Palm Springs retro weekend getaway, live like old Hollywood!

Luckily “the Desert” or Palm Springs as it is known worldwide, has had a resurgence in the past couple of years making it a great destination weekend getaway, especially for those that live in Southern California.

Back in the “hay-day” Palm Springs was the getaway to the stars. Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio had a desert hideaway there. Bob Hope and his wife maintained a resident as well as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and many of the brat-pack. Today, Palm Springs still attracts the likes of Leonardo Di Caprio and Justin Bieber.

The desert is also host to many venues such as Coachella, Stagecoach, Golf tournaments, Tennis Tournaments and Pride Festivals.

If you’re a fan of Mid-Century Modern Architecture, Palm Springs is the Holy Grail. About 15 years ago these homes were in need of some tlc, but now these homes are a hot commodity and these unique homes have been bought and restored to their former glory. Also Downtown Palm Springs was dying. Restaurants and stores were boarding up. Now the city is vibrant and happening. New restaurants and stores are opening up and being embraced by locals and tourists.

Before this renaissance of Palm Springs took place whenever I vacationed in the desert I stayed at the large resort hotels located in the nearby cities of Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. But for my most recent trip to the desert I wanted to check out the revitalized Palm Springs and experience the old school vibe.

As my husband and I arrived into Palm Springs it was lunch time. We decided for our first stop on our Retro weekend, we would pull in to Rick’s Restaurant and Bakery. This is a family run restaurant that has been in business for over 28 years. It is a diner with all the diner foods. My husband ordered the tuna sandwich and side salad and pronounced that it was one of the best tuna sandwiches he’s ever had. The restaurant was filled with locals, so you know it is good. I love it when a restaurant is full of locals, it just means that the restaurant gets it right. After our bellies were satiated, we headed down the “strip” and noticed how many new shops, restaurants and bars there were; such a stark contrast to Palm Springs 15 years ago, where it looked like a ghost town.

I made hotel reservations at a small luxury boutique hotel called, Colts Lodge. This is a renovated 1954 hotel with 11 rooms. The hotel has a pool, spa, bocci ball, bikes for your use, fire pit and grill for your convenience. A continental breakfast is included with your stay. The hotel staff was friendly and the rooms were clean and well decorated.

We decided to borrow the hotel bikes and bike around the neighborhood. It was such a delight to see all the lovely Mid-Century Modern homes renovated with such care and restoring them to their utmost. We became a bit adventurous and biked back to the main drag of Downtown Palm Springs. We enjoyed shopping in the stores and happened upon great store called RTA Palm Springs. The store does not have a sign on it but it sells all local merchandise. Their specialty is men’s retro fabric “Hawaiian” style shirts. My husband ended up buying two!

That evening we decided to have dinner at Melvyn’s Restaurant. Melvyn’s is located in the Ingleside Inn which is parallel to Palm Canyon Drive in Downtown Palm Springs. The Ingleside Inn was built in 1925 as a private residence and then in 1935 it was converted to the inn. The inn boasts to have served presidents to movie stars. It is an official Historic landmark of Palm Springs. The old school dishes like Steak Diane are a must. The restaurant has live music in the piano bar where you can grab a cocktail and imagine sitting next to Frank Sinatra.

After dinner we walked to the Tonga Hut. I am a sucker for a good ol’ retro tiki bar and this one doesn’t disappoint. Tonga Hut has live music and the night we were there they featured a great 60’s cover band called Lucky Tongue. The band provided a fun atmosphere while sipping on our exotic tropical drinks with umbrellas. They even have pupus to snack on too.

The next morning we awoke with a bit of a fuzzy head and decided that a greasy breakfast was in order. Sherman’s Deli and Bakery was what we needed. They have two locations, we went to the Palm Springs one. This is an old school Jewish Delicatessen! I only wish it was located in Orange County, Calif. Where I could frequent it, I mean become a regular!! My greasy bacon and eggs (over-easy) and sourdough toast was exactly what was needed to lift the fog.

How fast can a weekend go by? Especially this fun, retro Palm Springs weekend! Although the days flew by, I can console myself knowing that Palm Springs is only a two hour drive away. I recommend whole heartily to…GO RETRO!