The Local Guide | Unwritten Rules of Palm Springs: What the Brochures Forgot to Mention
In downtown Palm Springs with Phyllis.
Every city has its own unwritten rules. Palm Springs simply has better weather while breaking them.
People arrive expecting sunshine...
And they're rarely disappointed.
But what does surprise people is that sunshine isn't merely weather. It's an architectural feature, a lifestyle choice and occasionally a force of nature that transforms your rental car steering wheel into a branding iron.
Palm Springs has its own customs, rhythms and peculiar logic.
Learn them, and you'll fit right in. Then, in true Palm Springs fashion, feel free to break a few.
Rule #1: Palm Springs Won't Overwhelm You. It Will Charm You.
For a city of fewer than 50,000 people, Palm Springs behaves with the confidence of somewhere ten times its size.
We punch absurdly above our weight in architecture, restaurants, live music, theater, museums, festivals, hiking, cocktails, design and the sort of interesting people who make you quietly wonder, "Wait...is that...?"
Somehow it all fits into a city where "across town" means twelve minutes.
Palm Springs has quietly decided that quality of life is more important than urgency.
It's an excellent decision.
Rule #2: The Mountains Are Running the Show
Everything happens because of the mountains.
They provide spectacular sunsets, dramatic views, our water and enough elevation to make you wonder whether someone accidentally leaned California upright.
They also create weather with a mischievous streak.
The north end of town sits close to the San Gorgonio Pass, where winds funnel between mountain ranges with astonishing enthusiasm. You'll be enjoying a civilized lunch downtown while a patio umbrella in North Palm Springs begins its best impression of Dorothy's house. Don't be surprised if your patio furniture ends up in the swimming pool.
Locals simply shrug and say, "It's a little breezy."
Rule #3: Yes, It's a Dry Heat. So Is an Air Fryer.
You'll sweat less than you would in Florida, which tricks visitors into believing they're not slowly turning into artisanal jerky.
Drink water before you're thirsty.
Wear sunscreen.
And a broad-brimmed hat.
Your dermatologist would approve.
And always carry a light layer.
The difference between a 108-degree sidewalk and an aggressively air-conditioned restaurant can feel like an international flight.
Rule #4: Dress Like You Mean to Relax
Palm Springs has perfected effortless style.
Shorts and flip-flops are acceptable in an astonishing number of places, including almost all of our best restaurants.
Nobody is trying too hard.
Which is precisely why everyone looks so good.
The people who spend the most time outdoors swear by lightweight performance fabrics instead of cotton or linen. They're breathable, comfortable and remarkably forgiving when introduced to sunscreen or margaritas.
Rule #5: A Date Shake Is a Rite of Passage
Every region has its traditions.
Ours involves blending locally grown dates with vanilla ice cream into something that tastes like a caramel milkshake invented by very happy farmers.
People who insist they don't like dates generally become quiet after the first sip.
Rule #6: Explore the Neighborhoods
Downtown is delightful.
But the neighborhoods are where Palm Springs most reveals its personality.
Movie Colony. Twin Palms. Deepwell. Old Las Palmas and Vista las Palmas. Indian Canyons...
One street offers immaculate Mid-Century Modern homes, the next Spanish Revival villas, and around the corner citrus trees lean over garden walls like friendly neighbors.
Walk slowly.
Look up often.
You'll begin noticing butterfly roofs within twenty-four hours.
By the end of your trip you'll have opinions about breeze block.
Rule #7: Never Skip the Resale Shops
Palm Springs has one of America's great collections of resale, vintage and consignment stores.
The explanation is both practical and a tiny bit morbid.
People spend decades collecting beautiful furniture, art, cocktail glasses, designer clothing and perfectly preserved Mid-Century treasures.
Eventually those collections find new homes.
People are dying to come to Palm Springs.
And many eventually do.
Bring an empty suitcase.
Rule #8: Palm Springs Has Been Fabulous for a Very Long Time
You are likely to see two men holding hands.
Or kissing.
You may encounter someone walking an impeccably groomed standard poodle while wearing sequins at ten in the morning.
You may see a gentleman in a floral caftan who is somehow dressed more elegantly than everyone else at brunch.
Nobody looks twice.
Which may be the most Palm Springs thing of all.
Smile, say hello and continue toward your Eggs Benedict.
Rule #9: Palm Canyon Drive Is Our Peachtree Street
If you've ever tried to navigate Atlanta, you'll understand immediately.
Everyone else will in about forty-eight hours.
Palm Canyon Drive has a North section, a South section, an East section, a West section and a Highway 111 section, proving that even our street names like to spend the winter here.
