So much is going on in the desert these days. The new rock gods music fest in Indio. The arty community of Pioneertown. And the bajillion pools of every hotel, motel and Air BnB in Palm Springs and beyond. Here’s your guide to having the best getaway ever, just a couple hours outside Los Angeles.
6 Reasons You Need to Visit Palm Springs in October
The Wild West but upscale and with great music
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Published Sep 16, 2016
Twenty20
Attend "oldchella"
That’s the nickname for the Desert Trip festival that’s three days of Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, The Who, Neil Young and Roger Waters (i.e., acts that average 72.7 years old). It’s two three-day weekends (October 7 to 9 and 14 to 16), and while initial tickets sold out in three hours when they went on sale earlier this year, tomorrow (Saturday, September 17) at 1 p.m. more of the $424 passes go on sale.
Note: Unlike at the kids’ Coachella shows, you can bring small folding chairs inside. Because aging backs = sciatica.
Visit Pioneertown
An old Western movie set built in the ’40s has become a community of hipster L.A. émigrés who have renovated a 20-room motel, opened a chichi brunch spot where you can enjoy marinated strawberries on burrata and a vintage store. (All just 30 miles from Palm Springs.)
Twenty20
Loll In The Sun
After a hella hot summer spent hiding indoors, it's time to hit the resort pools. Enjoy cocktails (say, from the swim-up bar at the Ace Hotel in Pam Springs) and lie back in an average 91-degree daily high temperature.
Tour Sunnylands
For a full serving of bananas-cool Midcentury architecture and interior design, reserve a ticket to the pink-roofed Modernist estate on a golf course built by media magnate Walter Annenberg. Back in the day, Sunnylands was the desert pit stop for bigwigs: Queen Elizabeth slept here and Frank Sinatra got married in front of the fireplace.
We Care Spa
Lose 5 Pounds
You’re beautiful just as you are, but if you’d like to get a little sleeker and a lot healthier in a weekend, book a three-day tune-up at the We Care Spa (famous for its colonics and juice fasting) or a room with hot springs and sauna access at Hacienda Hot Springs.
Hit The Mother Lode Of Vintage Shopping
Need a special outfit for awards season? Need a new look for your home? Don’t throw down your plastic before visiting the apparel and decor vintage shops of Palm Springs, where affluent retirees’ castoffs are sold for a song. The Estate Sale Company, Revival Stores and the row of shops on Perez Road in Cathedral City (such as Hedge) are musts.
