I stopped in to Zen Aquatics because I am curious about installing a koi pond in the backyard but…read morehave zero experience with fish. I was impressed by the water world inside this store with a truly magnificent tank by the register that had the coolest stingray swimming around. I was told that the owner, JP, has extensive knowledge about everything koi ponds and is a wonderful resource for advising on the installation and required equipment. I wasn't sure that koi would live in this hot desert environment but apparently they do just fine! Zen had a great selection of koi fish in multiple sizes and all the accoutrements to go with them. If I go through with the project I will definitely hit JP up!

While I'm not an owner of an aquarium, I did have a problem with a water pump similar to an…read moreaquarium. J. P. promptly returned my call and advised me that Michael or Alvin would be happy to look at my problem. Michael greeted my and quietly looked at my pump and patiently listened to my predicament. He took my cat water dispenser and water pump to the back and within three minutes returned with the pump cleaned and operating. No objections or superior attitude, just very exceptional customer service. If you need anything aquarium related taken care of in Palm Desert, I highly recommend Zen for their selection and their awesome assistance.

The last time that we've been it was just for a walk around the garden and the museum area. If you…read morehaven't been, it's beautiful. Free to visit and you can enjoy the cactus garden and wander around the gardens. Museum and gift shop as well as cafe is on sites. But this visit, we took the tour of the Annenberg property. Tour is about 90 min and about 60.00 per person. They do recommend you come a little early to view and enjoy the main building where the cactus garden was but we were a little behind and made it right before the tour started. The tour host 7 person per guided tours. We start off at check in and then met with our guide, Hema. At the beginning you start off on the golf carts where your guide gives you an introduction to the family and the property. The gate into the main residence is around the corner from the public property. It's amazing to see how someone turned a barren desert landscape into an oasis. The brief cart ride to main door was quite nice. A massive golf property hidden in the desert. Once you approached the main property, it's welcomed by a massive water feature. A knock on the double doors lead you into the lobby of the house. Just walking into the property, it's a true MCM oasis. To find out the property only has just the primary bedroom was insane as it was massive. Theres no picture allowed inside but outside was fine. Hema, very detailed in everything she explained was very sweet and detail oriented. Walking through the different rooms and seeing all the amazing things collected by both Walter and Leonore Annenberg was quite interesting. The office which house all of Walter's work, pictures of family, friends and political figures. The different room that's in the main house, their amazing artwork which some are the original pieces. Then you have the way they lived, very elegantly. Each room had their own unique style. The designer and architect sure had their hands full with detail designed of everything on site. The furniture, one of a kind design with amazing embroidery. Walter had an amazing collection of artwork and sculptures. Seeing them throughout the house and the way it was displayed in different room of the house was spectacular. Even the kitchen was nice. Still fully functional as it's still used for summits. The outside alone is one in a million. The massive property with many lakes that is fully stocked for fishing. The golf course which is a golfers heaven. And then you have the pool with a million dollar view of the mountains as the backdrop. Not only the main house, there's the guest house which is utilized for guest. And they're know by different color rooms. And by that, it's fully decorated in the color palette. That building also all looks out to the pool and mountain. Leonore, with her favorite color yellow also had a rose garden designed in the property. The tour lets you inside the lives of the Annenberg and the amazing lives they've lived. Housing major political figures, celebrities and the amazing parties had. The massive art collection and endless photos of everyone, it was a sight to see. This is a tour worth checking out and learning about the Annenberg. Plus, Hema our tour guide was excellent.

We were in Palm Desert for 12 days. Upon arrival I tried unsuccessfully to get tickets for the…read moreHistoric House Tour and the Open Air Experience. The tours were either sold out or had one spot available. There were 2 of us. I would recommend purchasing tickets online before you arrive to Palm Springs because of the popularity of the tours. You cannot purchase tickets by phone, email or in person. There are no waitlists either. We walked among the garden area, visited the small but great gift shop, watched the movie about Sunnylands and viewed the current exhibition. The next time we're in the Palm Springs area I will definitely plan ahead and purchase tickets way in advance.

Free entrance on Thursday after 5 is all I'm saying. Well…read morethat's not alll I'm saying but this museum is legit- many representations and versions that will draw anyone's interest even if you self claim to not like art - or museums. Located on block behind all of the action, it's a place to explore while you're being touristy in Palm Springs. And if it's 120 outside, you can thank me later. PS. Leave your water bottles in the car or you'll have to leave them at the counter.

