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Welcome to the Coachella Valley -

The eight desert resort cities have blossomed into a year-round haven for visitors and residents. With nearly 365 days of sunshine, an abundance of entertainment and activities, and the picturesque Santa Rosa and
San Jacinto mountains, the Coachella Valley offers a sense of paradise to 3.5 million visitors every year.

Find out why celebrities such as Arnold Palmer, Michelle Wie, Pete Sampras, Brian Setzer, Clint Eastwood, and Bill Gates have made the valley their getaway and home for years. They cannot resist the peaceful, sun-soaked lifestyle and idyllic setting.

The desert offers ample and lavish fairways and greens, as well as horse riding, tennis, nightlife, fine art, and music. Whether looking for rest and relaxation (natural mineral waters and spa treatments deliver) or an invigorating outdoor adventure (off-roading and hiking fit the bill), you’ll find your own piece of paradise.

Palm Springs

“Welcome to Palm Springs! Whether your idea of fun is relaxing by the pool, shopping, or playing golf  —  you can do it all here. As you write your ‘must visit’ list, include our aerial tramway and the beautiful Spa Resort Casino. Before you leave, make yourself a note that you ‘must visit’ Palm Springs again -- soon.”
— Mayor Steve Pougnet

Grab a Cocktail
Make it a refreshing happy hour with must-try margaritas and martinis. The Falls Prime Steakhouse - signature smoking martinis, among them a coco-mango tini and blue falls tini, are reason enough for a visit. The cocktails are $2 off during happy hour, 5-7 p.m. Sample the margaritas —including peach, raspberry, and mango at Las Casuelas Terraza, the popular restaurant turns into a tropical outdoor nightclub known as MexiCantina after dinner. How about a Hurricane? White and dark rum infused with orange, lime, and cherry juice, and a splash of 151 rum comprise the signature drink at The Tropicale, an ideal spot for dinner and drinks on the patio under the stars.

Shop and Stroll
Historic Palm Canyon Drive is the place to find eclectic boutiques, souvenir shops, galleries, pubs, and restaurants. Strolling from shop-to-shop, even the most finicky types find great buys. On the north end, snag a little something for the home or office from Fitzsu Society, known for its array of modern furnishings and gifts. Ladies take delight in the fun, fashionable threads and accessories at boutiques like Ooo La La and Purses for Princesses. You can even sample and purchase premium wines during daily tastings at Wild for the Vine wine bar and store.

Take in the Views
If touring new and exciting sites is your thing, you’re in luck. There’s no shortage of fun ways to get an intimate look at the city. Twice a day, six days a week, Celebrity Tours offers a guided driving tour and an in-depth history of the area, including insider facts and info on the latest events and notable locals and visitors. How about an aerial perspective? Take a 30-minute flight with Platinum Helicopters Inc. and get a look at the valley from 8,700 feet. That’s one view you won’t forget.

Palm Desert

“Our community is home to world famous El Paseo, the award winning Desert Willow Golf Resort, and the acclaimed nature preserve The Living Desert. Our community spirit abounds through its support of a variety of recreational opportunities as well as such signature events as The Art of Food & Wine and Fashion Week, all located within the spectacular setting of the Santa Rosa Mountains.”
— Mayor Jean Benson

Shopping at Its Finest
Shop the Rodeo Drive of the desert and find the finest fashion has to offer at The El Paseo Shopping District, with more than 300 boutiques, galleries, jewelers, and restaurants. Among the first-class shops are Saks Fifth Avenue, St. John Boutique, and Escada as well as privately owned boutiques. The open-air shopping venue known as The Gardens on El Paseo (between Larkspur Ln. and San Pablo Ave.) features inviting music and houses Tiffany & Co., Coach, and Tommy Bahama’s Emporium among its many stores.