Perfectly reasonable directions include:
“It’s on Palm Canyon.”
“Which one?”
“The other one.”
Confusion reigns.
Rule #10: The Neighborhoods Sleep
Palm Springs enjoys lively restaurants, cocktail bars and music venues.
The residential neighborhoods prefer a good night's sleep.
Noise restrictions are taken seriously, one of the many reasons morning coffee on a patio is accompanied by birdsong instead of someone's forgotten playlist.
Civilized is underrated.
Rule #11: Summer Belongs to the Brave
Winter and spring are glamorous.
By July, many full-time residents temporarily migrate to the coast or the mountains in search of weather that begins with a number smaller than one hundred.
The upside?
Hotel bargains.
Restaurant specials.
Swimming pools that feel almost private.
But plan your adventures in the morning.
Spend the afternoon in the pool. Or take a siesta.
Research suggests this pairs exceptionally well with a margarita.
Rule #12: The Mountains Are Also Your Air Conditioner
Too hot?
No problem.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway carries you from the desert floor into an alpine forest in about twelve minutes, where temperatures are often thirty to thirty-five degrees cooler.
Prefer driving?
Take the Palms to Pines Highway and about an hour later you'll find yourself in rustic Idyllwild among towering pines, art galleries and coffee shops filled with people wearing flannel shirts in July.
Breakfast beside a swimming pool.
Lunch in a mountain forest.
Cocktails back under the palms.
Try explaining that to people in Minnesota.
Rule #13: Bring Walking Shoes
Palm Springs has extraordinary walking and hiking.
Within minutes of downtown you'll find streams flowing through ancient canyons and the largest natural palm oasis in the world, where thousands of California fan palms rise from the canyon floor like nature's version of a cathedral.
Every so often desert bighorn sheep wander into town to graze.
Imagine looking up from brunch and discovering that nature has sent over a small committee with excellent posture.
The sheep seem entirely unimpressed by Palm Springs real estate values.
Rule #14: The Airport Will Ruin Other Airports for You
Most airports appear to have been designed by people who actively dislike travelers.
Palm Springs International seems to have been designed by someone who wondered, "What if getting on an airplane felt like checking into a boutique hotel?"
You stroll between terminals beneath palm trees and mountain views. There are shaded courtyards, fresh air and enough Mid-Century Modern charm to make you question every other airport you've ever endured.
It may be the most welcoming indoor-outdoor airport in the known universe.
Your vacation begins before you've collected your luggage.
And here's a huge plus: the return of nonstop connections to Los Angeles International Airport has quietly changed everything. One remarkably civilized hop now connects this little desert city to one of the world's great aviation crossroads, making London, Tokyo, Paris, Sydney or almost anywhere else feel surprisingly close.
And One Final Rule
Palm Springs is often described as a resort town.
It is better understood as a collection of remarkable neighborhoods connected by sunshine, architecture, mountains, cocktails and an almost stubborn commitment to enjoying life.
It's a place where you can hike through the world's largest natural palm oasis in the morning, shop for a vintage Eames chair in the afternoon, have dinner worthy of any major city in the evening and still be home in ten minutes.
It is improbably connected to the rest of the world while remaining delightfully human in scale.
Walk the side streets.
Drink the date shake.
Browse the resale shops.
Look up at the butterfly roofs.
Wave at the bighorn sheep if they happen to be in town.
Most of all, slow down.
Palm Springs won't overwhelm you.
It will charm you.
It doesn't ask you to hurry, impress anyone or optimize your day. It simply invites you to enjoy it.
And somewhere between the mountains, the martinis and the second conversation with a complete stranger, you'll begin to understand why so many people come for a long weekend and spend the next twenty years finding excuses to return.
Discover Palm Springs One Bite at a Time
At Devour the Desert and Artisan Food Tours, we believe the best way to understand Palm Springs is on foot—withremarkable food,craft cocktails, fascinating architecture and stories hiding in plain sight.
Come hungry.
Bring a hat.
And leave a little room in your suitcase for the vintage cocktail shaker you absolutely didn't plan on buying.
Enjoyed this article? Explore more of our "Local …" series to discover the Palm Springs stories that helped shape the desert's singular character. You'll find collections devoted to food, architecture, celebrities, history, culture and the people who continue to make Palm Springs unlike anywhere else.
Dave Ball is a local tour guide and co-owner of Artisan Food Tours with his wife, Phyllis. He spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about Palm Springs history, neighborhood architecture and where to find a great meal. His current food obsession is local Deglet Noor dates with Fix & Fogg Crunchy Peanut Butter. He is still pondering whether these qualify as "unwritten rules" now that he's published them.