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Palm Springs, California

Coachella Valley isn’t just for retirees anymore. Welcome to the new Palm Springs: a golfer’s and adventurer’s paradise.
By Paige Phelps |
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photography courtesy of The Parker Palm Springs

Where to Stay:
Abounding with ingenuity, most hotels around Palm Springs are more than just a bellhop and a place to rest your head. Resorts here strive to be thoughtful studies in interior and architectural design. Take, for instance, the clever Hollywood Regency-style Viceroy Palm Springs, styled by décor darling Kelly Wearstler (415 S. Belardo Rd., 800-670-6184, www.viceroypalmsprings.com). Or check out the grand dame of the city, the La Quinta Resort & Club, which offers accommodations in quaint, 1920s-era, Spanish-style casitas. Don’t let the La Quinta name confuse you—this is no roadside flophouse. Eighty years after its inception, this sprawling compound is still considered one of the top resorts in the world (49-499 Eisenhower Dr., 800-598-3828, www.laquintaresort.com). But the best of the best can be found at The Parker Palm Springs. The Jack Parker Corporation, a family-owned hotelier, bought the old Merv Griffin Givenchy Resort & Spa three years ago and did a $40 million overhaul on the 13-acre property to turn it into their pristine calling card. Now visitors pad along dirt paths through gardens filled with overflowing beds of gardenias and freesia to their guest rooms, all of which were designed by sought-after potter-turned-decorator Jonathan Adler (4200 E. Palm Canyon Dr., 800-543-4300, www.theparkerpalmsprings.com).

Where to Eat:
At The Parker you’ll find an excellent brunch café in Norma’s, a simple, bright spot to dine al fresco on blueberry pancakes or red berry risotto wrapped in a waffle. And be sure to hit the hotel’s other offering, Mister Parker’s, a swanky French Bistro with mirrored ceilings and a kitschy, Haight-Ashbury vibe. Also Adler-designed, the restaurant bills itself as “a deconstructed formal hangout for fops, flaneurs, and assorted cronies.” Salivate over dishes like butternut squash ravioli or pork tenderloin with cipolini onions (4200 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Norma’s: 760-321-4630; Mister Parker’s: 760-321-4629; www.theparkerpalmsprings.com). Over at Viceroy, Citron’s upscale bar fare is a little lighter. Try out the semolina-crusted lemon sole and, of course, their “Tiffany blue” signature drink, the Le Citron Bleu martini (415 S. Belardo Rd., 800-670-6184, www.viceroypalmsprings.com). Or skip the hotel scene all together and hit Copley’s on Palm Canyon, a restaurant housed on property once owned by Cary Grant. Last year, the New York Times called it “the newest and hottest place of the moment.” And with experienced chef Andrew Manion Copley behind the Contemporary American menu, you won’t leave hungry (621 N. Palm Canyon Dr., 760-327-9555, www.copleysrestaurant.com).

What to Do:
Palm Springs is the perfect destination for country club junkies. You like golf? So do they. In fact, there are over 100 area courses to choose from, including five on-site at La Quinta—known in golfing circles as “the jewel of the desert”—and the nearby PGA West Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman courses (800-PGA-WEST for tee time reservations). But if your nickname is Mulligan, maybe it’s time you head to the The Palm Springs Golf Academy taught by PGA pros at The Westin Mission Hills Resort in Rancho Mirage (71333 Dinah Shore Dr., 330-869-2112, www.psgolfacademy.com). Anyone for tennis? If you’re into the sport, you’ll already know that The Indian Wells Tennis Garden hosts the fifth-largest tennis event in the world, the Pacific Life Open. You, too, can play like a pro at this state-of-the-art facility (78200 Miles Ave., 760-200-8400, www.iwtg.net). If you prefer expansive skylines and dramatic landscapes, you really shouldn’t miss taking a windmill tour. The Coachella Valley is peppered with nearly 4,800 towering windmills, and Elite Land Tours will take you up to get a bird’s eye view of the renewable energy marvels in, ironically, a Hummer H2. For real adrenaline junkies, Elite also offers expeditions to places like the San Andreas Fault and the Salton Sea (555 S. Sunrise Way, Ste. 200, 800-514-4866, www.elitelandtours.com).

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