experienced hiker and familiar with the area, but never go out without being ready to spend the night all the same
I hope you felt welcome and come back. We are very glad our Canadian neighbors come to share our good winter weather.
PSL
I am very happy you enjoyed your visit. Your trip report is great. I'm also happy your hiking ordeal turned out ok, if not a little scary and long. I can't emphasize enough how much people need to be prepared, even for casual hikes. I am an avid, experienced hiker and familiar with the area, but never go out without being ready to spend the night all the same
I hope you felt welcome and come back. We are very glad our Canadian neighbors come to share our good winter weather.
PSL
Feb 9th, 2011, 04:08 AM
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POlson - must be honest - we did not eat out much. We discovered the grocery store, Trader Joe's, and picked up fresh food daily which we prepared in our condo. Not too exciting I know, but after trailing around all day, we were happy to enjoy a nice bbq or salad at home. Then I could enjoy a glass or two of wine since I didn't have to drive. We had a few lunches out which were pleasant but nothing stellar!
PSLocal - thanks for your comments. We felt really silly for getting lost as we fancy ourselves as experienced hikers in the Alberta Rockies. But, as you say, one must be prepared. Wouldn't hesitate to go back to Indian Canyons. Beautiful, unique scenery.
PSLocal - thanks for your comments. We felt really silly for getting lost as we fancy ourselves as experienced hikers in the Alberta Rockies. But, as you say, one must be prepared. Wouldn't hesitate to go back to Indian Canyons. Beautiful, unique scenery.
