My Palm Springs Picks

All my personal favorite spots in Palm Springs, CA.

I have to start out by saying this Palm Springs Trip was one of my favorite trips James + I have ever taken in our 7 years together. Palm Springs has some great vibes, not to mention it's absolute beauty- no matter where you are, you look up and see the beautiful mountains and palm trees. Just prepare yourself for the heat, especially in the summer time- we were there for a week in August and it got up to about 112 degrees!!! Main tip when going in the summer time: dress light, stay by the pool by day, go out at night.

TO STAY

1. The Saguaro Hotel: This hotel was an absolute dream. The Saguaro is not only fun and lively, amazing for photo ops, incredibly affordable, but it also has one of my top favorite Palm Springs restaurants inside of its hotel. With your stay at The Saguaro, you get free bike rentals and free shuttle service to downtown Palm Springs which is only a few minutes away. The hotel is extremely colorful and fun and has a beautiful spot for hammocks, lawn games, and the most colorful pool spot ever. If you are a California resident, you can also get a discount when booking with them on their website. We got $20 off our room each night for being a Cali local. Check out their website here: https://thesaguaro.com/palm-springs/

2. JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa: I had to mention this hotel because it is incredibly beautiful and quite impressive. We spent a little bit of time at this hotel and it was amazing. There are flamingos out front, actual waterways and gondolas starting from inside the lobby of this hotel, talking parrots and birds, a big bar and lounge area right when you walk in, and several restaurants to choose from. Even if you stay somewhere else, be sure to visit this hotel and have lunch here and take pictures with the flamingos.

Website here: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/ctdca-jw-marriott-desert-springs-resort-and-spa/

TO DO

3. The Living Desert Zoo: James and I had quite a memorable trip to this zoo. It was extremely humid out and was about 110 degrees. We did as much as we could before we had to tap out because of the heat. The best part of it all was being able to feed the giraffes. I fed Twiggy, he was two years old and had the longest eyelashes I've ever seen. Just remember to check their website before arriving to make sure you are there during schedules feeding times. Website: https://www.livingdesert.org/

4. Moorten Botanical Gardens: This place was gorgeous!! You pay a few bucks to get in and you get to take a short nature walk inside their cacti garden- it was gorgeous. After your pay, they give you a map to take the self-guided walk. My favorite part is the cacti nursery - which basically looks like heaven to me. Website: http://moortenbotanicalgarden.com/

5. Colorful Door Tour/Map: I found this scavenger hunt and map on *link* and it was so fun. After going out to breakfast, James and I drove around and looked at all the beautiful and colorful front doors at all the gorgeous Palm Springs homes. http://www.saltycanary.com/palm-springs-door-tour/

6. Downtown Palm Springs Shopping: Going downtown is a must when visiting Palm Springs, they have tons of amazing shops and restaurants in this area. We had so much fun walking around- we went once during the day and another day at night when it was a little cooler out. Our favorite place to go to was a little souvenir shop that had great deals on sunglasses- we actually left Palm Springs with six new pairs.

7.The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway: This experience was breathtaking. You take a rotating tram car all the way up to the mountains and the views are just so beautiful. It takes about 10 minutes to get up to the top which offers you 10 minutes for some impressive picture taking. When you reach the top of the mountain, there are two restaurants and a bar/lounge area. Our tramcar ride back down the mountain was quite special because the driver was incredible spunky and played us some old tunes and got us singing the whole way down. Overall, the Aerial Tramway was by far one of my favorite things we did in Palm Springs- do not miss it!!! Website: https://www.pstramway.com/

TO EAT

8. Brandini Toffee - This is a cute little toffee shop in downtown. The toffee was amazing and the workers were extremely friendly. James and I ordered toffee milkshakes- vanilla for me, chocolate for James and they were GREAT!!!

9. Tonga Hut- In my opinion, this is Palm Springs' best tiki bar. We tried out a few tiki bars and this one stood out to me the most. The drinks were amazing and the vibes here were just really chill and nice. We sat in the lounge area and played board games, sipped on a few drinks, and ordered the pupu platter for two which was to die for.

10. El Jefe: And last but not least, my top favorite Palm Springs restaurant, El Jefe. I think we ate here 3 to 4 times during our stay in Palm Springs and each time I fell in love with the food. It is very stylishly decorated inside and the breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks were great. Some of my favorites were the Avocado Toast, the El Jefe Burger, the Watermelon Margarita, and my #1 favorite were the amazing El Jefe Nachos. You do not want to miss this yummy place!