Things To Do In & Around Palm Springs

Following on from my last post about my desert road trip from Las Vegas to Palm Springs, today I'm sharing some of my favorite things to see and do in and around Palm Springs, as well as my favorite places to stay and where to dine. 

Palm Springs is such an interesting place to visit. Located around two hours east of Los Angeles it's an oasis in the desert full of palm trees, stunning resorts, mid-century modern architecture, and so much more. The first time we visited back in December 2014 I didn't really know an awful lot about Palm Springs. In fact, all I really knew, or what I thought I knew, was that it was a desert oasis for golfing retirees! While there are definitely golf courses and retirees, that's only a tiny part of Palm Springs. The city and the area surrounding it have so much to offer visitors of all ages.   

Have you visited Palm Springs before? We've visited Palm Springs once on a family vacation, and I've been there three times for Alt Summit conference. It's a great place for a desert getaway, especially in the cooler months. While it can get chilly there (it snowed the first time we visited!) Winter in Palm Springs is usually still quite warm, making it a great place to escape from the cold in other states. 

Here's a look at some of my favorite places to visit in and around Palm Springs...

National Parks Week

This past week has been National Parks Week here in the US.

While we haven't been able to get out and about to explore any of our favorite parks, they have been on my mind. So today I thought I'd share the National Parks that we have visited so far. Some of these have been sprawling parks filled with majestic landscapes while others have been historic parks showcasing important moments from America's past.

Here's a look at the National Parks we have visited by state...

Joshua Tree National Park

I'm so behind with writing this last installment of our Southern California road trip over the Christmas break that I think this almost counts as a Flashback Friday post! Let's just pretend that I haven't been that lazy though ;)

Our road trip was one full of quite varied destinations. We visited the Danish inspired village of Solvang, spent Christmas by the beach in Santa Barbara, hung out in Los Angeles for a few days and then headed towards Palm Springs with a detour to Salvation Mountain, seriously the coolest desert location EVER! The final place we visited on our road trip was Joshua Tree National Park.