I'm kind of embarrassed to say but this was my very first time visiting the museum. Years and years…read moreof visiting Palm Springs and it's finally time I stopped by. First off, I love the concept of free admission on Thursday. That sure brought people in to see what this place has to offer. We got tickets for the free admission night. It's great way to enjoy the place and then you can go to the village fest market right afterwards. There's parking in the covered parking structure across the street but there's a couple of parking lots all nearby. The entrance has a beautiful sculpture in front with the mountain as a backdrop. It was really busy last night with the free ticket and the heatwave. People wanted to be inside. I was surprised to see how big it was inside. Main part is three story with art and sculpture on all three lever. Each room showcase some beautiful artwork by artists from everywhere. Some unique pieces, amazing and beautiful sculpture, light fixtures and pieces that you wonder how they came up with that. I don't know how often pieces get replaced but I think some are permanently home here. Top floor was my favorite as it had some amazing sculptures and a nice collection of Andy Warhol pieces. Also they had a little game going on for kids when they checked in. I think anyone could have played but it was like a scavenger bingo hunt. Nice to have kids interacting with art. All the staff were very friendly and sweet. If you had any questions, they were there for you. Of course there's a gift shop inside. From the outside we noticed that they had a little eating area in the lower lever. I think it could be a cafe with the tables set up around a nice pool feature. The museum is beautiful and great for an afternoon out. Do try to take advantage when it's free admission on Thursday so you can check it out.

Stopped by and Rosie helped me out. Brandon was not in but Rosie was super helpful and her…read morecustomer service was great. We chatted for a but about plants and I appreciate that she took the time. I was looking at some of the tissue culture plants and she even suggested coming back as they we're a little sad, which I agreed. I appreciate the honesty and that they're not just trying to make a sale, especially like some big box stores. A great lfs to support!

I dont live in the area, but stopped by to take a look around. I had a great experience there!…read moreSuper friendly staff, knowledgable, and eager to help customers in the store!

My two year old never wants to leave. She's taking horse back riding lessons and she's learning so…read moremuch. Grateful for this place

beautiful people, doing a beautiful work, saving beautiful animals, we loved it, thank you!read more

So glad we checked this off the bucket list. We had a great experience. Despite the morning being…read morevery foggy from having warm weather the day before, the company did a great job of finding clear skies to take off from. Pilot Denni (the owner of the company with almost 40 years of pilot experience) was great and landed in the same place we took off, which is likened to a hole in one in golf. The whole experience was less than 3hrs. The ride itself lasted about an hour. We were transported to and from the launch and landing sites. They took some pictures for us and provided a balloon ride certificate at the end with discounts for local wineries and businesses. Mimosas and a bag of snacks were provided at the end. It was a great experience and would recommend to anyone willing to wake up before sunrise.

What a magically dreamy adventure! Can't believe it's taken me (a thrill seeker) so long to go on a…read morehot air balloon, but better late than never! It was actually a lot more calm and peaceful than I thought it would be! Even my friend, who's afraid of heights, did it! Sure, she was pretty scared at first and stayed close to the center of the basket, avoiding to look out and down, but she started feeling more comfortable the longer we were in the sky. We booked on their website and used the promo code "Groupon" for a discounted price of about $180 per person. The meeting point was in the parking lot of a shopping center in Temecula at 5:30am. There, they went over some rules, info about hot air ballooning and there was a photographer/videographer, Wesly Cajuste, selling packages for stills and a video. He has a drone that follows the balloon. My friends and I decided to go for it since it was our first time and it was a special occasion (friend's birthday). We were very happy with the way the video and the photos came out. Then, a couple shuttle vans took us to where they were setting up the hot air balloons, which varies depending on the wind. Before getting in the basket, we got to go in the balloon while they were inflating it. It was chilly in the morning, but it gets pretty warm being under the propane tank, so hats and layers are suggested. We were 4 groups of 4 and were assigned to a huge balloon with 4 separate compartments we were snug in. The knowledgeable and experienced pilot, Brian, was in the middle. I read that the baskets have doors but we had to climb in ours. The ride was about an hour long and we had a spectacular view of Temecula valley. I was a little nervous about the landing, but Brian is clearly a pro and did a magnificent job with a smooth landing on an open field. No mimosas in the air since there are no restrooms, but they busted out the Crooks when we got out! The website said breakfast, but they actually just give out ziplocked bags of snacks. Lol! Totally not necessary. The balloon ride was the ultimate highlight! They also give a certificate, which includes a list of wineries you can get discounts at for having done the hot air experience.

We took a private carriage ride to celebrate two great dads on Father's Day. The ride was…read morebeautiful, our driver was knowledgeable, and our experience was exceptional. Kerry K-W.

We came for the astronomy night, it was a fun carriage ride through the field to a cute spot they…read morehad set up with a tent and some chairs. There was some really loud country music and a bonfire. There was supposed to be smores but the marshmallows got wet so they offered doughnuts instead. They had the Temecula Valley astronomy club out there with some cool telescopes. They were very knowledgeable and kind. Even told us about a really cool app to see the stars. Event was fun we like supporting this local business with all their holiday and themed events.