 The Palm Springs You Don't See By David Perry, Contributing Writer Originally and exclusively published in Connextions Magazine, Issue 10. We all know about the White Party and that it’s the go-to backdrop for a skin flick, but aside from parties and porn, what is there to do in Palm Springs? When I asked that question, I got a lot of blank looks. I wasn’t alone in my preconception of Palm Springs being either a well-tanned/-toned bacchanalia depot or a…um…well, actually, that was it. Stepping off the plane into the radiant Sonora Desert sun, I saw right away where the "well-tanned" part came from: This town gets nothing but blue skies 300 days out of the year (it was four days before I saw a cloud). As I explored, what struck me was a city so infamous in the gay mind could actually be…normal. To a point. The city’s loving preservation of Mid-Century Modern architecture, and contemporary interpretations of such, gives Palm Springs a retro-future vibe — one part Mad Men, one part Jetsons. Part of a string of towns studding the Coachella Valley, "PS" really did start out as a bacchanalia depot, coming into existence as a trysting place for Golden Age Hollywood, and welcomed a galaxy of stars escaping Los Angeles’s prying eyes. With LA two hours away, show biz is never far away in the Palm Springs mindset; sometimes it even towers over you, like the 26-ft. "Forever Marilyn" statue of Norma Jeane herself in all her Seven-Year Itch swooshiness (Marilyn Monroe was in fact discovered here, at Charlie Farrell’s Racquet Club). Although several reputable chain hotels are available, I opted for one of the 28 LGBT boutique hotels, and they run the style gamut, from the homey Tortola del Sol to the almost beachy Escape. I checked into the INNdulge (don’t you just love it?). But before you pack, know this: Of those 28 hotels, 26, the INNdulge included, revel in the fact they are "clothing-optional." If you have the idea that a gay, clothing-optional hotel is a seething hotbed of voluptuous cruising, let’s just dispel the myth — OF COURSE a gay, clothing-optional hotel is a seething hotbed of voluptuous cruising.
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