The Palm Springs You Don't See

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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Which is good; I’m not interested in a toxically prim heteronormative vacation. While it would be a stretch to say that everybody
staying at the INNdulge et al is a lustful cockmonster plotting to take out the pool boy, kicking back with some low-level sexual tension with the guy across the way was fun. But what struck me wasn’t the sex-buzz — or the free WiFi, business center, gym, breakfast buffet, sparkling clean rooms, and an equally sparkling clean pool — but rather the sense of community these smaller hotels foster: The same people come to the same hotel at the same time year after year, creating an extended family. However, in case "clothing-optional" ignites body-image issues, or you have kids in tow, the elegant Pura Vida and arboreal East Canyon Hotel & Spa, require things under wraps. In public. 

With 40% of the population LGBT, few getaways are so well-positioned for a rainbow-hued respite. The Palm Springs "season" kicks off in October/ November, and runs straight through winter. Warms Sands is the gay section of town (most of the hotels, INNdulge included, are there), but the gay nightlife nexus runs along a span of Arenas Road in downtown. Lined with bars — Hunter’s Palm Springs, Georgie’s Alibi at Azul, Streetbar, Rainbow Bar & Grill, Spurline, and the oh-so-aptly-named Wang’s — and stores selling both the clothes and implements only gay men know how to utilize and/or activate, I’ve never been to a place where "gay" is so open and unavoidable. 

Also open and unavoidable is the starkly beautiful landscape of the Coachella Valley itself (was that a great segue or what?). With the San Jacinto Mountains to the west, the Little Santa Rosa Mountains on the east, and the San Andreas Fault (yes, that San Andreas Fault) left of center, newcomers get a 101 on the term "vista." Judicious use of sprinklers creates a modern oasis, but beyond the city limits lurks the desertscape the Agua Caliente Indians contended with before the arrival of well pumps. A quick drive out of town reveals Indian Canyons and a lone cathedral of palm trees sustained by streams trickling from the San Jacintos. Amid the fronds are glimpses — petroglyphs, mortars ground into boulders — of the indigenous past. 

Created by the North American tectonic plate grinding against the Pacific, the San Jacintos soar a lofty 10,833 feet, and the only way up or down is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. A full 20 degrees colder than the valley floor, the peaks, often snow capped in winter, poke into an entirely different biome. Brittlebush and cacti below; Ponderosa pine, California Black Oak and a lattice of hiking trails up top. The only things one-upping the greenery are the airily vast panoramas of the Coachella Valley and coral-colored
sunsets that set the standard. 

Geology bestows another benefit: There are springs in Palm Springs — hot ones! A perfect way to sooth away a day of trekking is a spell at any number of day spas; the Spa Resort Casino has a "Taking of the Waters" ritual combining a traditional sauna with private baths heated by the Earth itself to a toasty 116° degrees. 

After rejuvenating comes refueling, and the Palm Springs epicurean scene is a rollicking mix of Mexican spice and local know-how, washed down with some particularly strong margaritas. Coolly chic with an industrial décor, Workshop offers upscale fare, while Lulu and Trio are all über-mod trickling from the San Jacintos. Amid the fronds are glimpses — petroglyphs, mortars ground into boulders — of the indigenous past. 

Created by the North American tectonic plate grinding against the Pacific, the San Jacintos soar a lofty 10,833 feet, and the only way up or down is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. A full 20 degrees colder than the valley floor, the peaks, often snow capped in winter, poke into an entirely different biome. Brittlebush and cacti below; Ponderosa pine, California Black Oak and a lattice of hiking trails up top. The only things one-upping the greenery are the airily vast panoramas of the Coachella Valley and coral-colored
sunsets that set the standard. 

Geology bestows another benefit: There are springs in Palm Springs — hot ones! A perfect way to sooth away a day of trekking is a spell at any number of day spas; the Spa Resort Casino has a "Taking of the Waters" ritual combining a traditional sauna with private baths heated by the Earth itself to a toasty 116° degrees. 

After rejuvenating comes refueling, and the Palm Springs epicurean scene is a rollicking mix of Mexican spice and local know-how, washed down with some particularly strong margaritas. Coolly chic with an industrial décor, Workshop offers upscale fare, while Lulu and Trio are all über-mod extravagance, with drinks served in what are possibly small fishbowls.  More low-key are hacienda-y Las Casuelas (their shrimp jalapeno poppers are drool-worthy) and Cheeky’s, whose cuisine taps to local ingredients to give a
Palm Springs twist. To get the true taste of town, wash it all down with a good date milkshake. 

So there is much more to Palm Springs than the sex. It’s just a matter of priorities…

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