Visiting Desert Region

California’s desert region is delightful. You can pick your palm – Palm Springs, Palm Desert or Twentynine Palms, this is the season to visit. Southern California’s desert weather is ideal for a hike; Palm Springs’ Indian Canyons, the Randall Henderson Trail in Palm Desert and Joshua Tree National Park near Twentynine Palms are great places to explore. The Coachella Valley Preserve less than 15-miles from Palm Springs has trails for all levels of experience surrounded by the natural flora and fauna of Southern California. If your visit includes a Thursday, don’t miss VillageFest in downtown Palm Springs. Every Thursday evening Palm Springs transforms into the Palm Springs Street Fair.

It is winter and spring in the desert, the best time of year for a visit. Palm Springs hosts a full calendar of signature events. February brings McCormick’s Classic Car Show & Auction, the Tour de Palm Spring Bike Race, and Modernism Week. The Palm Springs Convention Centre hosts events for the 2012 Dinah Shore weekend, one of the most popular lesbian events of the year. In April, Palm Springs hosts the White Party, the largest gay dance music festival. Dinah Shore weekend in Palm Springs is March 27 through April 2, and the 2012 White Party is April 6 through 9.

Music fans are happy in 2012, as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is scheduled for two consecutive three-day weekends. Join the fun and festivities April 13 through the 15 and April 20 through the 22. Hosted at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, multiple genres of music are featured along with art installations and light shows. Less than 10-miles south east of Palm Desert, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival line-up includes the Black Keys, Radiohead, Dr Dre, and Snoop Dogg, among the many performers.

The community of Palm Desert is full of art, culture and fine restaurants. As part of its dedication to public art, Palm Desert hosts a Public Art Documentary Film Series. The 2012 Palm Desert Public Art Documentary Film Series is in the fourth season, offering public art related film screenings to residents and visitors. Screenings are held the third Thursday of the month through April. See “The Rape of Europa” March 15, and the final screening on April 19 is a series of short films.

The Palm Desert Campus of California State University, San Bernardino is home to Indian Wells Theatre. The theater is home to Cabaret Theatre West and their 2012 season. Theater enthusiasts enjoy performances of Hoorah for Hollywood, Hoorah for the USA, weekends in March, and Broadway Tonight, weekends in April. Venture out to Indian Wells Theatre for a wonderful evening of theater featuring talented California and Palm Desert actors.

Desert Region Hotel Map