Palm Springs: Visiting the Desert with Kids

1. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Mt. San Jacinto is visible from most Palm Springs locations — and the tramway is just one way you can move your way from cactus to cloud. This tramway consists of over two miles of travel through Chino Canyon in the world's largest rotating tram car. Have kids? This is completely enclosed and rotates slowly enough for you to enjoy 360 views without too much motion. Once you get to the end of the tramway, you'll find dozens of hiking paths. Check out Desert View Trail or Long Valley Discovery Trail if you're looking for fairly easy options with kids! *Note — there are food options at the top of the hill, but if you're looking to balance some healthier food options throughout the course of your trip, this is a great time to pack your own fresh food options to save a little money and get some nutrition into your kids! (Don't worry — there will plenty of time and options to do the opposite!)

2. Hike the Canyons

The link here has descriptions of some of the more well-known hikes we have done with kids. The Tahquitz Canyon Trail is a well-traveled loop to an impressive Southern California waterfall. I don't want to discourage anyone from going — but just be aware, as we once encountered rattlesnakes on the trail. I think it's a rare occurrence, but one my kids will remember. Murray Canyon Trails includes some oasis along the way, which are such nice cooling spots for kids and adults alike. Other than the well-known canyons, ask any locals and there are a variety of trails in their mountains that are rather easy to get to. A favorite of my kids was the Bump and Grind in Palm Desert — it offered just an element of excitement with some steep areas but also some beautiful views of the valley. Also - keep an eye out — we loved spotting Bighorn Sheep!

3. Interact at Living Desert Zoo

I'm not wild about visiting zoos — but this one kind of just does it right. Your kids will love seeing desert animals. But there are many other fun things to do during your time there that will give them a break from walking and watching. The highlight for my kids was feeding the giraffes — highlights for my husband and I were the cooling stations :) Truly, though, the petting zoo, the wildlife hospital and conservation center, the zoo-keeper demos and even model train display made this feel like a place where we could spend enough time at to get our money's worth at on a hot day.

4. Walk or Bike Ride Through the Trendy Neighborhoods

Depending on the heat, this may be an early morning or late afternoon activity. But you'll want to move around, so rent wheels or wear your sneakers and explore. The city feels small enough that biking through major roads to get to smaller neighborhoods is doable; take side roads if biking with small ones. With the mid-century modern aesthetic, these neighborhoods are the perfect place to play a family favorite game of 'which house would you buy?'

5. Visit Downtown Palm Springs - Free entertainment in a super fun atmosphere. Don't worry — there will be plenty of opportunities to spend some cash. It's a hustling strip with fantastic food options and little shops to visit.

6. Try a Date Farm - In every place we take our kids, we try to make sure they learn more about the culture and history of the area. So trying a date shake must be a priority (really, it is). You can take it a step further and visit a local date farm. It's estimated 90 percent of dates produced in the US come from the Coachella Valley, so it's easy to find a farm, no matter what part of the area you're staying in. Our favorite has been the San Marco Date Farm — and I caution you, if you're looking for a commercialized operation that looks like a hot tourist spot, this is not it! But our guide took us on a personal tour, taught us a lot, and now my teenager has been using dates in her shakes and deserts at home as a natural sweetener.

7. Swim in a Pool

Every parent knows this, right? No matter where you take your kid, how much money you spend or what rare experience you give them, their highlight will be the hotel pool. I must just embrace this. Pools are plentiful in the area — whether you're at a hotel or nearly every rental home will have pool access. Plus, the pools in Palm Springs elevate the experience with their mountain views and hot desert air — I'm all in on Palm Springs pools and recommend lots of time soaking up all the vitamin D you can.

Day trips

*Idyllwild — I couldn't figure out why my brother, a Palm Springs resident, always suggested we just drive up the mountain to Idyllwild — why would I want to leave the desert? On our last trip, we had a day to spare and took him up on his advice and instantly understood the appeal. We were in Palm Desert, so we took the eastern route and stopped at Lake Hemet, a beautiful alpine lake. Continuing, Idyllwild felt like a little mountain village where we warmed up with mulled wine and hot cocoas and walked around to cute shops and stopped for stunning photos along the way.

*Joshua Tree National Park — The Mojave and Colorado Deserts meet here and it is a not-to-miss stop for your family. About an hour drive from the Palm Springs area, it's worth the trip out to see the incredibly unique landscape. And I said earlier that my kids love to swim in pools — a close second? Climbing on rocks. They're endless here. Drive from one location to the next, snag some pretty rad pictures and take a moment to appreciate a landscape so different than most places in the United States.

*Las Casuelas - On the strip in Palm Springs, a four-generation Mexican restaurant with a lively atmosphere, indoor and outdoor dining. It's nice enough to offer good food options, but casual enough you can take the kids. I don't believe there is such a thing as a bad paloma, but this place offered up my favorite so far!

*Il Giardano — When my brother wanted to take my family to an Italian place that looked a little fancier than our normal fare, I thought he was crazy. My kids are well-traveled, but fine diners they are not. Luckily, he knew what he was talking about. Il Giardano had a good variety of foods — and you cannot go wrong with pizza and pasta for kids.

*Lappert's Super Premium Ice Cream — Remember that date shake I said you should get? This is just one option right in downtown Palm Springs. It's a high-quality ice cream and a must-try.

*533 Viet Fusion — This was a meal I dreamt about after we left. If your kids are slightly more adventurous, try out this Asian fusion restaurant with everything from Pad Thai to Asian Nachos. Even your less adventurous child will find options — mine loved the appetizer and spring roll options.

*Sherman's Deli — People take their favorite delis very seriously around here, and my family agreed that Sherman's was our favorite. It was the pastrami that won us over (though my son enjoyed his cheeseburger very much).

*Kitchen 86 - If you venture over to Palm Desert, shopping and exploring El Paseo should be on your list (it's their version of Rodeo drive, if you will). Our favorite restaurant that we return to is Kitchen 86. With indoor and outdoor dining, and the blue lights that make the kids feel super chic, it is adult and family friendly. It's the Boom-Boom Shrimp that my kids jump for every time.

*Mr. Lyons Steakhouse — If the adults in your party can sneak away at all, Mr. Lyons is well-worth your time and money. While the steak and chimichurri sauce were fantastic, our favorite part was Seymour's, the little cocktail lounge hidden away (very speakeasy vibes).