If the cold weather is getting you down this winter a vacation is Palm Springs may be exactly what you need. Easy to get to on major highways from any direction. A road trip to Palm Springs is scenic and enjoyable.

Palm Springs is an notable haven resort nestled between the mountains, not far from the Mojave Desert Less than 100 miles east of Los Angeles, the city of Palm Springs basks luxuriously in the warm California sun against a backdrop of majestic San Jacinto Mountains. In the San Jacintos, if it gets to hot on the valley floor, You can take a great road trip, about 1/2 hour from Palm Springs to the rustic town of Idyllwild where it is usually about 20 degrees cooler. in Calif.. It is a outstanding destination to see on a California vacation with its many golf courses, Health spas, resorts, hiking and great entertainment and moderate weather year round.

Palm Springs tramway will take you to the top of Mount Jacinto into the cool alpine woodlands. The air can be up to 25°C chilly than in the desert, And it’s wonderful to be able to play in the snow in the winter days. The panoramas from the peak of the mountain are dramatic. In 14 minutes you will have completed your 5873 foot ascent. When you reach the top you will be in Mount San Jacinto State Park which encompasses 14,000 acres, 54 miles of hiking trails, mule train rides and campsites.

There are landrover tours that will bring you out in the Mojave Desert. Here you will be able to check out desert life up close at hand, from the wildflowers of the desert, to the San Andreas Fault. If the heat of the desert get to you. Freshen up yourself at Knott’s Soak City USA. This water park is entertaining filled with eighteen wet and wild water rides! For a real treat visit Joshua Tree National Monument, it’s about a half hour drive and the scenery is spectacular. Check the weather first is you go in the middle of the summer as temps can be over 100 degrees. Joshua Tree National Park straddles two deserts (Mojave and Colorado), and is a wondrous place filled with interesting rock formations and a wide variety of flora. It is worth hiking, or trekking it by horse.

If you are a golfer, there are world class golf courses throughout the area. If the outdoors aren’t really your scene, then you can shop until you drop at El Paseo, or play a round of golf before unwinding at a spa resort.

If you would like to do some shopping and not pay the prices that the rich and famous pay, the city of Cabazon has a large outdoor outlet mall, one of the largest I have ever seen, It’s just about 10 miles east Of Palm Springs on Interstate 10.

If you like to gamble, you will not find any shortage of Palm Springs casinos. The great thing about Palm Springs casinos is that most have top billing entertainment all year. If you are in town for a while pick up the Friday Press Telegram which lists all the shows at the various casinos, or just do an internet search for casinos in Palm Springs. Almost all have web sites with information about current a up coming events.

After your visit to Palm Springs you may want to take a half days trip to Las Vegas. At the time of this writing you can get rooms for almost nothing. It is a pleasant, scenic and enjoyable ride. Interstate 15 can be quite a mess on Holidays and some weekends, so plan accordingly,