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Palm Springs to Las Vegas 280 miles

Population Palm Springs 47,800

Average temperatures Jan 40–69°F, Jul 64–102°F

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In 1876, the federal government divided the valley into a checkerboard pattern. The Southern Pacific Railroad received odd-numbered sections and the even-numbered sections were given to the Agua Caliente as their reservation. But boundaries were not established until the 1940s and by then much of the Native American land had been built on. (Tribes today are quite wealthy, though.)

Indio began as a railway construction camp and its artesian water was tapped to irrigate crops. Date palms were imported in 1890 and have become the a major crop in the valley, along with citrus fruits and table grapes.

In the 1920s, Palm Springs became a winter playground for Hollywood celebrities, many of whom built mid-century modernist homes through the early 1960s. You can see many of their stars on Palm Springs’ own Walk of Fame on Palm Canyon Dr. But as land grew scarce in town and golf became more of a pastime, construction of residences, hotels and resorts moved Down Valley, filling in the cities between Palm Springs and Indio, and Palm Springs went into an economic tailspin.

Thanks largely to the rediscovery of mid-century modern architecture in the mid-1990s, Palm Springs has boomed once again.

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ORIENTATION

The compact downtown of Palm Springs fronts Palm Canyon Dr (Hwy 111). Here, traffic goes south on Palm Canyon Dr and north on the parallel Indian Canyon Dr. Tahquitz Canyon Way divides north from south (eg N Palm Canyon Dr and S Palm Canyon Dr) and heads east to the airport. South of the town center, Palm Canyon Dr splits: S Palm Canyon Drive continues straight on; the turnoff to the left becomes E Palm Canyon Dr, the continuation of Hwy 111. Other major thoroughfares include Sunrise Way (north–south) and Ramon Rd (east–west).

Around Palm Springs, Hwy 111 continues into the rather commercial Cathedral City and the tony Down Valley towns, where roads named for the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Gerald Ford and Dinah Shore take you through to upscale pleasures. From Palm Springs, Gene Autry Trail takes you north towards Desert Hot Springs.

INFORMATION

Bookstores

Look for large chain bookstores in the Down Valley malls and shopping centers.

Peppertree Bookstore (Map; 760-325-4821; www.peppertreebookstore.com; 155 S Palm Canyon Dr) Palm Springs’ only in-town bookstore often hosts readings.

Internet Access

Palm Springs Public Library (Map; 760-322-7323; www.palmspringslibrary.org; 300 Sunrise Way; 9am-8pm Mon & Tue, 9am-5:30pm Wed, Thu & Sat, 10am-5:30pm Fri) Has 27 terminals with word-processing programs and free internet access. Free wi-fi with your own computer.

Media

Desert Sun Palm Springs’ daily newspaper has mostly local news.

KWXY 1340AM, 98.5FM Campy Rat Pack cocktail music that matches Palm Springs’ mid-century architecture.

Los Angeles Times The West Coast’s most important newspaper gets delivered to Palm Springs daily.

Press-Enterprise Daily newspaper published out of Riverside, the county seat.

Medical Services

Desert Regional Medical Center (Map; 760-323-6511; 1150 N Indian Canyon Dr) Has 24-hour emergency care and nonemergency services during normal business hours (see inside front cover.

Money

There are ATMs scattered all over downtown Palm Springs. You’ll also generally find them in supermarkets.

Anderson Travel (Map; 760-325-5556; 700 E Tahquitz Canyon Way; 9am-4:30pm Mon-Fri) Exchanges foreign currency and provides foreign-currency traveler’s checks; call ahead if you want to exchange/purchase large sums.

Post

Palm Springs Post Office (Map; 760-322-4111, 800-275-8777; 333 E Amado Rd; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat)

Tourist Information

Palm Springs Official Visitors Center (Map; 760-778-8418, 800-367-7746; www.palm-springs.org; 2901 N Palm Canyon Dr; 9am-5pm, seasonal variations possible) North of town, at the turnoff the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, this information center occupies