Palm Springs: Golf, celebs, architecture and nature

PALM SPRINGS, CALIF. •

Palm Springs has a reputation as a glitzy, arty, Bohemian desert playground for Hollywood’s rich and famous remains. Luckily, you don’t have to be rich and famous to afford Palm Springs’ retro chic surroundings of Hollywood haunts, palm-lined canyons and midcentury modern architecture.

STAR GAZING,

GOLF AND GRUB

First-time visitors often arrive star struck by Palm Springs’ Hollywood history. Since the 1920s, this desert oasis became a haven for the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable and Bob Hope, thanks to the motion picture studio’s two-hour rule. The rule: Actors under contract had to remain within a two-hour distance from their studio to accommodate last-minute filming demands. Located 90 miles southeast of Hollywood, Palm Springs was under a two-hour drive. With its convenient location, year-round sunshine and inviting palm desert environment, Palm Springs blossomed into a glamorous playground for movie stars, sun worshipers and golfers.

But celebrities aren’t Palm Springs’ main attraction. It’s golf. With little rain and near-perfect weather conditions, Palm Springs is considered a golfer’s paradise with 100-plus courses set against the backdrop of the San Jacinto Mountains. Greens fees start at $25 during the offseason (between June and September). Even the fees at famous PGA courses such as the Indian Wells Golf Resort, whose courses ranked among the Top 20 Courses to Play in California by Golf Week Magazine, are considered cheap, especially during the offseason.

“Most people don’t realize how affordable everything is here,” said Mel Haber, owner of Melvyn’s, the fabled Palm Springs restaurant. “What would be a high-price restaurant or hotel here in Palm Springs is what would be a moderately priced place anywhere else in the country.”

Since opening Melvyn’s in 1975, Haber has served plates of pasta and steaks to the likes of Hope, John Travolta and the entire Rat Pack.

“When I came to Palm Springs, 50 percent of the town was celebrities. There was Sinatra and his Rat Pack, Bob Hope, Lucy and Elvis. They were all here,” said Haber. “The stars still come, but I was lucky and caught the tail end of the old Palm Springs Hollywood glamour.”

According to locals, the best place for star sightings are the restaurants and pools of fabled hotels: The Riviera, the Viceroy and the Ingleside Inn, also the home of Melvyn’s. Consider checking out and checking into the newly renovated 1960 retro Riviera Resort or the vintage Viceroy, whose guests of late included Carol Channing and Miley Cyrus. Or book a room at Korakia Pensione, an eclectic Moroccan-styled villa tucked along the northwest edge of the city on a residential street. Korakia’s exotic accommodations range from single rooms to bungalows, the reported favorite of Brad Pitt and Robert Downing Jr.

A-list stars and film buffs roll into town for the Palm Springs International Film Festival (Jan. 3-13). While Palm Springs hosts six annual film festivals, any serious star watcher and wannabe groupie should put the International Film Fest on his or her bucket list. However, if you hit town between festivals and still need a star fix; no worries, take a celebrity tour. It’s the best way to locate Elvis’ honeymoon hideaway or see where Liberace lit his candelabra. The Palm Springs Visitors Center can help book tickets for the film festivals and celebrity tours and provide information on Palm Springs’ latest claim to fame, its midcentury architecture.

MODERN MARVELS

Modernism is hot, especially in the Palm Springs desert, which boasts the largest collection of midcentury architecture found anywhere in the U.S.

In recognition of its unique concentration of modernism, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Palm Springs to its 2006 list of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations, a list that spotlights 12 cultural tourism destinations for architecture.

Modernism Week draws nearly 50,000 fans who flock to view midcentury marvels of Donald Wexler, Albert Frey and William Krisel, architects whose designs dot the desert. Modernism Week’s success (next year it is Feb. 13-23) inspired organizers to sponsor a Modernism Kick-off (this year Oct. 11-14), a smaller event that’s a bit more relaxed and less crowded while still providing fun and occasional kitschy events, such as the Retro Yard Sale. Palm Springs’ signature double-decker open-top bus offers tours of visually striking and historic buildings, such as Frank Sinatra’s house and the Frey-designed space age, arched gas station, now the Palm Springs Visitors Center.

Modernists wanting a throwback night should book a stay at one of the area’s restored retro motels, such as the Orbit, where the 1950s never went out of style. Rooms are decorated with vintage blonde furniture, kidney-shaped coffee tables and kitchenettes outfitted with Melmac dishware. The Orbit’s focal point is the poolside patio with a Formica topped boomerang bar where Orbitinis wait.

PALM SPRINGS AU NATURALE

A 15-minute drive west of Palm Springs is Mount San Jacinto State Park and the San Jacinto Peak. After scaling the peak, naturalist John Muir described the view as “ the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth.”

Indeed the view is breathtaking, but reaching the San Jacinto’s Peak can pose a challenge. Vigorous travelers can hike approved park trails and boulder hop to the top. Non-mountaineers such as myself can opt for a ride aboard the Palm Springs Aerial Tram. Its 10-minute trip lifts off and glides over two miles, passing over five eco zones ranging from the base level’s Sonoran desert environment to the peak’s Alpine wilderness.

After descending back to the canyon floor, take a side trip to Indian Canyons and Tahquitz Canyon, the ancestral homes of the Agua Caliente band of Cahuilla Indians. Best for seasoned hikers is the Indian Canyons, whose 100 miles of trails follow along ancient rock steams and palm groves. It’s a unique and eerie environment that’s preserved as a National Historic Place. Recommendations for the adventurous: Take an offroad ride along the San Andreas Fault, where you might find yourself in Fault Line Californy, a touristy ghost town designed to appeal to the cowboy within.

Before leaving Palm Springs, find a treasure at VillageFest, the street fair held each Thursday night on Palm Springs’ famous Palm Canyon Drive, where more than 200 booths stretch over three blocks. Artists, farmers, food vendors and entertainers vie for both your attention and dollars.{hr /}

IF YOU GO

Palm Springs tourism • visitpalmsprings.com

Palm Springs Alive/Celebrity Tours • thecelebritytour.com

Modernism Week • modernismweek.com

Palm Springs Follies • psfollies.com