This was published 1 year ago
Palm Springs, California things to do: Tips from an expert expat
By Belinda Jackson
Tahquitz Canyon, Palm Springs.Credit: iStock
Leaving the Adelaide suburb of Kilburn for Sydney, it was a hop-skip to Los Angeles for Pej Endersen Tadic, who took a work transfer to the US in 2015. He visited Palm Springs for a romantic tryst, and fell in love – with his date and the town. "Palm Springs is such a wonderful and soul-fulfilling oasis in the desert, not to mention architecturally gorgeous, but it gets hot." Pej, an interior design aficionado who works for luxury wallcoverings firm Phillip Jeffries, copes by swimming in the pool of his 1966 house every morning which, in true Cali style, has a floating conversation pit and a blow-up flamingo, phillipjeffries.com
SEE
Pej Endersen Tadic moved to the US in 2015.Credit: iStock
Sunnylands is the stunning and historic site of the Annenberg Estate that shows one of the finest structures of mid-century modern (MCM) architecture sunnylands.org. Take the architectural tour of Deep Well and Movie Colony, or if you're here in February or October, Modernism Week allows you into some of the most famous architectural estates and homes, with cocktail parties by Frank Sinatra's pool and many other VIP experiences - a must have for any designer, architect or lover of MCM. See modernismweek.com
DO
Hop on a bicycle and ride around the stunning neighbourhoods of Twin Palms, Deep Well, Indian Canyon and The Movie Colony, stopping every couple of blocks to chat about the architecture. The bikes here are all big, step-through cruisers with a basket at the front, and you don't have to wear a helmet. No doubt you'll bump into some friendly locals that will invite you over for a swim: pack sunscreen. If you don't have a friend in town, you can rent a bike for a self-guided tour. See bikepsrentals.com
EAT
Hands down the best and most authentic Mexican food I have ever eaten is at El Mirasol Cocina Southern location. I love everything on the menu but my go to is pollo en mole poblano with prawns (or, as the Yanks call them, "shrimp"). It is situated right against the mountain and can be quite the scene, especially for brunch and lunch. See elmirasolrest.com
DRINK
There are so many great places but PS Air Bar is literally a hole in the wall behind a high-end kitchen store, and uber fun. When you walk in, you're stepping into the fuselage of an old DC10 where the waiters are dressed in camp flight attendant's uniforms serving up delicious cocktails and snacks. I would die for the Chocolate Cloud or Mile High; put on your thickest "Astraylin" accent and you'll be getting doubles the whole night. A warning: at Palm Springs, they free pour. See psairbar.com
AVOID
Palm Springs in August gets crazy hot; average temperatures range from 35-45. Eww. And with the monsoons coming in, it's not only stinking hot, but also humid. Last year, for seven days straight, the temperature didn't drop below 41C at night: you could literally throw vegetables into the pool to make soup.
THRIVE
Take long deep breaths as you are in a desert utopia. I feel blessed when I wake up at 5.30am and take in the spectacular sunrises with a cup or take an easy and rewarding 90-minute return hike to the Tahquitz Falls; this centres me and brings most of life's drama into perspective. There is something very special about the desert, it's unique and spellbinding. You will be forever thankful if you are lucky enough to see a rainstorm in Palm Springs, as it is truly breathtaking.
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