Tag: Indio

  • Clark’s Travel Center

    Clark’s Travel Center

    82253 INDIO BOULEVARD
    INDIO

    This roadside pit stop is where Reverend Jimmy Swaggart picked up a lady of the night before being promptly pulled over by the police on October 11, 1991. The scandal (Swaggart’s second such offense) led to the temporary shut-down of the televangelist’s ministry and a massive media blitz, which then Indio Police Chief Jerry Graves told “The Desert Sun” garnered “the most intense interest in a news story that I’ve been involved in.” In an only-in-the-desert twist, a bronze plaque now marks where the incident occurred, quite fittingly displayed just outside of the travel center’s restrooms.

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  • George’s Men’s Store

    George’s Men’s Store

    1667 SIXTH STREET
    COACHELLA

    A sleepy block of downtown Coachella was transformed into 1940s Las Vegas for the filming of the 1991 gangster classic Bugsy. This stepped-roof storefront portrayed George’s, the “canker sore” of a casino that sparks Benjamin Siegel’s (Warren Beatty) ambition to build the Flamingo Hotel. The site originally housed George’s Men’s Store, a longtime Coachella Valley staple that first opened in 1946 and served the community for more than four decades. Fun fact: the movie signage remained in place until just a few years ago—and is still visible today via Google Street View. Elsewhere in the desert, the film’s Flamingo Hotel set was constructed on a dusty patch in nearby Ocotillo Wells, while the cast and crew made La Quinta Resort their home base during the two-week shoot.

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  • Italica

    Italica

    82867 MILES AVENUE
    INDIO

    This speakeasy, hidden behind an unassuming door in downtown Indio, is one of the desert’s best – and sexiest! – restaurants! Offering such inspired dishes as Pinsa Romano (flatbread with prosciutto, goat cheese, fig jam and calabrian chili oil), Carciofi Alla Giudia (fried artichokes with yuzu roasted garlic aioli) and Bolognese (pappardelle with wild boar and fennel sausage ragu), as well as artisanal cocktails like the signature Mediterranean Sour (Bulleit Bourbon, Italicus bergamont, house-made lemon juice, burrata foam, bitters and a rosemary sprig), all served with true theatrical flourish , dining here is a full-blown (not to mention delicious) experience!

    $$$$

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  • Papa Headz

    Papa Headz

    82868 MILES AVENUE
    INDIO

    This popular food truck now operates out of the side window at Gabino’s Creperie each Wednesday through Sunday from 6 to 10 PM, offering up the best smash burgers in town. I’m talking perfectly crisped, with oodles of melted cheese and signature PH sauce! The fries, loaded with various toppings, including cheese, chicken, buffalo sauce, and ranch, are also not to be missed!

    $

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  • Everbloom Coffee

    Everbloom Coffee

    45125 SMURR STREET
    INDIO

    This chicly minimalist coffee shop features some of the tastiest java and friendliest baristas you’ll find in the desert! Widely known for its specialty house-made syrups (as per the myriad glowing Yelp reviews), which include butterscotch, Madagascar vanilla, mocha and honey lavender, sadly, I am diabetic and, as such, haven’t been able to partake. But I’m happy to report that the standard lattes are nothing short of heavenly and certainly warrant a visit. (The sister location, just up the road at 81730 CA-111, is smaller, but serves up the same fabulous fare.)

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  • The Vintage Coffee House

    The Vintage Coffee House

    49990 JEFFERSTON STREET
    INDIO

    A strip mall with a grocery store as its anchor tenant may seem an unlikely place to find some of the best java in the Coachella Valley, but that is most definitely the case with The Vintage Coffee House. Known for being one of the only sites in the area with bulletproof coffee on the menu, all of the offerings are, in fact, fabulous. The café is adorable to boot, and the service is stellar! Even Sylvester Stallone and Justin Bieber are fans! Vintage is also situated in extremely close proximity to the Coachella concert grounds, so if you are in town for any of the festivals, this is the spot to grab your daily joe!

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  • “Happy Alley”

    “Happy Alley”

    MILES AVENUE, BETWEEN TOWNE & OASIS STREETS
    INDIO

    Just down the street from the “Heavy Metal” cactus, you’ll find “Happy Alley,” another whimsical art installation featuring colorful umbrellas strung across a tiny downtown Indio alleyway. Crafted by the city’s Human Resources and Public Works departments, the display is a vibrant and joy-inducing addition to the local art scene – not to mention a fabulous backdrop for pictures.

    Happy Alley

  • “Heavy Metal” Sculpture

    “Heavy Metal” Sculpture

    TOWNE STREET & BLISS AVENUE
    INDIO

    This aluminum statue, modeled after a rocking-out Saguaro cactus, was created in 2022 for the Power Trip heavy metal festival by sculptor/ frequent Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival contributor Don Kennell and his wife, Lisa Adler. The following year, the piece was relocated to a grassy patch in downtown Indio and now acts as a cheeky attraction, beckoning visitors to pose for photo ops beneath its prickly foliaged fingers.

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  • Wilcockson House

    Wilcockson House

    80125 AVENUE 49
    INDIO

    Yet another impressive Walter S. White design, the Wilcockson House, designed for Reverend Max E. Wilcockson in 1959, is best known for its breathtaking hyperbolic-paraboloid roofline, which (believe it or not!) was the first portion of the property to be constructed, with the rest of the residence subsequently erected beneath it! Situated on a small bluff in Indio, the seemingly gravity-defying structure towers above the surrounding streets, an instantly recognizable landmark amongst a sea of homogenous gated communities. Deep-pocked fans have the opportunity for much closer views as the residence, which was recently given a top-to-bottom restoration, is now available as a vacation rental. Offering six bedrooms and six baths on two pristine acres, rates average about $2,500 per night.

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  • Shields Date Garden Gift Shop

    Shields Date Garden Gift Shop

    780225 CA-111
    INDIO

    Tchotchkes and spices and candies, oh my! This gift shop, located at Shields Date Garden, is bursting at the seams with all manner of date ephemera (including the company’s beloved date crystals), but there is plenty more to be had, such as t-shirts, books, mugs, magnets, signs and a plethora of retro novelty items. Reminiscent of the roadside stands of yesteryear, you’ll also find nostalgic games (Highway Bingo, anyone?) and plenty of other trinkets to keep kids busy on long car rides. It’s a must-stop when in town.

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