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Travel

Triple scoop The Palm Springs area offers hikes, wonder and relaxation. By Craig ReemPublished: September, 2008

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It doesn’t matter that school has begun again and summer heat is waning. I can’t wait to get back to The Living Desert – one of the Palm Springs’ area’s signature family outings. There was a sign next to one of the wild animals’ enclosures noting that leopards lick their chops at the sight of children. My 10-year-old twins were standing there and a leopard just couldn’t look away. “How about we go find the ostrich?” I warily asked. Adventure is a key word for the Palm Springs area. If you hold the mistaken view that there is nothing to do but watch sixty- and seventy-somethings play golf, then you’ve missed a lot. Along Highway 111 from Palm Springs through La Quinta, and then beyond to the national park, Joshua Tree, the only thing that holds you back is a full day in the hotel pool. In fact, you’ll want to pack a short swim into a long weekend. We come to the desert every two years, and that is not enough in this wonderland. It worked for us when our first-born, now 14, was a toddler, and it worked for us when our twins were babies. As the children have matured, we’ve been more adventuresome, from a sizeable choice of excellent restaurants to hikes that gain in length. This is what we did over a three-day holiday: Joshua Tree The nearly 140-mile drive from central Orange County to the national park carries you along the I-10 past the desert cities and communities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta and Indio. We took a comfortable, three-mile trek near the ranger station. (Turn on Cottonwood Road and drive to the Mastodon Peak Trailhead.) The hike takes you into the signature wonder of the park’s huge granite boulders/outcroppings amid scenery framed by blue sky, without leaving a puffing parent too far behind. There are many other opportunities, such as, farther on, Arch Rock Nature Trail. Keep young children close at hand. If they take off for the boulders, it is easy to lose sight of them. My twins carry a whistle around their neck. Drive a bit farther and you’ll come to the park’s famous yuccas, known as Joshua Trees. For a close-in hike near your hotel that offers extensive views of the Coachella Valley, drive into Palm Desert along Highway 111. A half-block from Painter’s Path, you will see the Legacy Furniture store. Park in the side lot and a trail takes you nearly three miles into the foothills. It is steep, but not particularly difficult. Take time out for the views. As always, bring plenty of water. The Living Desert We’ve been to the San Diego Zoo and other wildlife parks, and we like this best. The combination of the zoo and botanical gardens, and the chance to walk deep into the desert in the middle of it all (great model train near the exit, by the way) makes this a perfect family outing. Mom spends time dipping into the various desert gardens and the boys look to see if the animals are awake. The Mexican wolves were out the day we were there, as was the Golden Eagle. The cheetah raised his head when my Christopher came along and looked his way. Near the end of your trek, in Village Wa Tu Tu, where the leopards live, you may want to stop for a while for lunch or at least a drink. The Living Desert has all kinds of donors, as well an opportunity for families to “adopt” an animal should they choose. Rest and relaxation There are many choices in the greater Palm Springs area in which to put down weekend roots. The older hotels of Palm Springs tend to draw the adult crowds. So do the resorts that are narrowly focused on golf. We chose the Hyatt Grand Champions Resorts, Villas and Spa, for its location (centrally located in Indian Wells) and its keen mixture of guests – families, business and pleasure. My wife and I take advantage of the spa, which offers a number of complimentary services, and the children jump into the six pools, as well as the one with a slide. We like a hotel that is expansive, and this one is. IF YOU GO • Joshua Tree: nps.gov/jotr Enter from I-10 past Indio and stop at the Cottonwood Visitor Center near the south entrance. There’s also a north entrance off Highway 62 near Twentynine Palms. Entrance fee, campgrounds, overnight backpacking. Be aware of extreme changes in temperature. • The Living Desert: livingdesert.org The Living Desert, in Palm Desert, combines a zoo, botanical gardens and an opportunity to hike deep into the desert. The giraffes are fed every day at 10 a.m. The onsite animal hospital is worth a stop, too. Summer hours, through Aug. 31, are limited due to the heat. But as it gets cooler, this can easily be an all-day visit, open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The new frog exhibit shows the beauty within the beasts. • Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Villas & Spa: hyattgrandchampions.com In Indian Wells, the expansive resort has plenty of opportunity for the kids and the adults – from Camp Hyatt, a year-round program for children – to tennis and golf. Several new villas have been added to provide a real sense of getting away, and sending mom to the spa is a great idea.

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