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Suns out bumps out! C and I took a little babymoon getaway to Palm Springs, California, and had the best time! We chose Palm Springs because it had a little bit of everything we were wanting out of a babymoon: relaxation, sunshine, outdoor activities/hiking, good food and shopping. We LOVED it there! Palm Springs used to be a vacation spot for the old Hollywood crowd (think: Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra)... Many stars still have vacation homes there and I can see why! The area is well known for its midcentury modern architecture - some areas really feel like you're stepping back in time, in the best way!
I'm sharing all the things we did, the places we ate and where we stayed below (plus a few bonus activities that were on our list). I'd definitely recommend Palm Springs for a babymoon, bachelorette party, friend trip or just a low-key long weekend! In my opinion it was similar to Scottsdale, but on a smaller and quieter scale.
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Palm Springs Travel Tips
- I don't think it is necessary to rent a car (the town is relatively small and there are Ubers/Lyfts), but having a car was handy for certain activities below that were a bit of a ways away!
- FYI, it gets just as windy in Palm Springs as it does in Oklahoma! I guess that's why they have all those windmills haha. I was not prepared!
- The desert heat is no joke! It is a dry heat, but it can sneak up on you. Be sure to hydrate, wear SPF and if you're visiting in the summer, plan to do most of your outdoor activities in the morning or evening.
- We visited in early April and the weather was beautiful (minus the high winds), in the 80s, mostly! Palm Springs gets on average 354 days of sunshine a year!
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Shop this maternity look here! Code AMANDASOK25 gets you a discount on the dress. |
What to do in Palm Springs
- Relax by the pool - one of the main reasons we chose Palm Springs was because of their amazing pool weather!
- See the Cabazon Dinosaurs - just about 20 minutes outside of Palm Springs, these giant dinos are famous roadside attractions! They've even been in movies like Pee Wee's Big Adventure. They aren't anything special, but they do make fun photos. One of the dinos has a gift shop in his belly!
- Hike - we hiked both Palm Canyon and Andreas Canyon in the same morning! They were relatively short/easy hikes, were very well marked, and were close to each other inside the same park. It felt like a real life Oasis - picture a desert with a forest of palm trees and a stream running through it! Cole said it reminded him of a video game. It was just gorgeous and unlike any hike we'd ever done before. I also heard good things about Tahquitz Canyon Trail, but we didn't have time for that one.
- Shop - I'm a sucker for a good souvenir shop! The best stores, boutiques, and souvenir shops were in the downtown area.
- Self-Guided Door Tour (you could drive or bike it!) - as mentioned above, the mid-mod architecture is Palm Springs is incredible! There are a ton of homes that are worth a drive by....and all the neighborhoods lined with palm trees feel so California! We used this tour which sticks mostly in the Indian Canyons neighborhood and includes the well-known Pink door!
- Moorten Botanical Gardens - if you're looking for a perfect cactus photo op, look no further than the Moorten Botanical Gardens! They have cacti from all around the world and they have a "cactarium," which is basically a green house for cacti! They even have a bunch of turtles! Exploring the whole property takes around 30 minutes to an hour, so it's easy to squeeze in between other activities.
- See the Windmills - coming from Oklahoma, windmills weren't at the top of my must-see list haha, we have them everywhere! To others, though, it may be something cool and unique....and it could create an amazing photo! It is pretty cool to see so many windmills in the desert with a mountain backdrop. Though we didn't seek them out or get close enough for a cool photo, we were able to see a ton on the way to the Cabazon Dinosaurs.
- Visit Joshua Tree National Park - this is something we didn't have time for as we were only in town for a long weekend, but I'm sure it would be incredible if you had an extra day to explore! I believe Joshua Tree is only about an hour-is from Palm Springs.
- Golf - I'm not a golfer, but I hear the courses in Palm Springs are incredible!
- Ride the Aerial Tramway - one last activity that we weren't able to do but that sounded fun....Palm Springs is the home of the largest rotating aerial tram car in the world. It travels two and a half miles!
