We will be in Pam Springs in early March arriving on Sat pm and leaving Wed pm. We are in our mid 50's . We like moderate to easier hiking. We plan on going to Joshua Tree and potentially taking the Aerial Tram and do some hiking at each. We are looking for advice on the following:
1. Best trails at Joshua and the tram stop
2. Favorite restaurants for nice dinners

We also are considering a day trip up to Death Valley with the understanding that it would be a long day and more of a road trip than hiking . But perhaps that is too much and we should save DV for another trip? If we drop DV do you have other ideas?

We welcome any suggestions.

Look at hiking in one of the Palm Canyons. Very cool; oasis in the desert. We did an easy hike in Andreas Canyon, but there are others. I would skip DV with such a short time.

You are spoiled for choice for dining in Palm Springs. Our favorites for a nice dinner were Copley's, Jakes, and Johannes. But you will find lots of places to eat in all price ranges. We never had bad food in Palm Springs.

Our favorites in Palm Springs are Trio, the Purple Room and Melvyn’s. We like the food, the service is impeccable and all three can be full dinners or just heavy appetizers and drinks... whatever we feel like that day.

Have a a wonderful time!

Remember to bring warm jackets on the tram. It is MUCH colder at the top. The hiking is good, although I don't remember specific trails. Also while in the Palm Springs area,you might want to check out some of the hot springs resorts and find one where you can get get day passes for soaking. There are a lot of them in Desert Hot Springs. We went to one (can't remember the name) after hiking at Joshua Tree and enjoyed it. There's also a casino in Palm Springs that was pretty nice for dropping a few bucks in the slots. We also had fun wandering around Estate Sale, a group of buildings full of really interesting furniture and decor for sale. Lots of nice stuff apparently obtained from wealthy estates in the area.

Taking the Palm Spring Aerial Tramway up Mount San Jacinto is a must - the viewing points when you are up there are spectacular! There are varied walking routes too and a restaurant to dine in whilst up there.

Does anyone go to Palm Springs in the summer? I'm dying to go back but can't find vacation time until July.

I was talking to someone who lives year round in Palm Springs about this very thing a couple of days ago. She likes summer because there is no traffic and you can get into any restaurant you want any time. Presumably, hotels are also cheaper. The tradeoff is temperatures around 120 degrees, which is why there are few tourists in PS in summer.

I used to go out in summer quite a bit, and then bought a condo out there which I used about every other summer weekend but it's been about 10 years since I used to go regularly. I like June and September, but NOT July and August. There are plenty of babyboomer retirees who own out there now, especially with Sun City Shadow Hills and other 'down valley" developments.

While hotels may be cheaper, what you get are lots of Coachella Valley and LA/OC people taking advantage so there are plenty of CHILDREN in the resort pools and it can be as much of a zoo, but not the "snowturd" crowd, as my resident friend calls them. Plus you pretty much have to hole up inside in midday and many restaurants and shops close down for the summer (or vacate due to going out of business).

Hiking spots in the Coachella Valley beside the Indian Canyons

Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve in the Coachella Valley Preserve System - Home

Home - The Living Desert

A list of other trails

Hiking In Palm Springs | Hiking trails in Palm Springs, the Coachella Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, Idyllwild and surrounding areas
Bump and Grind (which now has some restrictions)

The Palm Desert Bump-n-Grind Trail ? Hiking In Palm Springs

Note that even March can be hot so be sure to follow precautions about hot weather hiking and start out hydrated (I used to "pre-load" by drinking more than normal for a few days before visiting.

In Joshua Tree NP we enjoyed the walk to Barker Dam -



... and exited at the south end of the park so we could swing by Shield's Date Garden for a date milkshake. (This is something of a landmark in the valley.) California Dates | Coachella Valley Dates | Shields Date Garden, Indio, CA

Indio is also a great place for Mexican food. In PS we also like Sherman's Deli - also very traditional. Sherman's Deli & Bakery | New York Style Deli

Map - https://goo.gl/maps/GE2GTMaT6E82

We go at least once every summer! We both grew upin warm climates and now live on the Central Coast of California where summer is often cool and foggy.
We miss the heat and sometimes feel the need to warm up!
We stay at hotels that have misters That continuously run at the pool, stay out until whenever and then head in the afternoon for a nap in the air conditioning... dinner out and then like to sit out with a nightcap. On these trips we read, sleep, hang in the pool and drink more cocktails then usual, maybe hit a movie and never miss dinner and a show at the Purple Room. Simple and relaxing.

I travelled to Palm Springs in June, it's definately a nice time to go if you can handle the high temperatures. 40 degrees C+

Thank you all for the great advice. We had a great time. Hiking in Joshua tree --Rangers were great at giving map and advice on trails. If I did it again I think I would skip the Tram in favor of Indian Canyons. Due to a closure one of the days we were there, we only had one short hike at Indian Canyons. Restaurants for Dinner that we loved--Copley's, Trio and Melvyn's. Although we used open table for reservations at Melvyn's and that was a mistake. The long term maître d was flummoxed on that one. Took 45 minutes to get a table. Breakfast at Elmer's and the Farm were very different from each other but both very good. Thanks again!