Palm Springs: Just Over the Hill

"It's the place people go to die..." a friend blurted when I said I was spending six days in Coachella Valley's Palm Springs. A harsh critique that started me thinking about perceptions and how easy it is to dismiss something out-of-hand because of an assumption.

My first visit to the Palm Springs area was 20 years ago and to put it frankly, I disliked the experience. As I remember, it was 121 degrees and my little '85 Honda Prelude didn't have AC (I had just arrived from Minneapolis, who really needs it there?). It was a miserable day, I roasted and I couldn't wait to get out.

I made my assumption then and there; it was always going to be hot, there was very little to do and in my judgemental mind, there were too many octogenarians present to make it anything other than, b-o-r-i-n-g.

FUNNY, HOW TIME AND AGE CHANGES
YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON... WELL... PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING.

I recently spent six days getting to know the city I had judged so harshly and to say the least, I am happy that I had the opportunity to do so. I've been to Palm Springs many times over the course of the last 20 years, but for the most part, it had more to do with meeting friends at a private house and hanging by the pool, carousing in the many bars on Arenas, which by the way, is still a whole lot of fun, or going to be a part of the White Party. Again, an event that is plenty of fun and by the way, coming up in April.

This time around, I made a conscious effort to step outside of what I had come to know about the city and its offerings. It was a good plan and because of it, I was pleasantly surprised.

THE TRIP OVER

To get there, I took a route I hadn't been on in a very long time. The freeway makes it so easy... And so mind- numbingly boring. For a more scenic route, head east on Interstate 8 and look for the exit for Highway 79 to Julian, it's a bucolic, winding, two-lane byway worth every curve.

Once through Downtown Julian, highway 79 and 78 merge until tiny Aguanga, where you jump on highway 371 and finally 74 to Palm Desert. It takes a little over an hour to reach Julian and a little over two to reach Palm Desert, but the beautiful landscapes are so worth the extra time. The precarious mountain route and the stunning views of the Coachella Valley always put me in mind of the lush landscapes of America's great turn of the century Hudson River painters. Remington, Bierstadt and Moran; their rich vistas, dark craggy canyons and the amber, rose and plum hues so unique to the California landscape. Interestingly enough, a lovely, must-see collection of which, can be viewed at the Palm Springs Art Museum. Check it out at psmuseum.org.

For the first two days, I checked in to the lovely Santiago Resort at 650 E. San Lorenzo Road. Their brochure says, "We are a luxury getaway where men come to hit pause, be spoiled and rediscover the bliss of completely giving in to the moment." A blissful getaway for sure and as advised, I totally hit pause and gave in to the spoiling. I loved the resort and its amazing staff, their central location is minutes from Downtown and the resort is blissfully quiet. Pristine surroundings, a lovely pool, spa and a fire pit, fit for lazy lounging, of course with cocktails and your vat of must-have sunscreen! The room's price includes yummy breakfast options and a lovely afternoon bonus: a delicious, fresh boxed lunch. For more information or to book a reservation, go to santiagoresort.com.

UP, UP AND AWAY

"Would you like to ride in my beautiful..." Tramway? This was a treat, and something I cannot believe I'd missed over the years. The world's largest tramcar "Spins you right round, baby right round..." Rotating as you take the breathtaking journey up Chino Canyon's sheer cliffs: 10-minutes to the Valley Station at 2,643 ft. and then 8,516 ft. up to the Mountain Station. Wicked fun, but bring your cold-weather gear; it's usually 30-40 degrees cooler at the top. For more information, go to pstramway.com.

DRAG ME OUT

One of the many entertaining things Palm Springs does well is theatre and drag. There are many shows available and the one I chose first was Lipstick Thursdays at the Copa Room with Pinkie Meringue Shimmer, as one of the headliners (you gotta love that name, don't ya?). I've been to my share of drag shows, but I have to say Pinkie really knows how to get her "shimmer on." It's worth every dollar you offer... I'll let you decide where to stuff it. Make sure to check out the many other performance offerings at the Copa (cue the Barry Manilow music)! For more information on events, go to copapalmsprings.com.

Dinner followed and it brought me right across the parking lot to the Tropicale & Coral Seas Lounge. A colorful, updated '50s sensibility that follows the Copa's vibe (both are under the same ownership), with silhouetted views of the San Jacinto Mountains and a dining patio that was bustling with friendly diners partaking of their large, varied menu. I tested their Crispy Boneless Southern Fried Chicken, with corn mashed potatoes and buttered collard greens and chased it with the Chasing Venue Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand-a heavenly buttermilk crunch with a divine citrus snap from the wine-heavenly.

