Best smog shop in the valley . I always bring my vehicle here for smog test . Mark and Eric always…read moretreat me right .

Still my favorite home away from home after thirty years. Palm Springs has a unique, wonderful…read moredowntown with so many festivals and parades, there is sometjing going on here every weekend even during the summer. It is a very walkable town with plenty of parking lots to handle the January through March crowds. I am looking forward to another eventul Modernism week in February. All my favorite restaurants are locatated in downtown, like Farm, Cheeky's, Wilma and Frieda, Al Dente, 849, and Tropicale to name a few, with so many more like Bongo Johnny's and Broken Yolk. I love strolling the shops like Best Bookstore and Tommy Bahamas.and checking out the Cahuilla museum gift shop.

It's cool tourist art installation by artist John Cerney who does large murals. Perfect for a photo…read moreop! Unfortunately as of early August, the popsicles were taken down and... They moved! I took a picture at night earlier this year, but didn't love how they came out and wanted to get a daytime shot... But the land is now for sale. Formerly on Sunny Dunes Rd across from Gear Leather, ToolShed Bar, Q Trading Gift Store, and other neighboring business in a small desert plot of land just directly next to Kenneth's Automotive. It will now be somewhere in the DTPS area... This video by Lisa Faye was pretty helpfully in letting people know it would be reinstalled (most likely in Downtown Palm Springs). Stay tuned!

Cute display for photo op! We visited since it was across the street from an the Little Shop of…read moreTreasures antique shop. That's too bad they removed the display, but it probably doesn't make sense now seasonally to have it there. I wonder if anyone purchased them haha since there was a sign under the orange one but not when we visited. I always love fun and free art installations around the city. It adds so much charm to the area! Hopefully they will bring this back or replace it with something new in the future.

The legends are true! After a day of hiking, our little group found it. You'll have to find it for…read moreyourself but it's on the Devil's Slide trail. Take some booze, leave some booze. Thank you, Idyll Bandit!

found it! Love it! Will NEVER reveal the location. but if you find it - bring something and add…read moreto the love!

If you are the kind of person who stops to see the strange roadside stuff like a giant ball of…read moretwine (Kansas), giant donut (Los Angeles), and worlds largest file cabinet (Vermont), then this stop is for you. VW Beetle sprouted spider legs. Quick stop for a cool photo. Then you can stop at the dinosaurs (if you know, you know).

It was so so windy leaving town, but as many times as I've been close to this spider I had to…read morecapture it, even from across the street. It's such an iconic design being part vehicle part spider - Volkswagen meets Arachnid at the intersection of Garnet Avenue / Indian Canyon Drive directly across from Yamana Motor Sports and directly next to Jack in the Box The Pilot Gas Station and Chevron Station sit opposite on the other corners of this small business intersection just before the the off/on ramp for the 10 fwy in North Palm Springs. Even if you're able to park somewhere safe and securely (like Jack in the Box), you can't go fully onto the physical property itself - but you can get a great pic or look. From what I know the Spider Bug was built by Robert Miner who owned and ran the Hole in the Wall repair shop for several decades from the 70s to the 1990s according to old articles in the Desert Sun - I believe it's still home and/or property to his daughter and family. Not sure if they reside permanently here, but always be respectful and mindful of people's homes as well as private property - especially home to an iconic Spider Bug.

You can never go wrong with the tram up to the top of the mountain. The summer is intense if you…read morehaven't been to Palm Springs. I love the heat and being poolsides but sometimes a change in good. Also it's a must do if it's your first time to Palm Springs. It's at the beginning of town before you get to downtown. If you're coming in from the 10 onto the 111, it'll be your first right when you start to enter the city. You won't miss it with the sign to your right and the Palm Springs signs coming in. It's a couple miles drive up to the security gate to check in. We got the season pass so that helps with the parking. Parking is 15.00 I believe per car but with the season pass, it covers it. Attended will normally tell you which lot to park your car. If it's busy, they do have a good amount of lots but you'll be a bit further from the tram. There's trolleys that come often to pick up people instead of walking up the hill. Tickets can be purchase via online or in person at the counter. Trams run every 15 min both up and down. If you purchase your tickets online, be sure to be a little earlier for the departure time or else you'll have to be on standby for the next one. It takes about 10 minutes or so to the top. Every spot on the tram is great as it rotates the whole way up so getting that perfect picture will be a cinch. Top of the tram has a restaurant, a cafeteria, a bar, museum, gift shops and observation deck. Lockers and restrooms are also available. But if hiking is what you're looking for, you've come to the right place. That what we love to do when we're here and the season pass is perfect. Unlimited visit and free parking. Plus 10 percent off at bar and restaurant. We've done a few hikes here but never had the chance to check out hidden lake. Oh, there's a short walk down the path to where the hikes and ranger stations are. Nature is beautiful so you should check it out. Anyone hiking or camping needs to fill out a permit at the ranger station. It ask for your information incase anything happens while you're out. Once you finished the hike, drop off your copy at the mailbox and you're done. As we're doing the loop hike, a permit is needed for that. But adding the hidden lake, a separate permit is also needed for that . It's limited and only available on certain days. We were told that the lake is dry as it's the summer season but the view is spectacular. Regardless of what hike you do, they're all amazing. With hidden lake, ranger do show you some pictures as a cut off as there's no sign to guide you. Once there, it would have been beautiful to actually see it with water. There's a fence that restricts people from crossing over to the lake or a fine will be given incase. Lake itself isn't that massive but if you continue on the trail and cross over the little bridge, the view is what makes the hike. Just standing there and taking it all in was amazing. Looking down to the valley but being so high up was just something you don't get to do often, for some people. The benefit of the tram, you get to beat the heat of the valley. It's a good 20/30 degrees cooler on top. A nice restaurant for dinner when sunset happens. Not sure you could catch it as it maybe covered with the mountains. It's a fun place to spend the day out hiking. You can camp or spend the afternoon lounging at the observation deck with a drink in hand and enjoy the scenery. A cute little picnic down the path to the mountain. It's a place that's worth checking out whenever you're in Palm Springs.

