Cristina & Mitch
Fun Fun Fun
The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens
While this is the location for the wedding itself, we will only be in a certain area of the zoo. During the wedding, you will be able to see the Giraffe exhibit, AND get to feed them! But we suggest maybe spending the morning, or day before or after checking out the entire premises. When we visited Palm Desert for planning purposes, we came to the zoo to check it out because we had heard such good things! People compare this zoo to the Los Angeles and even San Diego zoo and love how close you can get to animals and how much less of a crowd you have compared to those bigger zoos! You can ride camels, see wild dogs, jaguars, leopards, cheetahs, warthogs, hyenas, meerkats, different birds, reptiles (tortoises are Cristina's favorite!!), and so much more! It is absolutely worth the trip! We are looking into getting a block of tickets ($8 for kids, $12 for adults), and will keep you informed :)
Shopping and Dining on El Paseo
"Visionary Cliff Henderson purchased 1,700 arid acres of pure desert more than 60 years ago — miles from civilized Palm Springs — and imagined a town centered by an opulent shopping district. In 1946, he began making it happen. Fueled by a dream, Henderson built a grand thoroughfare he called El Paseo and punctuated it with stately palm trees nearly a decade before the first store opened. “I wanted a smart avenue,” he said in a 1980 interview. Today, El Paseo buzzes with activity year-round and remains a haven for shopping and dining. The popular avenue features luxury retailers, fine eateries, art galleries, and personal and professional services."
Take a Hike!
For the outdoorsy explorers, The Living Desert has a 4.8 mile trail that loops around the premisis. There are also several trails in the mountains on the edge of Palm Desert!
Pioneertown
A little ways away from Palm Desert, but we stopped by here on the way home during one of our planning trips and LOVED IT. Stop by Pappy and Harriet's for some food and a drink then mosey on down the dirt street in the authentic-looking western town, or if you happen to be there at night, you'll probably see some amazing live music, and possibly a surprise guest... Paul McCartney has just SHOWN UP there before... Great spot for photo-ops. live music and some music history, and cool, handmade art!
Hadley Fruit Orchard
Get a delicious and rich date shake or some fresh dried dates from this market that’s been in the area for a LONG time! It’s in the building next door to this one now, but it makes a great trip home snack :)
Cabazon Dinosaurs
Go see the worlds biggest dinosaurs, Dinny and Me. Rex! They’re 150 ft tall dinos made out of steel and concrete, and they were featured in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure! It’s definitely a fun thing for the kids to do, but you can also see them off the 10 freeway :)
Yucca Valley vintage shopping
When we visited Pioneertown, we found out that just down the way in Yucca Valley, there are some pretty amazing vintage stores! Worth a trip if you have some extra time to explore!
Moorten Botanical Garden
We visited this beautiful garden during Cristina’s bachelorette party and it was so cool! Not only is the place covered with these MANY beautiful varieties of cactus, succulent and other desert plants in a way that creates a secluded forest, but they also had several desert tortoises!!
Morongo Casino, Resort and Spa
Want to do some gambling? Morongo Casino is just a short drive away!