Sun, Fun, and the Magic Nights
Fun Facts: Palm Springs has the largest concentration of midcentury modern residential architecture in the world, showcased every February during the Modernism Week celebration.
With more than 70,000 pools, Greater Palm Springs can boast that it has more pools per capita than anywhere else in the country.
Greater Palm Springs is the home of more than 100 golf courses, which is why many refer to us as the Golf Capital of the World.
City of Night: L.A. and Palm Springs After Dark
Every city has a rhythm. Some pulse with daylight; others come alive after dark.
Los Angeles: The City of Night
By day, Los Angeles can feel like a myth unraveling. A vast sprawl of chain stores, choked freeways, and sunburnt haze. Even the sunlight feels overworked. As John Rechy’s City of Night and The Doors’ L.A. Woman once asked:
“Are you a lucky little lady in the City of Light, or just another Lost Angel? City of Night.”
But at night? That’s when the curtain rises.
Climb up to Griffith Observatory and you’ll see it: a jeweled basin of light stretching to the horizon, shimmering under heatwaves and possibility. It’s not quite Hollywood—but close enough to believe in.
Palm Springs: After-Hours Allure
Two hours southeast lies a different kind of city—Palm Springs. Don’t let the retro chic fool you: this isn’t a daytime town. Not in the summer, when 108°F is a normal afternoon, and the pavement can melt your sandals.
By day, survival is tactical. Misters hiss like snakes. Shade is currency. The air vibrates with heat.
But then comes night.
The temperature drops. A cashmere wind stirs. Palm trees sway like stage performers under moonlight. Suddenly, everything softens. The lights glow. Linen shirts appear. Ice clinks in cocktail glasses. The desert exhales—and the show begins.
There’s something seductively cinematic about Palm Springs after dark. Maybe it’s the breeze. Maybe it’s the way the heat finally lets go. Or maybe it’s the mirrors—everywhere. On ceilings. In closets. Across bedroom walls. A curious abundance in a town with an older population and a plastic surgery clinic on every corner.
Palm Springs doesn’t pretend. Like Vegas, it knows what it is—and that’s its magic. Campy, curated, and completely itself. Despite the blistering sun, summer tourists keep coming. Getting there may take effort. Leaving is harder.
But Something’s Changing
Palm Springs has always revolved around its weather—but that weather is evolving:
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Hotter Summers: Triple digits are now routine. 117°F isn’t shocking anymore.
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Longer Heat Waves: What once lasted days now stretches for weeks.
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Humid Heat: A cruel twist—moisture now mixes with the dry, making it even less bearable.
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Warmer Nights: Evening temps cling above 80°F, offering little relief.
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Flash Floods: Sudden tropical downpours turn dry riverbeds into torrents.
Climate change is the culprit. It’s reshaping the seasons, the skyline, and the tourism calendar.
Even winter—the long-reliable reprieve—is warming. The once-perfect off-season? Now less perfect.
These aren’t just inconveniences. They’re shifting how the desert lives, breathes, and entertains.
And yet…
Palm Springs still shines brightest at night. But the nights are warmer now, and the city—like everywhere—is adjusting to a new reality.
Book early. Arrive late. Stay cool. Stay curious.
And always pack your shades—for the sun… and the mirrors.
Best Food & Drink
1. The Tropicale Palm Springs
A chic and sophisticated décor provides the setting for our distinctive “world cuisine”, a provocative mix of zesty influences that creates a delightful dining experience in Palm Springs, California. Plush high-backed semicircular banquettes surround our dining room and offer comfortable and private seating. The cuisine has a light, exotic feel with an emphasis on Pacific Rim specialties, from Chilean Sea Bass baked in Banana Leaves or Kahlua-Barbecued Pork Chops to all sorts of tasty tapas, salads, wood-fired pizzas, and desserts. The Coral Seas Lounge, a hip mid-century style bar is lined with sexy black leather bar-stools and is reminiscent of the upbeat lounges of old Palm Springs. It wraps around the dining room and leads outside to a lush, tropical, 2000 square foot dining patio where a variety of specialty cocktails and old-school favorites are mixed – an ideal place where friends gather and martinis are sipped under the starlit desert sky.. Map
Best Places to Stay
1 Korakia Pensione
257 S. Patencio Rd., Palm Springs, California 92262, United States
This Mediterranean style bed and breakfast bills itself as a retreat. In the heart of downtown Palm Springs, the Korakia Pensione (the name translates to “Crow Hotel”) is a magnificent oasis made up of multiple buildings spread across an acre and a half. The heavy stone, almost tiki look, exterior spreads from the outside to the rooms and villas inside.
HOTEL INFO
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2. Sparrow
Originally built as Castle’s Red Barn in 1952 by MGM actor Don Castle and his wife Zetta, it was one of the original resort getaways for Hollywood elite. Legend has it that iconic actress Elizabeth Montgomery had her first marriage at the Red Barn. The property also has had incarnations as Catalina Palms, El Rancho Lodge and now Sparrows Lodge. The Lodge was fully restored in 2013 and many of the original buildings are still in use with modern updates retaining the charm of the original Red Barn.
THE LODGE:
Sparrows Lodge is a completely restored 1950s retreat. You will be welcomed roadside with a simple hand-painted sign with two Sparrows. The Lodge has a modern rustic vibe that carries through to our rooms, communal barn, outdoor fire pit and vegetable garden, accented by a collection of fine art including works by Ruscha, Kelly, Katz & Baldessari. The 20 rooms feature exposed beam ceilings, russet red walls, concrete floors with inlaid pebbles and butterfly chairs. Swiss army blankets top plush mattresses, and instead of closets you’ll find a metal footlocker along with hooks and hangers. Our bathrooms feature rain showers, and many include horse troughs as bathtubs. Most rooms have private patios. All rooms have AC/Heat and ceiling fans. With no televisions or phones in the rooms, there is an environment of ease and simplicity.
Sparrows Lodge
1330 East Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92264
tel. 760 327 2300
3. Old Ranch Inn
Day 1
RELAX, JUST DO IT
Time to chill, get some sun, take in the fresh air and relax. There are more pools per capita in Palm Springs than the entire United States—enjoy one, you’ll like it.
Day 2
THE PLANE, THE PLANE!
The Palm Springs Air Museum is home to one of the world’s largest collections of flyable WWII aircraft and from Korea and Vietnam; and unlike many other museums, our air-conditioned hangars have no ropes to keep you from interacting with our exhibits. In addition to our aircraft, exhibits and activities allow visitors of all ages to gain a fresh perspective of World War II — the unparalleled event that shaped the world we live in. A new hangar opened May of 2017 holds exhibits and aircraft from the Korea and Vietnam Wars.
Day 3
RISE ABOVE IT ALL
Leave the city, the heat and the margaritas behind an head on up the mountain in the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway—the world’s largest rotating tram car—travels over two-and-one-half miles along the breathtaking cliffs of Chino Canyon, transporting riders to the pristine wilderness of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park. During your approximately ten-minute journey, tram cars rotate slowly, offering picturesque and spectacular vistas of the valley floor below. Once you reach the Mountain Station—elevation 8,516 feet—enjoy two restaurants, observation decks, natural history museum, two documentary theaters, gift shop and over 50 miles of hiking trails.
