Last week, we went to Palm Springs. Sunny, warm, a mid-century modern haven, an Instagram dream, a trip back in time, a foodie’s retreat, Palm Springs has quite the charm and was a much needed retreat for vitamin D deprived ole me. I have been to California many, many times, but had not been to Palm Springs for years. I loved it and look forward to returning. The warm temps were the perfect escape from the dreary Seattle winter (for reference, it’s currently snow/raining today…). The weather, shops, architecture, and restaurants make it an amazing place to visit. Below are the places I recommend!
Restaurants + Coffee Shops
Norma’s at The Parker
The Parker is an amazing, posh hotel on E. Palm Canyon Drive and just under 10 minutes from the airport. It was one of the places I wanted to be sure to see and wish I had spent more time there. Next time, I’d love to stay there. We ate at Norma’s for brunch on the way to the airport and the meal was my favorite throughout the trip. They start off by bringing you the smoothie of the day and leave you to select from a menu overflowing with amazing choices. We ended up getting Normalita’s Huevos Rancheros and Light and Lemony Griddle Cakes and ordered the smoothie of the day. You can see all the yummy options on their menu. Read more about The Parker and their other restaurants here: https://www.parkerpalmsprings.com/food-and-drink/
FARM
6 La Plaza, Palm Springs, CA 92262
FARM is located right in the heart of Palm Canyon Drive, but you wouldn’t know it. The restaurant atmosphere is inspired by the South of France. The garden patio dining was delightful and I love all the flowers. I ordered an avocado omelette and it was perfection! https://www.farmpalmsprings.com/
Earnest Coffee
1101 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262
The Stumptown coffee served at Earnest was amazing. I got an Almond Milk Latte and came back two days in a row. Earnest is located on North Palm Canyon Drive (Palm Canyon Drive is the main road where everything is located.)
If you haven’t had Stumptown yet, you can find it here in Seattle, Portland, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
For my Seattle locals, here’s a list of locations:
Stumptown Coffee Roasters: 1115 12th Ave Seattle, WA 98122
Issaquah Coffee Company: 317 NW Gilman Blvd #47, Issaquah, WA 98027
Town and Country: 4989 Lakemont Blvd SE Bellevue, WA, 98006
Whole Foods – Redmond: 17991 Redmond Way Redmond, WA, 98052
Whole Foods – Bellevue: 888 116th Ave NE Bellevue, WA, 98004
Metropolitan Market: 10611 NE 68th Street Kirkland, WA, 98033
Whole Beans are available at:
Leschi Market: 103 Lakeside Ave. Seattle, WA, 98122
Central Co-op: 1600 E. Madison St Seattle, WA, 98122
Thomas Market: 233 Summit Ave ES eattle, WA, 98102
Chuck’s Hop Shop: 656 NW 85th Street Seattle, WA, 98117
Ken’s Market: 7231 Greenwood Ave N Seattle, WA 98103
Trinity Market: 4301 Roosevelt Way NE Seattle, WA, 98105
Market Time Foods: 4416 Fremont Ave N Seattle, WA, 98103
Great Shakes
160 S Palm Canyon Dr Suite A, Palm Springs, Greater Palm Springs, CA 92262-6356
If over 1,200 5 star reviews on Google, Yelp, and Trip Advisor aren’t enough to get you to indulge in a shake from Great Shakes, the cute mini donuts and smiling photo of Frank Sinatra in the window certainly will. They take pride in creating the most delicious shakes (even acknowledging that they are splurge-worthy!) and use locally sourced ice cream made of pure ingredients. Right up my alley! Read more about the 10 Things To Ask Of Your Ice Cream on their site. I got the pistachio shake and Tommy got cookie dough. When can we get more?!
Shops
The Shops At 1345
1345 N. Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs, CA. 92262
There are 14 shops under one iconic E. Stewart Williams Building roof and they cannot be missed. Everything is curated with so much attention to design and detail. My favorite was Respect The Chief. They carry beautiful, unique handmade jewelry, both new and vintage.
Vintage Shopping
Palm Springs is known for their vintage shops. If you love mid-century modern furniture, there’s no better place to find unique items. Of this list, I have only been to The Frippery, but below is a list of some other highly rated places.
The Frippery: 664 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Palm Springs Vintage Market: First Sunday of the month. 2300 E Baristo Rd, Palm Springs, CA
Revivals Stores (Two locations)
The Fine Art Of Design: 73717 CA-111, Palm Desert, CA 92260
Sunny Dunes Antique Mall: 507 E Sunny Dunes Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92264
Instagram Spots
Desert X
February 9 – April 21, 2019
Desert X is a series of contemporary art installations that are temporarily placed all over the Coachella Valley. I went to three locations. It was fun, like a treasure hunt that’s hard to spot at first, then given away as you approach a few other parked cars and suddenly can spot people gathered in the distance taking photos. Many of them are located just off of a roadway so take caution. Read more here: https://www.desertx.org/
The Parker
4200 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264
Lon before it was the iconic Parker, it was another icon: California’s first Holiday Inn in 1959. It became The Parker in 2002 and underwent a $27 million renovation. It’s chic, gramworthy design was done by Jonathan Adler.
(Note: In order to use a DSLR here, you must apply for a permit. The cost is $2,500.)
The Saguaro
1800 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264
Pronounced (Sa-wah-roh)
Known for the rainbow colors, this place is made for the Gram. Each room is color themed.
Fun fact: “The saguaro is an arborescent cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea, which can grow to be over 40 feet tall.”
Doors of Palm Springs
The white mid-century architecture is accentuated by plenty of colorful doors. If you’re looking for #thatpinkdoor, read this before taking photos.
Calbazon Dinosaurs
50770 Seminole Dr, Cabazon, CA 92230
You have probably seen the photos of these dinos, or perhaps just passed them while driving along the 10. They’re basically just off the highway, located at a truck stop.
Happy travels! If you use this guide, tag me on Instagram @Amanda_Seattle. Find more of my Travel Guides here.