Get Out!
Enjoy the good old outdoors at the many Palm Desert parks good for hiking, picnicking, sports, and sightseeing. With lighted tennis courts, sand volley-ball courts, two skate parks, two dog parks, baseball fields, and an amphitheater, there’s always something happening at the Civic Center Park. Freedom Park offers spots for most sports, plus playgrounds, trails, picnic shelters, a dog park and skate park. Or enjoy the views by cruising scenic Highway 74, also known as the Palms to Pines Highway , a 20-mile winding stretch to Garner Valley near the top of the Santa Rosa Mountains. Make sure to stop at one of the turnoffs and take in the picturesque valley.

Foodies Rejoice
With 150 restaurants, Palm Desert boasts many of the valley’s favorite eateries. For down-home grub — pan-fried chicken, coleslaw, and cornbread — visit Murph’s Gaslight. This second location was added due to the popularity of the Bermuda Dunes restaurant, a longtime favorite for its homemade recipes. Enjoy alfresco dining and the charm of Parisian ambiance at the French restaurant Café Des Beaux-Arts. Other patio dining choices include Pacifica Seafood Restaurant  with fresh seafood arriving daily from San Diego, and Chicago Freddie’s  for steaks and burgers in a casual, upbeat atmosphere. For a little entertainment while you dine, don’t miss the nightly piano bar at Castelli’s Italian Restaurant  and jazz at Sullivan’s Steakhouse.

Feeling Artsy?
The many galleries and public art forums make this area an artistic hub of the valley. Marvel at the various art forms, including contemporary paintings, sculpture, and studio glass art at Imago Galleries, which highlights many California artists; early California and American impressionism at Edenhurst Gallery; and contemporary art from Germany, Austria, and France at The Hart Gallery. The first city in Riverside county to host a public art program, Palm Desert offers guided tours of the installations at 10 a.m. the second Saturday of each month September through June. For tour info, call 760-568-5240.

