Palm Springs Offers a Famous and Historic Getaway

California city deserves to be on pilots' must-visit list.

Monday, October 07, 2024 at 09:02 AM ET

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Palm Springs, California, has in fact moved with the times and is full of unique, engaging activities and attractions, from the visual and performing arts to biking, hiking, house tours, and more. [iStock]

Key Takeaways:

Palm Springs is presented as an underrated and dynamic travel destination, offering a wide array of visual and performing arts, outdoor activities, and unique cultural experiences beyond its traditional mid-century modern and old Hollywood image.
For pilots, the flight into Palm Springs International Airport (KPSP) is noted for its scenic approaches over diverse landscapes like Joshua Tree National Park and the Banning Pass, though the airport itself presents specific navigational challenges with its runway and taxiway layout.
The area boasts diverse attractions and activities, including the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Modernism Week events, the Palm Springs Air Museum (offering warbird flights), various guided tours (e.g., architecture, celebrity, Joshua Tree), and significant cultural festivals like the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

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Palm Springs, California, is one of those cities that, despite its fame and history within popular culture, is not quite as high on travelers’ must-visit lists as it should be.

Perhaps it is because so many associate the place with old Hollywood of the 1930s, a period when Palm Springs became a popular getaway for celebrities seeking privacy. Or is it the connection with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and the rest of the hard-partying “Rat Pack” of the early 1960s, and that group’s now-quaint-and-cringy exploits?

Jonathan Welsh

Jonathan Welsh is Lead Editor of Aviation Consumer and a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4