I've ridden the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway more times than I can count and almost every trip has…read morethe same goal: hiking to San Jacinto Peak. It's one of my favorite hikes in Southern California and the tram makes it possible without having to climb thousands of extra feet from the desert floor (though I have done that, too). The ride itself never gets old. In less than 10 minutes, you're whisked over 8,500 feet up the side of Mount San Jacinto aboard the world's largest rotating tramcar, giving everyone onboard panoramic views as the floor slowly turns. It's a pretty incredible engineering feat and one of the coolest ways to gain elevation. Not too mention, the sway as we pass the towers! What a ride! What I love most is how accessible the tram makes Mount San Jacinto State Park. Whether you're heading out for a quick nature walk, an overnight backpacking trip, or the trek to San Jacinto Peak, it opens up an alpine environment that seems worlds away from the desert below. My biggest gripe is the cost (of course). The price has steadily increased over the years and now parking is an added expense, too. As of June 2026, my AAA-discounted adult ticket was $31.60, plus parking (I believe it was around $10). It definitely adds up, especially if you're visiting with a group. One final tip: don't underestimate the temperature difference. It can be 100°F+ in downtown Palm Springs and 40-50 degrees cooler at the Mountain Station. Dress in layers and check conditions before heading up. Despite the increasing cost, this is still one of Southern California's most unique experiences and one I'll continue returning to year after year!

What a place. So historic! Although you can't see much from the road, putting the home into its…read moresurroundings helps provide context for all the great photos that exist of this house. If you are in Palm Spring, definitely take a drive by. It's so close to downtown.

This is the iconic Mid-Century Modern house in Palm Springs. You will see it everywhere in print…read more When it comes to Mid-Century Modern. This is for all you Mid-Century Modern lovers out there. The Kaufmann name came from Edgar J. Kaufmann he was a Pittsburgh Department Store Tycoon. He wanted a retreat from the harsh winters back east. The Architect is Richard Neutra this is by far one of his famous works to date. He designed the house in 1946. There is no tours of this house. In fact it is private. You will see a no trespassing sign with armed alert. So whatever you do take pictures outside of the property. I cannot put other website links on this site. But do some research on this awesome house.

Tastings: $20 (waived with any 2 bottles purchased/tasting). Wines by the Glass $15 - $17…read more Another return visit and once again had a wonderful time. Mark & Ian (proprietors) were on vacation, but their friend Carlos was manning the tasting room and was a fantastic host. We tasted four of their latest releases, including a revisit of our favorite pour. We tried the '23 Grenache Rosé, '23 Pinot Noir, '20 El Capitan red blend (47% Cab Sauv, 30% Mourvèdre, & 23% Syrah), and a '20 Petite Sirah. They age their red wines for 1-2 years in neutral oak barrels, and I would describe their reds as medium bodied and very smooth. Bottles were running in the $37 - $59 range (before 20% club member discounts). As usual, we took home a couple bottles of our favorites. Still recommending that you stop and visit this cozy wine tasting room in the heart of La Plaza, in downtown Palm Springs. Mark & Ian are fantastic hosts and darn good winemakers. Cheers!

We were finally able to make it to this wonderful location for some delicious wine tasting. We are…read morefamiliar with Jalama in central California and we have always wanted to try this special wine. The tasting event is delicious and a great deal of you buy 2 bottles before you leave. Make sure to stop by!

Architecturally stunning. I saw this from a distance. Please note this is private property do not…read moretrespass under any conditions. This is someone's beautiful amazing residence. Admire it from the public street only. A lot of work went into this and it is absolutely breast taking late cutting edge stunning.

Excellent experience especially with the volunteers happy to share the fabulous history of Palm…read moreSprings.

Check pshistoricalsociety.org for hours. See Cornelia White House and McCallum Adobe, oldest…read morestructures in Palm Springs, for a donation. The docent staff are very helpful and informative. Leisurely explore some original Palm Springs history.

Palm Springs Old and new!…read more The MAGIC CART RIDE is such a fun activity for tourists and locals alike. I'm a long-time local, but I still have so much to see and learn. I work with many tourists who ask me about great activities and this is the top on my list. Donnie and Kathy (the tour guides) are so much fun- taking us through the history of Palm Springs, while pointing out the newer details about the area. History, culture, art, food, what more can we ask for? They kept us hydrated and filled with beverages, water, food and even a nifty gift bag. This tour is small and intimate, with only 6 guests, so everyone has a chance to ask questions and absorb! The tour includes several stops featuring cocktails, mocktails and food while you enjoy the experience. Some of our stops included several popular and my personal choices, Eight Four Nine and Crudo. We were treated to Crudo's pistachio lime cocktail - perfect beverage to feel relaxation at its finest! These may be on your tour, or there will be other wonderful places. Best to even take the tour again, in case you missed something! I don't want to give much more away so just trust me and make your reservation now. It's truly memorable and magical!

The tour was so much more than we expected. We are locals and didn't think there was anything new…read morewe could learn about our town but we were totally wrong. We experienced a new restaurant as well as learned so much history about the places we went to. We also made new friends with some of the other people taking the same tour which is always a benefit! Definitely recommend!