Girls just wanna have fun, and there’s no better place to do that than Palm Springs, CA. A onetime haven for hipster Hollywood stars like Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack, this sunny desert town is now both an entertainment oasis and a prime spot for a relaxing ladies’ getaway in the sun.
Just a quick flight from the Bay Area, Palm Springs has ideal weather year-round. Winter and spring temps hover in the 70s and 80s. The thermometer can heat up to 100-plus in summer—perfect for hanging out in the pool or in the air-conditioned shops, galleries and casinos of this sizzling city (this is also the time to get the best deals).
A host of hotels, from boutique retreats to posh spa resorts, welcome all-girl groups with packages for parties of every size. The charming Calla Lily Inn has a Girls R&R Package (from $658), a two-person ticket including two nights’ hotel accommodations for two, a $50 gift certificate toward dinner at one of three nearby restaurants, two one-hour in-room massages, two tickets to explore the Indian Canyons area and an evening cordial of cognac and chocolates.
Meanwhile, a gaggle of up to six gals can sleep in style at the luxe boutique resort Viceroy Palm Springs. The Spa Rendezvous package ($2,010), available Sunday to Thursday, includes three premium rooms for two nights, champagne on arrival, six 50-minute spa treatments at the lavish Estrella Spa, discounts on additional treatments and retail items, a poolside lunch for six and unlimited DVD rentals.
While champagne and poolside pampering are compelling draws, be sure to venture away from the resorts, because Palm Springs is a mecca for shopping, art and more. Pocketbooks of any size can meet their match in the city’s vast retail districts. Palm Canyon Drive, within walking distance of most resorts, is a mecca of boutique shops, restaurants and art galleries well worth a leisurely afternoon stroll; it’s also a treasure trove of midcentury modern resale stores that carry cool 1950s and ’60s vintage clothing, original furniture and household goods.
In nearby Palm Desert, El Paseo, “the Rodeo Drive of the desert,” has more than 300 shops, boutiques, galleries, jewelers and restaurants to explore. The flower-filled walkway hosts outdoor art installations, making it a charming and picturesque place to browse. For bargain hunters, the outlet mall in Cabazon offers discount shopping galore.
Leave time to take a drive through Palm Springs’ residential neighborhoods. The town has the country’s highest concentration of midcentury modern architecture, most of it dating to Hollywood’s golden age when Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Howard Hughes, Dean Martin and others built vacation homes there. Check out the Las Palmas and Movie Colony neighborhoods for a glimpse of some of the stars’ former abodes.
And don’t miss out on the town’s signature hot-steppin’, one-of-a-kind show: the Palm Springs Follies at the Plaza Theatre movie house. This celebration of the music, dance and comedy of the 1930s and ’40s is presented by a cast of 55- to 80-plus-year-olds who make retirement look anything but sedate.
From sybaritic spa-ing to shop-till-you-drop, Palm Springs clearly has something for everyone. So whether you’re looking to vacation with a best friend or reunite the whole gang, pack your bags and get ready for an unforgettable girls’ time out.