By Paul J. Heney
Many queer travelers love visiting Greater Palm Springs for its nightlife, parties, and vibrant pool scene. And while the region is certainly a draw for singles, it’s also a dynamic and fun-filled destination for LGBTQ couples and families, as we found out on a recent trip there. The area enjoys sunny weather year-round, and we decided to visit in the winter months, when the temperatures were pleasant, and yet a drastic improvement from the weather back at our Midwest home.
Here is a rundown of my family’s five favorite things that we discovered during our sun-dappled week in Greater Palm Springs.
1. Reach new heights at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. One of the top tourist draws in the region, this is the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world. In 10 minutes, the tram climbs from the desert floor, up more than 8,000 feet to the summit of Mount San Jacinto, providing incredible views along the way. Once at the top, you’ll discover what my younger son called, “a different world,” which he said reminded him more of Oregon’s coniferous woods. In addition to 50+ miles of hiking trails, families will find temperatures 20-30 degrees cooler than at the base station — a delight on hot summer days. The tram recently finished a $13 million remodel of its buildings at the base and summit, and visitors can enjoy gift shops as well as a wide variety of restaurants.
2. Embark on a Jeep tour of the San Andreas Fault. We chose Red Jeep Tours for another family adventure, going with the company’s three-hour tour of the San Andreas Fault region. Our delightful guide Bonnie took us throughout the 800-acre Metate Ranch, which the company has exclusive access to. While in the back of the 7-passenger Jeep, we learned plenty about the area’s history, indigeneous peoples, geography, and flora and fauna. We also got to hike the area, and were guided through a narrow slot canyon, a true highlight of our trip.
3. Explore the magnificent Joshua Tree National Park. This stunner of a national park is located close enough to make it an easy day trip from anywhere in the Greater Palm Springs area. Most visitors drive north and then east to the park’s northern entrance, near the city of Twentynine Palms. This portion of the park has more stops of interest clustered in a smaller area, and we enjoyed the fascinating and unique geography and rock formations. There are plenty of short hikes to take, most of which are fairly flat. And the park’s namesake trees, with their distinctive silhouettes, are fascinating to see — and they’re only found here in the Mojave Desert. As a bonus, stay after sundown to experience some of the darkest skies in America; we were enchanted by the luminous Milky Way that was spread out across the sky before us. Check the website for local group Sky’s the Limit for information on their occasional public star parties, where you can look through telescopes at the planets, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies.
4. Discover your inner speed demon at the BMW Performance Center. I took my older son, a car enthusiast, to one of only three BMW centers in the U.S., for some serious driving. Located in Thermal, near the city of Indio, the BMW Performance Center offers everything from owner’s programs to teen programs to advanced two-day programs. We spent several hours on a small track with instructor Byron, who’s been doing this for three decades. We were able to drive an impressive range of vehicles, including the models Z4, M2, M4, 850, X3M, and X6M. One of the highlights here was an off-road track, where we pushed the limits of a couple of SUVs over a variety of angled hills and steep inclines.
5. Get your wings on at the surprising Palm Springs Air Museum. My sons are both fans of airplanes and were pleasantly surprised at this museum located alongside quaint Palm Springs International Airport (PSP). The museum’s wonderful array of hangars highlights different eras of aerial warfare. There are also outside exhibits, and we enjoyed lingering there, taking in the awesome view of the PSP runway and the commercial aircraft coming and going. Don’t miss the excellent second floor library and flight simulator area. We all enjoyed trying our hands at flying different aircraft, particularly with the games set up on widescreen televisions.
There’s so much to see and do in Greater Palm Springs that we clearly need to make a return trip. Other fun family options include:
• LGBTQ-owned Pro VR USA is a virtual reality arcade that recently opened in Palm Springs. It has more than 40 different VR games/experiences, including some VR escape games that are perfect for small groups.
• The Palm Springs Art Museum boasts a collection of fascinating glass pieces as well as an outdoor sculpture garden that our kids really enjoyed.
• Hiking in Indian Canyons, part of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, gives the family an opportunity to see a real-life oasis set amidst stark canyon walls, a unique outdoor option.
• Consider renting your own vacation house; we loved using Stay Poppy, and found a lovely 3-bedroom home through the company, complete with a heated pool and expansive backyard — perfect to give everyone enough space and recharge for the next day’s adventure.
Greater Palm Springs, with its large and vibrant LGBTQ+ community, is known as a welcoming and inclusive travel destination. Nine distinct cities – Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio and Coachella – make up this Southern California oasis, where visitors can enjoy world-class resorts, boutique hotels, a lively nightlife scene, cultural attractions, and signature events like Greater Palm Springs Pride.
https://www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/lgbtq/
