Sometimes, it's important to stop and smell the flowers and enjoy the nature around us. It's important for the little ones too. It's important for them to take a break from the over-stimulation-non-stop-commercial-media world for EVERYONE to refuel. You'll appreciate it and yes, your kids will enjoy it too. It doesn't have to be Disney Princesses/Batman/Spongebob/Barbie all day, all the time. The Palm Springs/Desert area is the perfect place to do just that.
Only about 2 hours away from San Diego and Los Angeles, the Palm Springs area offers you an opportunity to relax and take a breather, all the while keeping the family entertained thanks to the beautiful desert environment.
I've already
written about the
Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, but it truly is an amazing place to unwind.
The rooms are beautiful, the bed ultra comfy. Hip but still very family friendly. We got a room with a king bed and there was enough room for E to sleep in her trusty
camping bed. The prices are generally very reasonable and if you visit
this site you can usually find some amazing deals. We stayed for under 100$/night. The
King's Highway restaurant in the hotel is also a great option. We had both breakfast and dinner there and both were great. Although there isn't a kids menu per say, they were also very accommodating in making special meals for kids. In the evening the restaurant also has Free theme nights. We all enjoyed
Sissy Bingo with Linda Gerard, E thought it was great fun! I really can't say enough about this place, what I can say, is that you won't want to leave!
About an hour away from Palm Springs is
Joshua Tree National Park. It's an amazing day to spend the day taking in the desert landscape. The parks service also has great recommendations
for kids. We went on a few hikes and took in some great views. The
Keys View will give you an opportunity to see a panoramic view of the Coachella Valley where you can see all the way to the
Salton Sea.
Discovering the Salton Sea is also incredible and if you are interested in nature preservation, I would highly recommend doing it
while you still can. Isreali born documentary film-maker Alma Har'el made an amazing film about the
Bombay Beach area.
While you're near Niland, why not check out the zaniness of
Salvation Mountain. Created by Leonard Knight, this incredible piece of outsider art is a 50 ft high and 150 ft wide tribute to his love for god.
Another place to see some amazing views is at the
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway where you will travel through 4 climate zones as you travel up the Chino Canyon of San Jacinto mountain. Sign up your little ones (ages 3 - 12) for the
Tramsters Club for some discounts!
After seeing the great heights on the aerial tram head off to
The Living Desert Zoo to take in animals from the North American and African continents. The kids will love grooming the dwarf African goat in the Petting Kraal of the
African Village WaTuTu. There's a great
Discovery Centre which offers some great interactive indoor activities if you need to get out of the sun for a little bit and a really awesome G scale
model train which is sure to fascinate if not mesmerize the little ones! There's also a
carrousel for all to ride. Note that
summer hours are reduced as it gets too hot for the animals (and people), so if your visit is during the summer (June 1 - Sept 30) make sure that you plan your visit for the morning.
Lastly, the canyons were unfortunately closed when we were there, but next time we are in the area we will definitely be checking out the
ranger-led hike of Palm Canyon.
