Nettie

Hi all - We are on holiday in Santa Monica at the moment where it is a bit chilly - so thought we'd head to Palm Springs for the day -TOMORROW August 5th.. Can anyone give us an itinerary for the day? We aim to get there by 10am and leave early evening. We hear the aerial tramway is a good bet - any other ideas? Our kids are 17 and 12.
Thanks for your speedy responses.

sf7307

The aerial tramway is fun enough, but I wouldn't do that if you're aiming to be warm. It's COLD up there!

mlgb

It's about 30 degrees colder at the top of the tram. Tomorrow's forecast is 108 so it's a bit hot for tromping around outside in the Palms Springs area, unless you get here earlier, say 8am. EG Living Desert (Palm Desert) opens at 8am and closes at 1:30pm if that gives you an idea of summer activity hours.

Recommend listing to the KESQ online weather forecast this evening.

It seems kind of silly to drive out the desert only to go up into the mountains...why not go to Mt. Wilson or Palomar Observatory instead , should be mid 80s and you can tour the observatory.

Nettie

Thanks migb - that does sound a better idea. We are from the UK - Palm springs sounded romantic I guess. Mt Wilson sounds good - and nearer and not so hot - Thanks

mlgb

I think it's just too much driving (5 to 6hrs r/t for a day trip) with the heat. But if you wanted to stay a night it might have made more sense. Eg drive up around 3pm, pool layabout or shop for a few hours at Cabazon, evening out for dinner and a stroll, early morning to the Living Desert, hit the tram on the way out.

Dayenu

Is the Thursday market still on? This is a sight to see!

mlgb

Yes Thurday evening market and Palm Spring Art Museum are on!

tcotta

Yes, Palm Springs street fair is from 7-10pm downtown Palm Springs. The discount outlet mall at Cabazon (20 minutes outside Palm Springs is great.

Sorry you went to Santa Monica for your vacation. A lot of people don't realized due to coastal clouds and fog that the Southern Californian towns can be cool this time of year. If people want reliable warmth and sun they always book Palm Springs instead, so that's a good decision on your part to come here. Palm Springs is the sunniest city in the US.

Go to http://palmsprings.com to find more interesting things to do here. Have fun!

Cali

I would go to Palm Springs and spend a night there. It is very comfortable in the evening even if the temps stay high. Also fun b the pool. The Thursday Market is a lot of fun. if you like Discount Malls, the Cabazon Outlet Mall is a good one. if you like to gamble you can also go to Morongo which is right next to Cabazon Outlet Mall. If Palm Springs isn't what you are looking for due to the heat, I would go up to Lake Arrowhead as it is very nice in the summer and usually warmer than the area near the ocean. I would skip Mt. Wilson - not much to see there.

nanabee

I would second Lake Arrowhead. If you have kids there is boating, fishing, water skiing or wake boarding. The lake is privately owned by the city & residents so you should check on this first.

The other choice would be Big Bear Lake (which I don't think is as pretty and is a longer drive) but is public.

Nettie

Thanks everyone for your input... We will definitely look into spending more time in Palm Springs later on....