Complaining about the winter weather in San Diego is like complaining about driving a Lexus while the Ferrari is in the shop; it shows a pattern of spoiled behavior and may cause your Hyundai-driving friends to give you the cold shoulder. So I’ll just say just say that it has been unusually cold in San Diego lately.

Fortunately, the weather report had some encouraging news a couple weeks ago; a warm weekend was on the way. Being the sun-loving people we are, we decided to maximize our exposure to those life-giving rays and head out to the desert resort community of Palm Springs.

Never having been to Palm Springs, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Elvis used to hang out there, so did Howard Hughes. Heck, Sonny Bono used to be the mayor. What kind of place was this? Turns out that it used to be the “playground of the stars”, and although this title has worn away over the years, one can still see the attraction. The city is not quite as glitzy as its former nickname may sound, but compared to many desert communities it is very pleasant and clean. Imagine a retirement community smattered with resorts, then add a gooey cultural center.

You can’t deny Palm Springs’ geriatric overtones; the town is filled with the favorite haunts of retirees (no pun intended). They’ve got Dennys, Bakers Square, Elmers, Cocos; the list goes on and on. But the sleepy outskirts belie the bustling downtown filled with fancy shops, gourmet restaurants, and something I didn’t quite expect. Yep, it turns out that Palm Springs has a huge gay and lesbian community. Some reports put it at seven times the national average, higher than that of San Francisco! My fiancé and I had no problem with this, but if you do, you should plan to check your prejudice at the city limits.

You can take your pick of places to stay in Palm Springs, from uber-luxury resorts to Motel 6. Unfortunately, we’re not movie stars, so we had to chose a more budget-friendly option. While there are several good budget picks in the area, the Shilo Inn Suites Palm Springs was our pick for its price, location, and amenities. Situated just north of downtown Palm Springs, it’s very easy to get to, but still close to all the action. For about $100 per night before tax you get a large, recently remodeled room with microwave, refrigerator, and patio plus continental breakfast in the morning. The property is older but nicely landscaped, well maintained, and has two pool / hot tub areas. Those without kids will appreciate that one of the pool / hot tub areas is designated “adults only”, though we found that only the family pool was heated. (At least we hope that’s why the water is warmer!) Breakfast was of the usual “continental” variety; not the greatest, but you’ll save some money for later in the day. Try to get a west facing room on the upper level, as you will have a tremendous view of the San Jacinto Mountains in the morning and you will avoid the noise of footsteps above. Our room (202) was perfect.

Guys that really dig thermometers must love the desert. Where else can one see triple digit readouts every day for months at a time? But while the summer can be scorching, chapping, and downright deadly, winter in the Southern California desert is pretty darned pleasant, especially in Palm Springs. November through April, the average daily high never drops below the 60’s, and most days ends up in the 70’s or low 80’s. Nevertheless, this is still the desert, land of extremes, so count on it being at least 30 degrees cooler at night.

While hard to believe, it is true that lounging by the pool in that warm weather can eventually get old. Fortunately, Palm Springs has some amazing attractions to break up all that relaxation. Keep heading south on the main road from the hotel and eventually you’ll run into the Indian Canyons, owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. At $8 per adults, entry is a little pricey, but well worth it for anyone that loves the outdoors or the idea of seeing a storybook desert oasis. The site consists of four canyons (Palm, Tahquitz, Murray, and Andreas) that snake through the harsh desert landscape. What makes these canyons special is that there is water, and this water feeds large, beautiful groves of California Fan Palm Trees, and in the case of Tahquitz Canyon, a seasonal 60-foot waterfall. The contrast between the palms and the surrounding desert is beautiful, and hiking through the canyons is a peaceful and unique experience. You may get lucky and see endangered Big Horn Sheep, birds, and other wildlife.

A perennial favorite in Palm Springs is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Completed in 1963, the tramway is an impressive engineering feat; the towers that support the tram were constructed using helicopters that flew some 23,000 missions without a single mishap. The tramway was updated in 2000 to add the “world’s largest” rotating tram cars, which are a real blast. People who don’t like heights might not be that enthusiastic about simultaneously dangling from a wire and spinning around, but the rotation is very slow (about 1 revolution per 7 minutes) and provides a spectacular view of the mountain and surrounding valley.

At the Mountain Station (elev. 8516 ft.) there is the usual tourist stuff (a cheesy gift shop, overpriced food), and spectacular views. The cool mountain air and pine trees are a sharp contrast to the warm desert below. From the mountain station, the whole of the Mount San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness is waiting to be explored. The park offers 54 miles of hiking trails, camping, and snow activities (cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, sledding) in the winter. You can make a quick voyage out of the tram ride, bring a picnic lunch (skip the overpriced food offered by the tram company) and go for a day hike, or bring all your gear and camp out over night. Keep in mind that wilderness permits are required for hiking and camping.

In our quick weekend trip to Palm Springs, we only managed to brush the surface of this dynamic and entertaining resort town, but we highly recommend spending a winter weekend there to warm up, explore, and have a little fun!

Shilo Inn and Suites Palm Springs
1875 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, California (Map It!)
Reservations: (800) 222-2244
Website: http://www.shiloinns.com/California/palm_springs.html

Indian Canyons
38520 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, CA (Map It!)
Open: Fall/Winter Daily 8AM-5PM
Admission: $8 for adults, $4 for children, $6 for seniors, students, and military.
Phone: (800) 790-339

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
1 Tramway Rd., Palm Springs, CA (Map It!)
Open: Monday-Friday: 10AM, Weekends and Holidays: 8AM, Last car up: 9PM, Last car down: 10:30 PM
Admission: $21.95 for adults, $14.95 for children, and $19.95 for seniors.
Phone: (888) 515-TRAM
Website: http://www.pstramway.com