Special Advertorial Features

		Cathedral City Look around Cathedral City — from its vibrant downtown and Town Square, where residents and visitors dine, shop, and play, to the new 17-acre Soccer Park and the emergence of Date Palm Drive as a major retail corridor — and you’ll see a family-orientated city with a fastgrowing list of achievements. Splash in the award-winning Fountain of Life, ride in bumper boats at Boomers!, play softball at Big League Dreams Sports Park, take a Jeep ride with Desert Adventures, and catch a movie at the Mary Pickford Theatre or the Desert IMAX. Cathedral City offers a wide variety of family activities — plus antique row, lively sports bars, wine tasting, and an eclectic mix of restaurants.  Mayor Kathy DeRosa
		Coachella Coachella is a city with a vision. The former farming hamlet has grown in a measured, thoughtful way from a modest 2.5 square miles to 32 square miles and a population of nearly 40,000. It is the fastest-growing city in the Coachella Valley, and in the top 20 fastest-growing cities in California. Coachella is a stable, year-round family community offering jobs in manufacturing, processing, education, construction, and entertainment. Esterline Defense Group, a world leader in combustible ordnance; Precision Gunite; and Imperial Western Products, a manufacturer of livestock feed and biotane fuel, may not be household names, but they are large employers and solid business concerns that reach well beyond the Coachella Valley.
		Desert Hot Springs Desert Hot Springs is the Coachella Valley’s gateway to Joshua Tree National Park. More than three million people each year travel historic Highway 62 to visit the unique wilderness to rock climb, hike, and camp in a setting unlike any other. Desert Hot Springs is making a name for itself as a world-class health and wellness destination with its famous mineral water spas, spectacular mountain views, and unique natural environment. The City is dedicated to ensuring a high quality of life for residents and a memorable recreational experience for visitors. The “Spa City” puts great value in enhancing community and family values and nurturing social and cultural diversity. Mayor Alex Bias
		Indian Wells Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2007, Indian Wells is known as a beautiful enclave with luxurious resorts and high-caliber residential living. When the City of Indian Wells celebrates a landmark occasion, this vibrant desert community knows how to throw a party in style. We cordially invite you to sample the incomparable Indian Wells lifestyle. Experience spectacular tennis events at our state-of-the-art Tennis Garden, home of the Pacific Life Open; championship links at our acclaimed Golf Resort, and worldclass amenities at our four spectacular luxury hotels. Factor in a wide array of exhilarating cultural events and you will understand why Indian Wells is recognized worldwide as the ultimate vacation oasis! Mayor Rob Bernheimer
		Indio Indio is the Coachella Valley’s oldest city: first surveyed in 1888 and incorporated in 1930 (population 1,875). It is also the region’s “newest city,” bustling and changing with the population growth of the California desert cities resort area. Indio itself today is dynamic, cutting-edge, forward-thinking: mindful of its citizens, and respectful of its rich heritage, for this is the cradle of the Coachella Valley. Visitors to Indio can travel in both time and space from the polo grounds on the southern border of Indio to the beautiful Landmark Golf Club course in the northern Shadow Hills area and from the Coachella Valley Museum and Cultural Center and historic murals downtown to the famous Shields Date Garden, where they can enjoy date shakes while viewing Romance and Sex Life of the Date. Mayor Gene Gilbert
		La Quinta Celebrating 25 prosperous years, the City of La Quinta continues to be the Coachella Valley’s finest place to live, work, and play. A combination of majestic beauty, unmatched opportunity, and superior quality of life, the “Gem of the Desert” has become the cornerstone of exceptional life in the desert. The “Gem of the Desert” has never shined brighter. I invite you to experience La Quinta for yourself. A few things to expect: breathtaking surroundings, top retail outlets and restaurants, unsurpassed hospitality, an abundance of parks and recreational opportunities, and a stunning library. While you're here, enjoy the Arnold Palmer Classic Course at SilverRock. It's a magnificent, must-play course! Mayor Don Adolph
		Palm Desert With strong retail sales, upscale shopping and dining, and a world-class tourism and resort industry, Palm Desert offers expanding business, development, entrepreneurial, and educational opportunities, plus outstanding cultural and public amenities. This 34-year-old city with nearly 50,000 permanent residents is the second largest city in the Coachella Valley and a premier destination for visitors, families, retired, and relocated urbanites. Palm Desert is the Coachella Valley's focal point for shopping, dining, entertainment, and outdoor sports. A wide variety of opportunities await you, so stroll along the shops of El Paseo, hike in the rugged Santa Rosa Mountains, play golf at Desert Willow Golf Resort, and enjoy remarkable dining experiences at one of our many restaurants. Enjoy Palm Desert! Mayor Richard S. Kelly
		Palm Springs At the graceful age of 70, the city of Palm Springs is undergoing a rejuvenation and facelift that would be the envy of any spa patron. The city’s rich historical past and promising future will give Palm Springs much to celebrate in 2008 as it commemorates the 70th anniversary of its 1938 founding. We are honored that you have chosen to spend time with us in Palm Springs. Our aerial tramway, golf, tennis, and hiking are but a few of the most popular activities available here, along with the beautiful Spa Resort Casino within walking distance of downtown. Be sure to enjoy our downtown, with its art galleries, boutiques, antique shops, fine restaurants, and nightclubs. Mayor Ron Oden
		Rancho Mirage From fine dining to championship golf to the worldclass, $25 million La Prairie Spa at the new The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage, there’s no doubt, Rancho Mirage is a five-star resort experience within a small city. Visitors need never leave the city limits to enjoy almost 70 restaurants, over a million square feet of shopping; and a variety of dining, shopping, and entertainment choices at The River. A paradise of plush hotels, elegant and memorable dining experiences, unique shops, and fabulous homes makes Rancho Mirage a perfect destination resort. This vacation wonderland has exceptional weather year-round. The River at Rancho Mirage is the one of desert's finest shopping and entertainment centers, with a wide variety of gourmet restaurants and the finest theater. Welcome to Rancho Mirage — a vacation to remember forever. Mayor Richard Kite