Tag: Featured

  • Jw Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa

    Jw Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa

    74-855 COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE
    PALM DESERT

    Surrounded by huge lakes, which guests can tour via manned gondolas, the JW Marriott provides a resort experience like no other. Boasting an incredible 450 acres, the lodging is unbelievably massive, with 884 rooms, seven restaurants, two golf courses, three pools, a Starbucks, a putting green and a myriad of shops. It’s like Disneyland in the desert! Even if you don’t book a stay, the hotel is a must-see for its grand scale and overall spectacle alone – especially during the holidays. Each Christmas, the property truly comes alive with a smorgasbord of activities for children such as story time with Santa, cookie decorating and games galore. Bonus – the hotel is also a filming location! It was here that Jesse Spano’s dad got married on “Saved by the Bell.”

    ★★★★

    Website

  • Spencer’s Restaurant

    Spencer’s Restaurant

    701 WEST BARISTO ROAD
    PALM SPRINGS

    Opened in 2000, Spencer’s has been delighting discerning patrons for decades. Nestled on a stunning plot with three lush, light-strung patios abutting the San Jacinto Mountains, the four-star, adults-only restaurant exudes elegance and style and serves up some of the best food the city has to offer. The winner of copious awards throughout its lengthy history (including Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence), one step across the threshold and it’s not hard to see why the establishment has become one of the area’s most renowned and beloved gems.

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    Website

  • Paul Bar/Food

    Paul Bar/Food

    3700 EAST VISTA CHINO
    PALM SPRINGS

    Even though this intimate restaurant is primarily referred to as a “hidden gem,” lines to get in stretch well past the front door most nights. One cocktail in, and you’ll know why. Paul Bar/Food is one of the city’s best spots – the kind that locals beg people like me not to mention on websites like this for fear of those nightly lines growing even longer. But the joint is certainly worth the wait, thanks to its meals, libations, atmosphere and service, which are some of the best you’ll find in the entire Valley.

    $$$

    Website

  • Palm Springs Windmill Tours

    Palm Springs Windmill Tours

    62950 20TH AVENUE
    PALM SPRINGS

    The 2,000 windmills that crown the hills leading into Palm Springs have affectionately become known as the gateway to the Valley. The colossal structures, some of which stretch nearly 500 feet in the air, may seem rather unworldly, but the Palm Springs Windmill Tours company grants guests up-close-and-personal access via both guided and self-driving excursions. The tours also lead visitors through a fabulous outdoor installation consisting of all manner of turbine parts, as well as providing a plethora of information on the history and future of renewable energy.

    Website

  • “Forever Marilyn”

    “Forever Marilyn”

    MUSEUM WAY & BELARDO ROAD
    PALM SPRINGS

    This 26-foot-tall steel and aluminum statue, which captures Marilyn Monroe mid-dress-billow in the iconic scene from 1955’s “The Seven Year Itch,” was unveiled by prolific sculptor Seward Johnson in 2011. In the years that followed, it called many different places home but was relocated to Palm Springs permanently in 2021 and now stands proudly in Downtown Park as one of the city’s main fixtures and central attractions.

    Website

  • Old Town La Quinta

    Old Town La Quinta

    78100 MAIN STREET
    LA QUINTA

    With a bevy of restaurants and shops, as well as a fabulous Sunday morning farmer’s market and monthly art show, one can easily while away countless hours at this charming plaza. My favorite stores are detailed individually below, but additional not-to-miss spots include Main Street Coffee (featured in my Coffee section above), Stuft Pizza (listed in my Happy Hour section), La Quinta Olive Oil Company, and elizabeth & prince.

    Website

  • El Paseo Shopping District

    El Paseo Shopping District

    EL PASEO BETWEEN PORTOLA & MONTEREY AVENUES
    PALM DESERT

    Considered the “Rodeo Drive of the desert,” El Paseo is the Coachella Valley’s premier shopping destination. Spanning about a mile and boasting such upscale boutiques as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co. and Ralph Lauren, you can really do some damage here! For the more budget-conscious, there are a multitude of staples to be found, as well, including Sephora, Anthropologie, and Talbots. Not into shopping? There are also salons, restaurants and art galleries to explore. Dotted with gorgeous foliage, fountains and plenty of tucked-away chaises to rest your weary feet, you won’t want for anything on the premises!

    Website

  • 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!

    Website

  • Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway

    Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway

    1350 LADERA CIRCLE
    PALM SPRINGS

    This futuristic pad was designed by William Krisel in 1960 for prolific developer Robert Alexander. Featuring a circular motif, the pad was a star from the jump, landing on the pages of “Look” magazine shortly after its completion. It came to even greater infamy when Elvis Presley leased it for a year beginning in September 1966. It was there that the King returned on the evening of May 1, 1967, following his nuptials to Priscilla Beaulieu, thereby forever cementing its status as the “Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway.” A Class 1 Historic Site, the property has also been illuminated in countless photo shoots and onscreen in both the series “Selling Sunset” and the 1998 movie “Poodle Springs.”

    Website

  • Pappy + Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace

    Pappy + Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace

    53688 PIONEERTOWN ROAD
    PIONEERTOWN

    Located 30 miles north of Palm Springs, this eatery is a bit out of the way but is a must-stop if you’re heading to Joshua Tree or Yucca Valley. Boasting a vibrant and thoroughly unique high-desert vibe, the historical movie set turned biker/burrito bar turned bustling restaurant/fabled live music venue is hip, happening, and standing-room-only most days. And don’t let the place’s ramshackle appearance fool you – the food served on the premises is some of the best you’ll find in the entire greater Palm Springs area. As such, Pappy + Harriet’s has attracted the likes of everyone from Paul McCartney to Helen Mirren to Emma Stone.

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    Website