California

Change is afoot in Palm Springs. Once the swinging hangout of Sinatra and Elvis and other rollicking stars, the city went gray, conservative and dreary in the 1980s. But the pendulum of popularity has swung back as a new generation of celebs and hipsters latches onto the city's retro-chic charms.

Before the 20th century

Cahuilla people once occupied the canyons on the southwest side of the Coachella Valley, where permanent streams flowed from the San Jacinto Mountains. They also used the hot springs where the city of Palm Springs now stands. The early Spanish explorers gave the area, and subsequently the Cahuilla tribespeople, the name Agua Caliente, meaning 'hot water'.

In 1851 the Cahuilla staged a revolt against American authorities and, though it was put down, their land rights were recognised in the 1852 Treaty of Temecula. However, the treaty was not ratified by Congress and was rescinded in 1876 when, in order to promote the construction of a railroad from Los Angeles to Yuma, Arizona, the valley was divided into a chequerboard of square-mile sections. The odd-numbered sections were granted to the Southern Pacific Railroad, the even-numbered sections were given to the Agua Caliente as their reservation. After the railroad was built, the company sold most of its land and the whole valley was developed first as farmland, and later with health spas and resort hotels. At the southern end of the valley, Indio was a construction camp for the railway in the 1870s, and its artesian water was tapped to irrigate the first crops. Date palms from Algeria were introduced in 1890 and have become the major fruit crop of the valley, along with citrus fruits and table grapes.

Modern history

In Palm Springs, the first hotels were for those who sought the health benefits of the natural hot springs and a desert climate. From the late 1920s it became popular as a resort area and as a winter getaway for the famous. One of the city's first councilwomen, Ruth Hardy, was responsible for many of the restrictive ordinances that saved Palm Springs from the excesses of uncontrolled development, including bans on two-story houses and large outdoor advertisements.

It was not until the 1940s that surveys established the exact boundaries of the valley's square-mile sections, and by then much of the Native American land had been built on. Though they couldn't sell the land, the Native American tribes were able to charge rent. As the valley has grown more affluent, the several hundred Native Americans who have established tribal membership have shared in the wealth.

Recent history

The 1950s saw an explosion of mid-century modern architecture in Palm Springs. The growth of the city was slowed in the 1970s by conflicts between city authorities and the tribal owners over zoning authority. Once this was settled, development quickened with a vengeance, and the city centre was thoroughly transformed in the 1980s, when it became a mecca for gay and lesbian resort life.

Palm Springs has in recent years continued to attract the rich and famous. Former President Gerald Ford retired to the valley with his wife Betty, who founded the famous rehabilitation center that bears her name. The presidential couple are in good company - it's said that 28 of the names on the Forbes 400 list have homes in the valley.

Top Accommodation

Top Restaurants

Palm Springs has a typical desert climate. The winters barely qualify as wintry, with an average daily January temperature of 20°C (68°F). This is definitely the most popular time to go, although watch out for winter nights, which can get chilly with average minimum temperatures as low as 4ºC (39ºF). Early spring and late autumn are the most comfortable times to visit. Searing summers are best avoided. High summer averages top 40ºC (104ºF). Annual rainfall is negligible.

Average weather

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Transport

Getting there and away

Palm Springs International Airport (tel: 760 318 3800; www.palmspringsairport.com; 3400 E Tahquitz Canyon Way) is served by Alaska, America West, American, Continental, Delta, Harmony Airways, Horizon Air, Northwest (seasonally), Sun Country, United and WestJet. There are direct services to and from major US cities, including Houston, Atlanta and Chicago.

Unless your hotel provides airport transfers, plan to take a taxi to downtown Palm Springs. If you're going to one of the communities outside Palm Springs, call for advance shuttle reservations.

Greyhound (www.greyhound.com) has several daily buses to and from LA (3 to 4 hours). Buy your ticket on board when the bus station is closed. Amtrak (www.amtrak.com) runs trains to and from LA several days a week, and Thruway buses provide service on other days; reservations required. Buses pickup at the SunBus airport stop at 3400 Tahquitz Canyon Way. Trains often run late.

If traveling from LA with your own vehicle, take I-10, the main route into and through the Coachella Valley; the trip to Palm Springs takes about two hours. The more scenic Palms to Pines Hwy leaves the interstate at Banning and heads southeast via Hwys 243 and 74 to Palm Desert, from where Hwy 111 slowly connects west to Palm Springs.

Getting around

Powered by alternative fuels, SunBus (www.sunline.org), the local bus service, will take you around the valley, albeit slowly. Route 111 follows Hwy 111 between Palm Springs and Indio (1.5 hr). Buses have air-con, wheelchair lifts and a two-bicycle rack. SunBus 24 stops outside the airport.

Though you can walk to most sights downtown, you'll need a car to get around the valley. Major rental-car companies all have desks at the airport in Palm Springs.

On weekends in downtown Palm Springs you can often flag a taxi. Otherwise, you'll need to call. If you know you're going to need one at a certain time - say, to go to the airport in the morning - book in advance.

Palm Springs and the valley have an excellent network of bike paths that are great for tooling around. Bicycles are available for rent downtown. Ask about daily and weekly rates.

Health & Legal Requirements

Dangers and annoyances