5-Day Dreamy Palm Desert Escape

When I arrive in the southern California desert, I love to check into my hotel room at The La Quinta Resort and Spa and relax in their lush gardens and pick some fresh fruit from the many citrus trees on property. I enjoy the nearby Fisherman's Market for lunch - the halibut fish and chips are my favorite! My family and I love to lounge poolside during the day or hike one of the trails that are south of La Quinta or Palm Desert. In the evenings, we like to go grab a cocktail at The Cliffhouse or sizzling fajitas at Las Consules Nuevas in Rancho Mirage.

On day two, take the family or your spouse into the desert just East of the desert cities and hop on a 4x4 Jeep for The Red Jeep Tours. This tour will take you through the untouched, quiet desert landscapes and you will walk slot canyons and see views of the Coachella Valley.

On day three, visit the red wolves, big horn sheep, and giraffes at The Living Desert. This expansive desert zoo and gardens is a great place to stroll for hours enjoying the native plants, animals, and butterfly gardens. There is a huge model train here as well that will take quite awhile to see all the intricate miniatures along the train route.

On any Thursday, visit the Downtown Palm Springs area in the evening and enjoy Village Fest. This evening street fair has streets and streets of booth. The booths consist of food vendors, musicians, artists, and local gifts. You can spend hours strolling the streets of historic downtown Palm Springs looking at all the interesting booth and folks!

On Day five of your desert adventure, you can choose from visiting the Date Farms in the valley and having a sweet date shake, you can ride the ten minute Aerial Tramway to the top of Mount San Jacinto which sits at 8,516 feet elevation, you can golf one of the valley's top golf courses like Desert Willow or Indian Wells, you can view a polo match, or indulge at one the area's magnificent Spas such as the Miramonte or Agua Caliente Hotel.

Other fun desert activities: Bowling at Fantasy Springs Casino, Shopping at El Paseo or Cabazon Outlets, viewing the Salton Sea or taking an hour trip to Joshua Tree!