Palm Springs Getaway — Mid-Century Design, Pools, Food, and Easy Escapes

Mid Century Modern home in Palm Springs California — Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron

The Hunt for a Quick and Easy Getaway

Read our last warm-weather escape: Maui in Monochrome — West Maui, Revisited →

With the year whizzing by at pace, we decided to plan a last-minute family trip for rest and relaxation. Somewhere warm, easy to reach from Vancouver, and relaxed enough that the itinerary could revolve around pools, bikes, food, and sunshine rather than logistics. Unexpectedly, Palm Springs popped onto the radar as a location that could fit the bill nicely. With a few clicks of the laptop it was booked. Would it deliver?

Casa Palma

For accomodations, we wanted to find a place that was close to downtown Palm Springs as well as the famed neighbourhoods of mid century modern homes that the city is best known for. A pool was a must and children had to be welcome as well. Casa Palma delivered on these and more with amenities including two pools, a hot tub, tennis/pickle ball courts, a gym and an on-site restaurant, albeit one that was open limited days. They also had bicycles for use by guests and to our delight childrens’ bikes as well! The design is clean, (think elevated motel) the rooms spartan but comfortable, and the location is just about ideal. I found Palm Springs to be larger than I thought and so despite having reviewed the map in advance of booking (thinking we could walk to some venues), we found ourselves biking or driving more often than not.

Our trip happened to be timed for the end of the peak festival season with Coachella and then Stagecoach having finished up in the week prior. Potentially as a result, for the first few days of our stay we essentially had the entire hotel to ourselves which is terrific when you have a rambunctious 4 year old with you who wants to explore. Even as occupancy started to fill-in ahead of the weekend, the vibe was relaxed and unpretentious. The two pools give you options depending how quiet or busy a mood you’re hoping for, and the first pool is bathed in sunlight for the vast majority of the day, keeping the temperature ideal in tandem with the cooling breeze that would arrive reliably each afternoon.

Casa Palma Pool Area — Casa Palma pool area, Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

Casa Palma pool area, Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

Restaurants of Palm Springs

As we lacked cooking facilities, we knew we’d be eating out a fair bit on this trip, and looked forward to trying some of the interesting restaurants Palm Springs has to offer. Once again, our timing proved ideal, with the festival crowds long-gone, we could walk into most restaurants we wanted to try with no reservations and a minimal wait. Here are a number that stood out:

BIRBA

Italian cuisine served on a relaxed patio. The pizzas were good and the rest of the menu overall tasty here.

Workshop Kitchen

Sit inside for this one. Workshop Kitchen pairs industrial architecture with some of the most creative dishes we had on the trip.

Workshop Palm Springs — Great interior design of Workshop Kitchen, Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

Workshop Restaurant Palm Springs — Workshop Kitchen, Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

PARKER

A Palm Springs insititution bathing in mid century modern glory. This was one of the few restaurants we reserved in advance and I’d recommend you do the same if you’re hoping to try it out. Brunch is the go-to here and the portions are filling and delicious. My wife stayed for the balance of the morning to enjoy the spa. Try the lobster omelette!

Drinks at the Parker Palm Springs — Beautiful Bottle display at the Parker, Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

Parker Hotel Interior — Lounging area in the Parker, Palm Springs , California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

The Wall at the Parker Hotel California — Obligatory Wall Pose, Parker Hotel, Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

Parker Hotel Citroen SM — A bit of car spotting, Citroen SM parked a long time ago at the Parker. Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

BOOZEHOUNDS

Clearly a party-starter spot, with at least three bachelorette parties in attendance while we were there. Menu is an interesting mix of fusion with North American and asian influences. The food was great as were the cocktails. The west wall is dominated by a wide window looking out at the mountains, framing as if in a movie theatre a cinematic view of the changing desert colour as the sun set.

LA CASUELAS

Right on the main strip this is the go-to for some fun live music and tasty Mexican dishes. The dance floor was hardly ever empty.

GELLATO GRANUCCI

I didn’t expect to find the best gelato I’d ever had in North America, but here we are, a 3rd generation family run business with roots in Italy and the Netherlands. Try the Mint Chip, I went back for more. Their flavoured waffle cones are also a real treat.

MCM Paradise

No visit to Palm Springs is complete without seeing some of the beautiful mid century modern homes it is famous for. In many ways Palm Springs felt like a bit of a love letter to design, where even some of the familiar fast food chains had a butterfly roof and terra cotta looking walls. Our approach was largely to visit what we could by easy reach of our loaned bicycles*, say 30min from our hotel. To our delight these neighbourhoods included many unique and interesting homes and even Frank Sinatra’s house!

