Palm Springs Fling

No longer reserved solely for the retired set, we explored the cool side
of balmy Palm Springs.

sleep
What was once a lowly Howard Johnson is now
the über cool Ace
Hotel and Swim Club, the third budget-boutique property from
wunderkind Alex Calderwood. A décor blend of Navajo, folk-chic and
mid-century modern, rooms are decked out with a turntable and Rudys
Brand toiletries
and an intimacy kit. Get your four oclock cocktail poolside,
delivered to one of the communal or private fireplace patios by a So-Cal
hottie on a longboard. Ace Hotel and Swim Club, 701 East Palm Canyon
Dr., Palm Springs, 760-325-9900, www.acehotel.com/palmsprings

eat
Attached to the Ace is Kings Highway, a former
Dennys remodeled with reclaimed wood tables, macramé light fixtures and
an elephant in the room (dont worry, its mounted to the wall) that
serves up good deals like its predecessor once did, but dishes out
gourmetnot greasy spoon. Or hop on one of the hotels free cruising bikes
and head down East Canyon Drive to El Mirasol for good Mexican, and
Manhattan in the Desert for New York-inspired dishes served snappily. El
Marisol, 140 East Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, 760-323-0721.
Manhattan in the Desert, 2665 East Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs,
760-322-3354.

shop
Former home to legends Sonny Bono and Frank
Sinatra, Palm Springs is famous for its star-quality consignment shops. Resale
Therapy and Celebrity
Seconds offer designer and vintage duds for beauty queens of all
sizes. At Just
Fabulous find cheeky local art, architecture books and postcards to
send home. Resale Therapy 4109 East Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs,
760-321-6556, www.shopresaletherapy.com.
Celebrity Seconds, 333 North Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, 760-416-2072, www.celebrity2nds.com.
Just Fabulous, 515 North Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, 760-864-1300, http://bjustfabulous.com/

do
For cinephiles, theres the local
film festival, and for music lovers, the hugely popular Coachella,
but theres also plenty for history buffs too. Visit the Agua
Caliente Cultural Museum to view its permanent exhibition on local
icon Flora Patencio and Cahuilla ceramics and basketry. If modern is
more your mojo, purchase a Palm Springs Modern
Committee map ($5) for a self-guided tour of local architecture.
Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, 219 South Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs,
760-323-0151, www.accmuseum.org