A Palm Springs Honeymoon from The World's Greatest Honeymoons

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The Ultimate Contradiction

Couple receiving side-by-side spa treatment

There’s no place as contradictory as Palm Springs. Although it's a desert, it's home to more than ten thousand swimming pools. It's the epitome of luxury, yet nestled in the simplest of natural beauty. It's a land of abundant recreational opportunities, but most people come here to do nothing (if indulging extravagant fantasies can be considered doing nothing).

Fancy this honeymoon? You’ve rented a plush hotel villa with its own swimming pool, sauna, and jacuzzi. In case you two feel like braving the world, tennis courts and a croquet course are just across the way. The villa has a full kitchen, of course, and you like puttering in it, but it's also fun to get one of the hotel’s chefs to prepare romantic dinners (after all, this is your honeymoon!).

Or maybe this is your idea of honeymoon bliss: You’re sitting together in the eucalyptus inhalation room of a top-rated spa, luxuriously relaxed. You'd stay there forever, but thoughts of lunch dislodge you: a Terrine of Tricolored Peppers with Leek-Pear Puree, perhaps a cup of Watermelon Gazpacho, followed by Jasmine Tea-Smoked Salmon with Apple/Lime Dressing. And then, later, an herbal wrap, a facial massage, the outdoor mineral pools. Maybe side-by-side manicure/pedicures, followed by Shiatsu foot massages…

Or this? You both climb aboard the colorful hot-air balloon shortly before sunset, and soon you’re drifting over the swimming pools and golf courses out to the empty desert. You sip champagne, marveling at the rugged beauty of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains. You spot a herd of wild ponies cantering below, and you can make out Palm Canyon with its 3000 palm trees, some of which are more than 2000 years old. You’d like to visit there and you wonder if you can possibly squeeze it in after tomorrow’s golf game…

People eating beneath umbrellas in nice outdoor spot

If luxurious fantasies aren’t your thing, try one of these simpler—but no less enjoyable—Palm Springs area pleasures:

Take in a polo match in Indio

Visit the renowned Palm Springs Art Museum with its fine collection of American sculpture and painting, and its wonderful displays about California desert natural history, wildlife and geology

Sign on for a jeep ecotour into the desert wilderness

Ride the aerial tramway to its 8500’ elevation to go skiing or just enjoy the view

Spend a day at The Living Desert, a combination zoo for endangered species, wilderness park, and botanical gardens devoted to desert life

Enjoy an evening at the vastly entertaining Palm Springs Follies

When you want to get out and really explore, take a daytrip to 585,000-acre Joshua Tree National Park. East of the city, this high-desert paradise is named for the knobby tree, sometimes called a Yucca Palm, that thrives here. Hikers, rock-climbers, and natural-history enthusiasts love this place. You will too once you set eyes on the spectacular vistas, botanical wonders, and other-worldly landscapes in this wonderful wilderness area.

An absolute must: a hike in the four canyons that comprise Indian Canyons. For centuries these canyons were inhabited by ancestors of the Agua Caliente Cahuilla Indians.

Each canyon is different. Palm Canyon, with its trading post, easy hiking trails, and crystal-clear stream, is the most frequently visited. Tahquitz contains waterfalls, rock pools, and abundant wildlife (entrance is by special permit only). Traveling along Murray Canyon's hiking and equestrian trails, you might spot bighorn sheep or wild ponies in the highlands. Andreas Canyon is a lush oasis, with sweeping palms, unique rock formations, and a creek whose rocky banks still contain bedrock mortars used long ago to prepare food.

Once isolated in the Coachella Valley, Palm Springs now nests cozily with seven other communities: Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indio, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells and La Quinta. Together, they’re referred to as the Palm Springs Desert Resorts and offer a wide diversity of activity and lodging (from luxurious to practical) for honeymooners.

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All written material ©WGH ~ Photos: PSDVCRA