The Palm Springs, California, area is like a giant sandbox where adults play their favorite games (the most popular is golf). Palm Springs itself is actually only one of several adjacent communities in the Coachella Valley, though all offer a similar type of vacation experience.
Most visitors stay in country-club-type resorts that have transformed the desert into a lush semitropical paradise (and almost a natural one, in this case, because the entire Coachella Valley sits atop a large underground lake). Most Palm Springs resorts offer golf courses and tennis courts, as well as lavish spas and horseback riding.
Palm Springs has been long associated with Hollywood celebrities—the streets have such names as Bob Hope Drive and Gene Autry Trail. Despite the glitz and glitter of its celebrated residents and the wealth that is very much on display, the area can also be affordable as a family destination. Many reasonably priced accommodations can be found year-round, and those willing to visit in the summer months—when lodging prices drop considerably—can find some bargains. Although temperatures in excess of 100 F/38 C may not sound appealing, air-conditioning, numerous pools and the city's oasislike atmosphere make them more bearable.
