It appeared improbable 125 years ago when an attorney from San Francisco named J.G. McCallum decided to trade his home in the refreshing, damp, misty Bay Area for a new one in the Mojave Desert, but the communities of Palm Springs and neighboring Palm Desert are two of the most loved and fastest developing regions in Southern California today. Home to desert golf courses and convenient to historic Death Valley, Palm Springs and Palm Desert offer endless opportunities to the public and at present, there are some hot travel deals as well.
For example, today tourists can get terrific romantic getaways. In addition, there are many activities for the family that are inexpensive, and in many cases, are free. Persons who are interested in outdoor activities, such as finding colorful native desert plants and the local ecology will come across an adequate amount to interest them for weeks, if not months. Palm Desert has also encouraged a flourishing arts community, which is continually shown throughout the year.
Human inhabitance in the Palm Desert-Palm Springs region dates back at least to the mid-1600s, and perhaps as far back as 1500. The earliest people to live there were the Cahuilla Indians. The Cahuilla Nation is still the largest landowner in the Coachella Valley. In the 1890s, the federal government divided the land between the Cahuilla Indians and the Southern Pacific Railroad, the latter as an incentive for development.
Since the late 1940s, when the earliest commercial real estate development was undertaken, Palm Desert has been visited by celebrities that over the decades have included Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Bob Hope. Palm Springs took a little more time to catch up. It was virtually a ghost town until the early 1970s, but is now a year round vacation destination with several cabin rentals.
Because of its sunny climate, with over 350 days of sun every year and a mere 5 inches of annual rain, golfing is one of the major outdoor activities in the area. A lot of resorts in the area are providing golf rental deals for the summer. Depending on the day of the week and tee times, green fees start at below $20.
Of course, just because its summer vacation does not mean the little ones have to discontinue learning. Palm Springs is also home to the Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium, which has exhibits of desert fauna and flora from all over the world.
Visitors will also like the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in which you and your family can ride from the Southwest desert to the Arctic tundra in what was once a hike that took several hours in under ten minutes. At the top of the San Jacinto Mountains, guests will find miles of hiking trails, spectacular views of 200 miles in all directions and even an opportunity to ride a burro. Afterwards, folks can refresh themselves at one of the two delectable restaurants at Mountain Station.
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