Who’d have thought that we’d flee the high summer temperatures of the Pacific Northwest for the Palm Desert? No, we didn’t get that backwards. 2021 really was that kind of year. One where the heat of the California desert seemed less daunting than the weather at home. We were warned it would be hot in July, but the allure of adventure and relaxation ultimately won out.
The high season in Greater Palm Springs is typically the winter months. Many head here as an escape from the winter doldrums, but don’t count out summer. With more than 300 days of sunshine each year, this is a year-round destination for family fun.
There’s enough to do to keep your family busy for a week, but if you’ve only got a few days, that’s ok, too. We spent three days in Greater Palm Springs. Check out our itinerary to help inspire your own trip.
Day 1: Driving, Dinner & Desserts (plural!)
We drove in from Los Angeles with a goal of arriving by happy hour. Following an afternoon behind the wheel with two restless kids in the backseat, that goal mostly had mom’s sanity in mind.
Accommodations
We pulled up to the Homewood Suites by Hilton in La Quinta (45-200 Washington Street in La Quinta) for our 4pm check-in. This property is situated across the street from the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, home to the BNP Paribas Open, the largest combined mens and womens tennis tournament.
This is an all suite hotel. Room choices include studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom accommodations. When we opened our hotel room door, we were taken aback by how large and spacious it was. It had two bedrooms and two full bathrooms, in addition to a large living room and kitchen. The room had plenty of space for everyone to spread out after a day cramped in a compact car together.
The Homewood Suites La Quinta is a good pick for families with its many complimentary amenities like the heated outdoor swimming pool and small mini-golf course. But the feature that parents will probably appreciate most is the full, hot breakfast that’s served daily. Eating out on a family vacation can get expensive so a free breakfast is always welcome. Another way to save money is by taking advantage of the kitchen in each room (including a stovetop, full size fridge, dishwasher, eating area, etc) to make your own meals.
KidTripster Tip: Time your stay around the complimentary evening social. You’ll find a hearty assortment of appetizers and wine and beer served Monday through Wednesday nights.
Dinner
The hotel isn’t far from cute Downtown La Quinta, one of the nine cities make up the Greater Palm Springs Area. After grabbing some appetizers at the hotel’s evening social, we headed downtown for dinner at Stuft Pizza Bar & Grill (78015 Main Street #100 in La Quinta). Stuft has been family owned since 1976. It serves up pizza, steaks and seafood. In spite of a plate full of snacks at the hotel, we’d somehow worked up an appetite on the short drive over. So we ordered a little of everything, from appetizers to entrees and, yes, even dessert.
As we headed out stuffed from our meal at Stuft, we took a moment to appreciate the pastel sunset over the Santa Rosa Mountains. It was gorgeous. The restaurant has lots of outdoor seating, with misters for hot desert evenings. Time your dining with sunset for great views.
Dessert
In search of a few more “cool mom” points, I offered to get the kids a second dessert. Before you judge, hear me out on this! We were within walking distance of Nitroinfusions Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream (78010 Main Street Suite 108 in La Quinta) where every scoop is handmade to order. Flavors included the expected like caramel, and mint chocolate chip; but also the unexpected like banana lavender, and roasted pistachio and olive oil. Watching ice cream appear from a fog of -320 degree liquid nitrogen was a fun experience. We weren’t the only ones who thought so judging from the line out the door that night.
[Related: Palm Springs For Families]
Finally full, we were and ready to turn in for the night. After all, we needed our rest as we had an early appointment the next morning.
KidTripster Tip: When visiting Greater Palm Desert in the summer, we advise making your outdoor plans early in the day.
Click “2” below to read about how we spent our second day in Greater Palm Springs. It included a ride on one of the area’s top tourist attractions.