Sundays at Rio Azul was my second stop on the drag-go-round and the ladies didn't disappoint. The attendance was a little light due to the International Bear Convergence-apparently bears don't like glitter in their fur-but regardless, Miss Rusty Waters and the rest of the queens put on a great show. The Mexican fare served up by the restaurant was delish, but look out for those bottomless mimosas! Though, in the words of Hostess Waters, "The more you drink, the better we look!" For more information or to make a reservation, go to rioazulpalmsprings.com.

TIME TO ESCAPE

My third and fourth days were spent at the Escape Resort, also located on San Lorenzo Road, number 641 to be exact. Directly across from the Santiago (now wasn't that convenient), Escape has a very different vibe, though the staff is just as obliging. It's a bit smaller, which for me makes it all the sweeter and it has an updated '50s motel sensibility; with fresh new furnishings and lush desert vegetation to shade your day's lounging at the pool. I have a fond place in my heart for a "motel sensibility," since I grew up living and working in the one my grandparents built on the balmy south shore of Lake Superior. No really, it was balmy... At least for a couple months during the summer! For more information or to book a reservation, go to escapepalmsprings.com.

Saturday, I tore myself out of my lounge chair for a quick trip to the Moorten Botanical Gardens, the internationally famous living museum with over 3,000 examples of desert cacti and other desert plants (moortengarden.com). It's been there since the '30s and is a fascinating way to know your local flora and fauna. Sunday was spent wandering the Palm Springs Vintage Market in downtown's core (palmspringsvintagemarket.com). A nice, wide range of vintage, retro and mid-century modern merchandise, though I resisted the urge to fill my trunk.

ON THE MOVE

Day four brought me another quick move, this time right into the heart of Downtown at the Hyatt Palm Springs. I checked into a great upper suite overlooking the pool early Monday morning, because I needed to dash off for a
9:30 tour appointment. The Desert Adventure Eco-Tour Company has been around longer than any other tour group in the Coachella Valley and has several routes: City and Celebrity Home Tour, Windmills to Whitewater, Joshua Tree Indian Canyons, San Andreas Fault and Painted Canyons/Mecca Hills. Taking a ride in their distinctive Red Jeeps is the best ticket to understanding all that the Coachella Valley has to offer. I took the City and Celebrity Home Tour: a 90-minute ride through the manicured streets of Palm Springs, with more than a little information about Tinseltown's many haciendas that populate the area.

Bob Gross or "Rainbow Spirit" as his card says, "Offers a generous dose of history and just a bit of gossip" about the famed desert getaways of people like Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Dinah Shore, Michael Jackson and of course, the king of sequins, Liberace. There's a new breed in town too, many younger stars are taking up residence-Hello Leonardo DeCaprio-who recently purchased the beautiful Dinah Shore modernist masterpiece. Apparently, Malibu is so very pass�! For more information or to make a reservation, go to red-jeep.com.

FINAL DAYS

My last two big meals for the weekend were at the Hyatt's bar and their signature restaurant, Share. I kept it simple the first night and went with the Summer Vegetable Risotto and the recommended Albarino, thought I don't remember the vintner (bad reporter, bad). Risotto is easily done badly, thankfully that was not the case here. The next evening's meal took place during my last quiet evening and included great conversation with a couple vacationing from Oregon. A tasty Ceasar Salad to start and a lovely Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (tad too lemony for the dish, though it's one of my favorites), followed with a Boneless Pork Loin Chop with pineapple-lime chutney, fingerling potatoes and a green bean salad. It was a perfect finale to a long and very busy six days.

What I have to offer about Palm Springs is this: It truly is the perfect "staycation" I learned more about the city and its surroundings on this last trip than in the last ten times I've visited the desert's gay hotspot. The McCallum Theater and its amazing array of entertainment, the Palm Springs Art Museum, the Architecture and Design Center and the Desert Arts Center are easily worth an afternoon each and the myriad of other events that the city has to offer goes way, way beyond the White Party and The Dinah so famous in the LGBT world. I mean; Modernism Week and the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair alone are worth a trip. And seriously, the Aerial Tramway... How had I missed that?

For more information on all things in the Coachella Valley, check out the Palm Springs Visitors Center at 2901 North Palm Canyon Drive.You can call them at 800.347.7746 or by going to visitpalmsprings.com