Palm Springs needs no introduction. Everyone knows about this desert oasis made famous by movie stars and celebrities, as well as its many golf courses. Just 100 miles from Los Angeles, it is retirees’ heaven, and there are more strip malls and more chain restaurants than we have seen in a long time! You can find almost anything your heart desires in the Greater Palm Springs area. There is certainly a feeling of lots happening here. Once you leave the area heading east to Phoenix, you drive through 250 miles of sand and desert and cacti, with just a few small towns and a few gas stations. So this is the mecca before the nothingness!
We walked the famous Palm Springs shopping street, Palm Canyon Drive. All the photos are from there with the exception of the final one. We liked the name of the store in the third photo, Oooh La La! and laughed when we looked at the two stores that are immediately adjacent…see Photos 4 and 5! There are lots of art galleries and metal celebrities sitting on benches, as you can see in the photo featuring Lucille Ball. The fab ice cream concoction is a Dole Whip, pineapple soft-serve ice cream garnished with a cookie wafer and an umbrella! Marilyn Monroe is everywhere, both in statue form and in restaurants’ advertising. The final photo was taken from the top of the mountain above Palm Desert…coming down, the road is a series of sharp switchbacks with the valley resting below.
