Author: lindsay

  • Peepa’s

    Peepa’s

    120 NORTH PALM CANYON DRIVE
    PALM SPRINGS

    A longtime landmark, Peepa’s is loaded with an alluring array of specialty items like cheeky greeting cards, Palm Springs-inspired clothing, and colorful barware. There’s even an entire line of “Golden Girls” trinkets available – from mugs to ornaments to books and more. The place is most beloved for its artwork offerings, though, which include Palm Springs Life posters, Norman Korpi prints, and (my personal favorite) Chris Burbach’s charming line of celebrity portraits. Bonus – the employees are some of the friendliest around!

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  • Destination Psp

    Destination Psp

    170 NORTH PALM CANYON DRIVE
    PALM SPRINGS

    Looking for a souvenir that genuinely reflects Palm Springs and its fab midcentury vibe? Head straight to Destination PSP, an upscale boutique populated with countless desert-inspired items, including t-shirts, books, postcards, artwork, collectibles, glassware, and high-end baubles, all custom-designed in-house. Be sure not to miss the highly popular tissue box covers shaped like midcentury homes, which were prominently featured in The New York Times Style Magazine’s T List.

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  • Windmill City Super #1

    Windmill City Super #1

    463 NORTH PALM CANYON DRIVE
    PALM SPRINGS

    Brought to you by the fabulous folks at Windmill City Screen Printing, this shop offers a stellar array of Coachella Valley-oriented and locally-made goods, including many of the tote bags, t-shirts and prints the company produces for area outlets. Stocked with some of the finest postcards and tees (this is my personal fave) offered in the desert, as well as premier candles and lotions, the inventory is bar none, not to mention a blast to peruse. Need a copy of “Mojave Crime” or a “Welcome to Bombay Beach” hat? Windmill City Super #1 has you covered!

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  • Just Fabulous

    Just Fabulous

    515 NORTH PALM CANYON DRIVE
    PALM SPRINGS

    The most whimsical shop you’ll find in the desert, Just Fabulous stocks a highly curated selection of gifts, books, accessories, home décor, artwork and thoroughly irreverent greeting cards, all housed in a chic setting that feels more museum than store. The boutique also hosts regular book signings and celebrity events, with everyone from Tippi Hedren to Lily Tomlin popping by. Although the place really does it up during the holidays, Just Fabulous is a good time every month of the year! As the website notes, “If you’re not feeling fabulous when you enter our store, you will when you leave.”

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  • Seaplane Shirts

    Seaplane Shirts

    1009 NORTH PALM CANYON DRIVE
    PALM SPRINGS

    If you’re into patterned button-downs, this colorful emporium is your Oz! With splashy wares hung from nearly every square inch (even the ceiling!), the singular shop is absolutely teeming with countless limited-edition styles and patterns, all crafted in the USA from the “last yards of rare materials.” While the shirts are gorgeous and incredibly vibrant, the store is worth a visit to check out the whimsical surroundings alone!

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  • Covet

    Covet

    750 NORTH PALM CANYON DRIVE
    PALM SPRINGS

    Located next door to Bobo, this chic spot boasts an exquisite inventory of clothing, gifts, cosmetics and accessories but is best known for its line of in-house jewelry, all of it dainty, classic, classy, and handcrafted by owner Adrienne Wiley. The shop even offers permanent jewelry via its onsite zapping station – making it a must-visit for anyone on a girls’ trip. Though Covet’s selections are elevated and personally selected by Wiley on her many world travels, prices are entirely reasonable.

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  • Salton Sea

    Salton Sea

    CA-111
    MECCA

    If you’re spending more than a few days in the desert, there’s nothing quite like a road trip to the Salton Sea! In fact, it’s one of my favorite spots to take guests. I recommend visiting the east side, as the west isn’t all that unique. The Sea’s four main attractions are chronicled in detail below, but first a few notes. The journey takes at least five hours to complete, and while there are some bathrooms along the way, they are few and far between. As such, a stop at the Mecca Travel Center at the start of your trip is suggested. You can fill your tank with gas at the Arco on the premises (90480 66th Ave., Mecca) and utilize the bathroom at the neighboring Starbucks (90496 66th Ave., Mecca). The Travel Center is the last major retail you will see on your route.

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  • Bobo Palm Springs

    Bobo Palm Springs

    750 NORTH PALM CANYON DRIVE
    PALM SPRINGS

    The cutest stationery store you ever did see – and the only one of its kind in the area! Founded by Angie Chua of the popular Bobo Design Studio, this high-end paperie is adorable, inviting and chock full of such enviable goods as gel pens, tote bags, stickers, washi tape, the company’s signature Wanderlust Passport travel journals and more! It’s feel-good through and through! Be sure to check out the shop’s “Greetings from Palm Springs” mural, hand-painted by Angie and a must-stop photo op for anyone visiting the area.

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  • Flannery Exchange

    Flannery Exchange

    750 NORTH PALM CANYON DRIVE
    PALM SPRINGS

    This former-bank-turned-retail-destination wins my vote for best desert shopping center. Heavily stylized with millennial pink accents and a slew of fabulous boutiques, the mixed-use site is both an Instagram dreamland and a shopper’s delight. Every store on the premises is can’t-miss (two of which, Bobo and Covet, are detailed below), as is the onsite coffee shop, Café La Jefa, which made my coffee list above. You won’t find a prettier place to shop in the Valley!

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  • Parker Palm Springs

    Parker Palm Springs

    4200 EAST PALM CANYON DRIVE
    PALM SPRINGS

    A desert icon, the Parker started life as a Holiday Inn (California’s first!) but was transformed by legendary designer Jonathan Adler into Palm Springs’ inaugural five-star resort in 2004. Boasting stellar eateries, an 18-hole golf course, an award-winning spa, three pools, pétanque and croquet courts, and 13 acres of impeccably manicured grounds, the property still offers the utmost in luxury today. As such, it has become a stomping ground for Hollywood’s elite, with everyone from Drew Barrymore to Liam Neeson to (perhaps most famously!) Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie checking in for some upscale R&R.

    ★★★★★

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