Things To Do
The Living Desert
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is one of the top attractions in Greater Palm Springs, offering an unforgettable mix of wildlife encounters, desert landscapes, and botanical beauty. Perfect for families, couples, and adventure seekers, this award-winning zoo celebrates the wonder of desert ecosystems from around the world. Home to more than 450 animals, including endangered species, The Living Desert introduces visitors to incredible desert-adapted creatures. Highlights include bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, and mountain lions, all showcased in expansive habitats. The zoo is committed to conservation, animal care, and education, making every visit both fun and meaningful. The cover photo is Spencer at The Living Desert feeding a giraffe while a giraffe appears to be eating Spencer's head. Visit in the morning to see the most animal action!
Hiking!
There are over 140 mapped hiking trails across the Coachella Valley, offering a wide variety of desert, canyon, and mountain experiences. Popular areas include the Indian Canyons, Tahquitz Canyon, and the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.
Tour Cotino, Disney's first residential community
Tours of Cotino, a Storyliving by Disney community in Rancho Mirage, CA, are available by appointment, offering a look at model homes and the developing, Disney-designed neighborhood. Visitors can tour the site to explore home designs, the central oasis, and future amenities.
Palm Greens Cafe
Hannah's favorite restaurant in the desert. Only open until 3pm. Hannah's order: Breakfast bowl with tofu, potatoes, and corn tortillas for here. Tempeh reuben to go. Spencer’s order: Grass fed beef burger with fries and ranch.
Cheeky's Palm Springs
Great breakfast!! 15 minute walk from the hotel. They do not take reservations but it is worth the wait!
Marilyn Monroe Statue
Forever Marilyn- The 26-foot-tall 34,000-pound sculpture, manufactured of painted stainless steel and aluminium is a super-sized tribute to Marilyn Monroe's scene from Billy Wilder's 1955 infidelity comedy, The Seven-Year Itch, with the figure capturing the instant a blast of air from a NYC subway grate raises her white dress. Check it out when walking from the Avalon to downtown!
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway—the world’s largest rotating tram car—travels over 2.5 miles along the breathtaking cliffs of Chino Canyon, transporting riders to the pristine wilderness of the Mt. San Jacinto State Park. During your approximately ten-minute journey, tram cars rotate slowly, offering picturesque and spectacular vistas of the valley floor below. Once you reach the Mountain Station—elevation 8,516 feet—enjoy two restaurants, observation decks, State Park Visitors Center and natural history museum, two documentary theaters, a gift shop and over 50 miles of hiking trails.