Palm Springs Homes, Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron

Quiet in the morning. Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron

Look at that garage roof! Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron

One observation for those who may also feel inclined to bike around the town is that it isn’t quite as bike friendly as I’d originally assumed. While the roads are wide, perhaps comically so for suburbs, sidewalks and bike lanes were remarkably inconsistent -starting and stopping seemingly haphazardly, as if they were decided on a block by block basis rather than with routes in mind. Not a deal breaker for the cyclists among us, but something to be mindful of if you are biking with children.

Omni Rancho Palm Springs - Splashtopia

Ensuring our son was enjoying his visit was important to us, and so among other things like playground visits (and paw patrol on the tv before bed) we booked a day at the Omni Rancho which adverstised having a large water park area with lazy river and etc. This hotel is in Palm Desert which was about a half hour drive from our hotel. To call it “Splashtopia” was perhaps a bit of a stretch, but it suited our son just fine with a pair of large waterslides that he just made the minimum height requirement for, and a lazy river that was decently long with plenty of inflatable floaty rings to grab and drift along with.

Service is provided right to your sunbed which is very convenient, although (and perhaps this was due to an overall lull in tourist visits that week) seemed a bit light staffed. Keep a family member guarding should you order some snacks because the local birds are quick and hungry.

Had our son not met the water slide height requirement we would likely have had some dissapointment on our hands to manage, so I’d double check this if you are bringing little ones along. (And I wouldn’t make a special trip here absent the kiddos for the water park alone)

Downtown Palm Springs & The Village Fest

The downtown strip is largely a collection of restaurants, shops, galleries and hotels - as you’d certainly expect. While quiet during the week, this area began to pick-up by Thursday night, particularly when the “Village Fest” night market begins.

Even the garbage cans look fun, Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

These guys are everywhere, Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

Palm Springs Shopping — Shopping alcove, Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

Every Thursday night, Palm Canyon Drive in downtown is closed for a street market with many vendors ranging from clothes to tacos to massages. It’s worth a stop if you’re in town, even if only to enjoy the vibe as people mill about as a warm-up to a night out. The restaurants were the busiest we’d seen them as a result

Village Fest, Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

PALM SPRINGS Night Market — Street Food in Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

Entertainment abounds at Village Fest, Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

Art Museum

I wouldn’t call our kid an art buff, but taking in a bit of culture and history seemed like a great distraction for an afternoon and so we decided to visit the Palm Springs Art Museum. Now, we started at the Architecture and Design Museum (which it turns out is connected) but that was, well, sparse. Perhaps the display (on architecture and its impact on fashion) was still under construction, but if you paid the full entry fee just to see that you’d have been disappointed. However, since the entry carried over to the main museum a few blocks away, we decided to explore that and get more bang for our buck

The Art Museum felt special right away. A Large brutal structure conspicuous against the bright blue sky and desert mountains behind. I’m glad we took the opportunity to see it, and while we were a bit rushed from exhibit to exhibit (4 year old attention spans being what they are) it still felt like an enriching experience. The building itself is

Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

Aviation Museum

We decided to visit the aviation museum while my wife went to the spa one morning. This is worth the stop if you are a history and aviation buff. Multiple hangers full of interesting vehicles, and enough to keep my son occupied for 2+ hours!

P51D Mustang at the Palm Springs Avaition Museum, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

An array of planes, cars and more, Palm Springs Aviation Museum, California, Leica M10R, Voigtlander 50mm Nokton

Bonus Hotel - Kimpton Rowan

As luck would have it our return flight was cancelled due to a flat tire. After a couple of hours at the airport awaiting news of the repair timing, it became clear we weren’t heading home that night. So, we decided to book a room right in downtown at the Kimpton for a bit of a different experience. With multiple restaurants and a rooftop pool and bar we’d more than be able to find a way to spend this unexpected additional time in Palm Springs.

The rooftop pool and bar are definitely the scene here and we spent most of the afternoon and following morning there. The cocktails were delicious and served right to your sunbed. The pool is never more than chest deep and while it could clearly be a big party spot some nights, it was quite relaxed, welcoming and accommodating for kids with our son making a few friends to splash around with. The people watching is excellent with a fairly eclectic crowd gracing the water and its surrounds.

Desert Rhythm

Palm Springs ultimately delivered on its promise: an easy escape filled with sunshine, good food, pool time, and a healthy dose of mid-century design. There’s something undeniably pleasant about the city’s relaxed desert rhythm, especially when life elsewhere feels particularly busy.

I’m not sure I’d rush back purely to explore more of the city itself, but I can absolutely see the appeal of returning with a larger group of friends or family, renting one of the iconic homes tucked into these quiet neighbourhoods, and embracing the slower pace for a few days. In many ways, that feels like the version of Palm Springs that makes the most sense to me.

Desert Rhythm - Palm Springs, CA

The Hunt for a Quick and Easy Getaway

Casa Palma