Palm Springs, CA
Set in the Coachella Valley at the foot of several mountain ranges, this popular desert getaway is just a two-hour drive (or short flight) from Los Angeles. For more than half a century, Palm Springs has been a playground for Hollywood celebrities—Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Elizabeth Taylor all visited here often. In the early 20th century, health nuts made their way to Palm Springs because of the city’s dry heat and luxurious resort hotels. Today, there is an eclectic food and drinks scene and endless outdoor activities. Palm Springs is also home to one of the largest collections of Mid-century Modern architecture in the world. The weather is usually warm and sunny, so come prepared to relax and enjoy yourself when not taking part in the city’s many cultural activities. Palm Springs is a desert oasis unlike any other.
Milk & Honey Tip
If you love architecture, head to Palm Springs for Modernism Week which happens for two weekends every February. A lot of the stunning homes are only open for tours at this time of year, and there’s a ton of events happening so it’s buzzing with popularity.
Eat
The team at M+H always visits Azucar Restaurant, with their modern boho decor, incredible cocktail menu (hello, blood orange margaritas), and gorgeous rooftop bar. Some popular options where you’ll want to reserve a table are Workshop Kitchen + Bar, in a repurposed 1920s movie theater; King’s Highway, a retro diner attached to the Ace Hotel; and the adventurously creative Sandfish by Engin Onural.
Play
For many, Palm Springs is primarily a long weekend getaway, a place to lounge by a swimming pool with a good book in hand. The city, however, rewards those who make time for a longer visit. There’s downtown Palm Springs, with Palm Canyon Drive its major thoroughfare. There you’ll find the famous Visitor Center built in 1963 which is both an architectural masterpiece and a source of information for your stay, while the same street includes the Architecture and Design Center, part of the Palm Springs Art Museum. A trip on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to near the top of San Jacinto Peak provides bird’s-eye views of the area. One of the gems of the national park system, Joshua Tree, is just 45 minutes away by car.
Sleep
Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage [Luxury]
The unrivaled Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage sits 650 feet above the Palm Springs Valley. Enveloped in the Santa Rosa Mountains, the resort enclave features a 25,000 square foot, artfully designed spa and fitness center and cliff-side swimming and serenity pools. Dining venues include a visually dynamic exhibition kitchen and The Edge, perched atop the valley with unparalleled views, offering the perfect gathering place for cocktails and stargazing.
Colony Palms Hotel [Boutique]
The look is an elegant fantasy in a Spanish/Moroccan style, with all the modern-luxe trimmings, from flat-panel televisions, pillow-top mattresses, and down duvets to marble-clad bathrooms stocked with C.O. Bigelow bath products. There’s a pool and a spa, the latter a 65-foot salt-water affair, which is naturally Moroccan-themed as well. And the hotel’s restaurant, the Purple Palm, is more than a hotel kitchen — it’s an upscale Mediterranean fixture on the Palm Springs dining scene, serving inventive modern dishes paired with wines from California and around the world.
The Parker [Boutique]
Looking around the Parker, it's easy to see the appeal; every detail calls out for attention, from the bubblegum pink of the bellhops’ uniforms to the occasional animal-print rug, and the inclusion of such refreshingly old-school games as croquet and pétanque, alongside the red clay tennis courts and the five-star diner, Norma’s. And underneath it all, the Parker is quite possibly just as luxurious as it was in the Givenchy days, though miles less pretentious.
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