Pulse of Palm Springs: Why It's a Must-See Destination

Photo courtesy of Visit Palm Springs Facebook page.

In 2013, Palm Springs was ranked as the No. 23 destination in the United States by travelers on TripAdvisor.

Apparently, that wasn’t good enough for Palm Springs.

In TripAdvisor’s recently released list for 2014, the desert oasis jumped six spots to No. 17, showing that it doesn’t plan on falling out of the top 25 anytime soon.

But what exactly does Palm Springs offer that attracts such attention?

Well, a lot.

From its year-round sunny weather to its outdoor adventures to its vast amount of classy hotels and restaurants, this is truly a hotspot worth the accolades.

Here are five reasons why Palm Springs is a must-see destination.

Sunshine

If you love sunny, warm weather and hate rain, then Palm Springs is the place for you.

According to TripAdvisor, Palm Springs averages a whopping 354 days of sunshine per year.

From March to November, the hotspot averages daytime temperatures from 79 degrees to 108 degrees, per Weather.com. December is its coldest month, averaging a frigid (insert sarcasm here) daytime temperature of 69 degrees.

This desert oasis is a dream for those who love to bask in the sun, whether you are lying by the pool or hiking the great outdoors. But just remember to bring sunblock. A vacation to Palm Springs is a splendid idea, but going back to work looking like a peeling tomato is not.

Outdoor Adventure 

Speaking of the great outdoors, nature lovers are in for a treat in Palm Springs.

Palm Springs is sheltered by four different mountains: the San Bernardino Mountains to the north, the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south, the San Jacinto Mountains to the west and the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the east. Naturally, this makes for some great hiking, whether you want to check out the vast desert or explore the wilderness. Areas such as Indian Canyons, Agua Caliente Indian Canyons, Coachella Valley Preserve, Palm Canyon, Tahquitz Canyon and Painted Canyon provide the terrain for all sorts of activities, from mountain biking, rock climbing and horseback riding in the summer to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.

And, of course, there’s Mount San Jacinto Mountain, rated as the No. 1 attraction in Palm Springs on TripAdvisor. The grand peak, regularly ranked as one of the top mountains in the United States, rises more than 10,800 feet above sea level and is the second highest mountain in Southern California.

Beyond that, you will find plenty of state and city parks that preserve the beauty of the area. 

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Plenty of attractions promise “one-of-a-kind” views of the surrounding area, but the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway doesn’t require promotion in that regard at all, given travelers rated it as the No. 2 attraction in Palm Springs on TripAdvisor.

“The World’s Largest Rotating Tramcar” takes visitors on a picturesque journey up the cliffs of Chino Canyon, from the Valley Station (2,643 feet) to the Mountain Station (8,516 feet). The views of the Palm Springs area while aboard the 10-minute, 2.5-mile ride are incredible, and the tramway is a major gateway to the protected Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, which was established in 2000 and encompasses 272,000 acres.

No wonder why nearly 18 million people have taken a ride on the popular Palm Springs tramway since 1963.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is offering an Easter Sunrise Service this year. 

Hotels/Restaurants

To say Palm Springs has a good deal of hotels and restaurants would be a vast understatement.

The city boasts more than 130 hotels and resorts (not including the bed and breakfast inns), and more than 100 restaurants. That includes three hotels ranked in the top 10 in TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Bargain Hotels in the United States” (Desert Riviera Hotel, Hotel California and Queen of Hearts Resort), and three hotels listed in TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Hotels for Romance” in the United States (Desert Riviera, Hotel California, La Maison Hotel).

There are also plenty of tasty restaurants offering a variety of cuisine, from Le Vallauris (French, Californian) to Miro’s Restaurant (Eastern European, Central European) to Native Foods (vegetarian).

Museums/Zoos

Palm Springs has a couple of great museums in the Palm Springs Art Museum and the Palm Springs Air Museum.

The art museum encompasses 150,000 square feet and showcases modern and contemporary art, Native American and Western art, glass art, photography, and architecture and design. Famous artists include: Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Donald Judd, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, Robert Rauschenberg, Antony Gormley and Ansel Adams.

The museum, which traces back to 1938, boasts 28 galleries, two sculpture gardens, four classrooms/resource centers, an artists' center, five storage vaults, a 85-seat lecture hall, a 433-seat theater, a 1,000 square-foot store and a local café. It’s no mystery why it has more than 4,500 members.

The Palm Springs Air Museum honors America’s jetfighters, bombers and trainers, featuring one of the world’s largest collections of World War II planes. There are also numerous exhibits and tours, including an educational kids tour focusing on science and technology and a tour of a B17 bomber.

Palm Springs also boasts a fantastic zoo and gardens called The Living Desert, which aims to preserve a 1,200-acre section of the Colorado Desert and protect the various species that live there. The desert conservation site features several exhibits and a variety of programs. Exhibits feature jaguars, giraffes, ostriches, butterflies, hummingbirds, striped hyenas, weaverbirds, camels, ankole cows, sheep, goats, and the endangered Peninsula pronghorn.

There’s also a children's play park and picnic area and a discovery center about the Coachella Valley.

Heck, you can even go camel riding.

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