Soak Your Cares Away
Sitting in foothills above the floor of
the Coachella Valley, the denizens of Desert Hot Springs
look down on the busy life of the rich and famous in Palm
Springs and say "who cares." This is a relaxed spa town,
supplied with abundant streams of hot mineral water,
which are piped to the surface to fill the pools and tubs
of motels and spa resorts. And to add to the ambiance,
the most exclusive resort hideaway in California is found
in Desert Hot Springs.
Since developers found the springs in the
area -- long after the Agua Caliente Indians found them
-- this small town has been a mecca for vacationers, who
wanted to soak in what they believed to be curative
waters. A townsite was laid out, hotels with pools were
built, and the people came -- thousands of them every
winter, many of them Canadians escaping their harsh
climate.
Things to See & Do
Many of the town's hotels are located along
Hacienda Avenue. Most of them have their own thermal
wells. For hot spring fans, this is Xanadu!
With reasonably-priced accommodations,
Desert Hot Springs makes a good place from which to visit
Palm Springs and the rest of
the Coachella Valley, and the nearby Joshua
Tree National Park, which is just across the Little
San Bernardino Range, and a drive of less than an hour to
the entrances at Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms.
Several RV parks are found in Desert Hot
Springs. Sam's Family Spa, an RV park, has its own
thermal pools.
The most prominent and largest of the
spa-hotels is La Toscana Resort -- at 11,000 Palm
Drive.
Soaking is just one of the activities you
could do in the area. Mission Lakes Country Club
has an 18-hole golf course, located on Clubhouse Drive,
at the northwest edge of town.
Cabot's Old Indian Pueblo, a
striking adobe building, with 35 rooms, was built by one
man -- Cabot Yerxa -- between 1939 and 1965. It's now a
museum
which is open daily except Tuesdays.
Two Desert Hot Springs Hotels
La Toscana Resort & Spa
11000 Palm Drive
Outdoor courtyard and poolside cabanas, along with palm
trees make for a pleasant stay. The Paradise Grill
is the hotel's restaurant. The 97 comfortable guestrooms
were professionally designed to accommodate both business
and leisure travelers. Spa packages are a major feature.
Two Bunch Palms
67-425 Two Bunch Palms Trail
At this exclusive resort, on a 28-acre palm oasis,
there's a subtly-disguised and patrolled entrance, truly
wonderful grounds with two hot mineral pools, and spa
facilities including saunas, massage services, a swimming
pool, and tennis courts. The retreat has a history which
becomes embellished with the passing years. It is said to
have been the hideaway of gangster Al Capone, complete
with gambling casino and a lookout tower for security.
Today, there's a renowned restaurant here, with the
privacy desired by important people from near and far.
For more hotels in the Palm Springs area, go
here
If you really want exclusivity -- at a price -- try to
get a reservation at Two Bunch Palms.