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Cabazon Dinosaurs | Shop this maternity look here! Code AMANDASOK25 gets you a discount on the dress! |
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Hiking Palm Canyon |
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Palm Springs Self-Guided Door Tour |
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Moorten Botanical Garden | Shop this look here! |
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Moorten Botanical Garden |
Where to Eat in Palm Springs
- Boozehounds - you know I had to visit a bougie restaurant combined with a dog park. They even had a separate menu for dogs! This place was WAY nicer than the dog park restaurants we have in Oklahoma, though! The ambiance was beautiful, the bathroom was IG worthy, and the food was delicious. C loved the garlic noodles and I very much enjoyed the fish & chips. They do take reservations, but if you arrive before the dinner rush I don't think they are necessary.
- Sandfish Sushi & Whiskey - this was probably our favorite (and most expensive) meal of the whole trip. The service was wonderful and the food was absolutely scrumptious. C said it was the best nigiri he has had outside of Japan (big statement!). I, being pregnant of course, had cooked sushi but it was still wonderful. We split their signature grilled octopus and omg, so divine. They also make a MEAN mocktail that legit tasted like a cocktail because it was so flavorful! I would recommend reservations here as people were getting turned away!
- Cheeky's - breakfast is the way to my heart and Cheeky's didn't do me wrong! It is a very popular spot and they do not take reservations so if you aren't a fan of waiting in line, get there before they open! It fills up fast! They had incredibly delicious coffee, a famous bacon flight with lots of fun flavors, and really yummy blueberry corn pancakes!
- Birba - the CUTEST courtyard dining with tables situated under the bistro lights and giant trees. Super cute and romantic! Birba is upscale Italian fare and absolutely fabulous pizza. I would suggest getting reservations weeks prior to your visit. We tried to come without a reservation and the wait was several hours long! We ended up ordering pizza to go but wished we could have sat and enjoyed it on their gorgeous outdoor dining area.
- Tac/Quila - for my Mexican food junkies, this is the place! It was more of a crafty / upscale Mexican restaurant and oh wow, so good. One of the best mocktails I've had while pregnant, I can only imagine how much tastier it would be with alcohol haha. Don't leave without trying the churro ice cream sandwich for dessert. We were able to get an early table here with only a short wait, but if you are eating around the usual dinner time, I'd suggest a reservation!
- Farm - this is the cutest French restaurant with a gorgeous courtyard patio! The entire building/outdoor area truly felt like a different country. We ate brunch here and it was quite yummy! They do take reservations but we arrived close to when they opened and didn't need one (although the patio was already full).
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Boozehounds |
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Birba | Shop this dress here - code AMANDASOK25 gets you a discount! |
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Farm's Garden Patio |
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Tac/Quila |
Where to Stay in Palm Springs
We stayed at The Monkey Tree hotel and LOVED it! It was a boutique hotel property but was set up more like an AirBNB where you get check-in instructions online with a code to both the property and to your door. With only 16 rooms, it felt very quiet and private! The property was so fabulous and very mid-century. Each room opened up to a giant courtyard with a beautiful pool, lots of green space, tons of yard games (including corn hole, ping pong and more) and a giant table under bistro lights for group dinners. The rooms weren't anything over the top, but they were comfortable, clean and tastefully decorated in mid-mod decor. Since it was our babymoon, we splurged on the king suite that had a real cool bathroom and private outdoor area. C and I thought this would be the perfect property to rent out for a friend trip, family reunion or a wedding party/elopement! The Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, JFK, Eric Clapton and other celebs have all stayed at The Monkey Tree, how cool is that?!
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Shop this maternity look here! Code AMANDASOK25 gets you a discount on my denim dress. |
I would 100% recommend visiting Palm Springs, I would go back in a heartbeat! If you've been before, tell me what you loved in the comments.
Thanks for reading and happy travels!
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