A long weekend will have you feeling like a kid again
The power of play is important for adults, but it’s not always easy to let everything go — even on vacation. According to the National Institute for Play, adult play helps keep our brains flexible, aids in better stress management, sustains optimism and overall, leads to improvements in well-being. So how do you get there? You could visit Greater Palm Springs for a creative reset with activities that encourage playfulness and will ignite your imagination.
Every location in this weekend guide boasts a signature burst of color, reminiscent of the joy of opening a fresh box of vibrant crayons, with each hue popping against the serene desert backdrop. Get ready to wake up your inner child and reinvigorate your sense of adventure!
FRIDAY
Boost Your Energy with Breakfast at Norma’s
You will need fuel for your exciting itinerary, so start your day at Norma’s at the Parker Palm Springs. The lively hotel, whose interiors were designed by Jonathan Adler, is like walking into a Hollywood-inspired design magazine, with touches of mid-century Mad Men modern and winks of Austin Powers’ house. Grab a table on the open-air terrace under the neon orange canopies and admire the resort’s lush, manicured grounds. As you peruse the vast menu, you are treated to a complimentary shot glass of liquid sunshine (a mini fruit smoothie) in the same orange tone as the restaurant’s signature color. With myriad sweet and savory breakfast and brunchy options, you may have trouble choosing. If two are willing to share, it’s possible to balance your childlike choice of freshly fried donuts, served with lemon custard and blueberry dipping sauces, with your friend’s protein-packed, habanero pepper spiced crab cake with dill yogurt mustard sauce.
Norma’s at Parker Palm Springs, 4200 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
(Signature Color: Carrot Orange)
Express Your Colorful Personality at Superbloom
At Superbloom’s studio, you’ll learn to paint like a kid again. Founders Alexis and Chris Ramirez encourage you to express your personality through color as they guide you through a step-by-step experience in upcycling something from your wardrobe —shoes, hats, shirts — and no worries if you didn’t bring anything, as you can pick items from their inventory to transform. The colors that appeal to you reveal aspects of your personality —like a color horoscope. No artistic skills are needed, just a willingness to play. You’ll feel like a giddy kindergartner when you don your paint smock, get messy, and fling paint to an uptempo soundtrack thumping in the background. The result is a unique-to-you piece of art and a smile that will last for the rest of your weekend.
(Signature Color: Your personality will choose)
Expand Your Palette at Canopy Wine Lounge
The sophisticated ambiance at Canopy Wine Lounge contrasts beautifully with the joy of California casual dining. Delight in gourmet finger foods for dinner with shared plates that will tantalize your taste buds and encourage you to broaden your culinary palate. Canopy’s wine-savvy servers will guide you through the list of unique and unusual wines by the glass or by the flight; recent playful flight themes included Pink Bubbles, Italian Whites, and Chilled Reds.
The menu is perfectly designed to accompany wine with choices like Ibérico ham tartines, fried green tomatoes with creamy dill dressing, grass-fed beef sliders, and potato cakes generously piled with Dungeness crab. (You will scrape up every bit of the Old Bay remoulade, and don’t be embarrassed to lick your fingers.) You can sit on the outdoor patio for a breathtaking mountain view or enjoy the decor indoors with a wall-sized desert garden mural and cactus-shaped chandeliers.
Canopy Wine Lounge, 175 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
(Signature Color: Sunkissed Sand)
SATURDAY
Go Off-Roading with Desert Adventures
You’ve heard of the San Andreas Fault, but did you know you could tour around the canyons in the fault zone in an open-air 4x4 Scrambler? Red Jeep Tours will take you on a journey through curvy trails and tight rock wall crevices while your guide educates you about the area in creative and interesting ways. (For example, your guide will explain plate tectonics by describing plates as Oreo cookies squeezing together until the creamy filling sprays out.) You will learn about desert flora and fauna and have opportunities to stop, touch, and smell unique desert plants. The tour includes short hikes, a visit to a palm oasis, and the thrill of climbing steep inclines and navigating rocky paths, reminiscent of a roller coaster ride.
Desert Adventures Red Jeep Tours, 38635 Monroe St, Indio
(Signature Color: Red, of course!)
Relax and Rejuvenate at Spa Rosa
Your inner child may be ready for an afternoon nap now, but instead, treat yourself to a recharge at Spa Rosa at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa. With a customizable massage menu, you can choose a treatment that’s just right for you: raindrop therapy, warm stones, or a CBDream oil treatment.
Extend your enjoyment of this award-winning spa with a trip to the steam room, a dip in the spa’s private soaking pools, or a refreshment on the tropical outdoor terrace with views of the Santa Rosa Mountains, olive trees, and citrus groves on the grounds of this gorgeous resort.
Spa Rosa at Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa, 45000 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells
(Signature Color: Tropical Green)
SUNDAY
Play with Your Food at Lulu
After sleeping to your heart’s content, it’s time to refuel with a brunchy lunch at Lulu California Bistro, where it’s like Pee Wee’s Playhouse meets a restaurant. Choose a spot in the colorful multi-level dining room or on the patio with a view of strolling shoppers on the sidewalks of downtown Palm Springs. The California-fresh menu has something for everyone, from giant entree salads to burgers to pasta, along with drinks as colorful as the decor. The ahi tuna nachos appetizer arrives piled high like a volcano with sriracha mayo lava. The Poppin’ Pomegranate Spritzer is a light and refreshing cocktail, allowing you to “play with your food” as the pomegranate boba balls pop through your giant straw. Want to keep the fun going? Order the hand-spun cotton candy for the table and watch the glee when it arrives at the table.
Lulu California Bistro, 200 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
(Signature Color: Cotton Candy Pink)
Revel in (Sound) Bath Time with GoodVibes
Ready for bed? Not yet! It’s time for your bath—your floating sound bath, that is. GoodVibes takes guests to a swimming pool for a special one-hour journey that blends a spa treatment with a meditation practice and private concert. Let go of your expectations and allow the GoodVibes team to pamper you, as you are gently guided to your personal raft where you will lie down and float. With an eye mask to shut out visual distractions (no phones allowed), you can zone out to the blend of blissful sounds being played by live musicians. A guided meditation will put you into a relaxed trance-like state, while silent swimmers waft your raft around the pool. Afterward, you will feel refreshed and slightly hypnotized—in a good way! Lean into the GoodVibes mantra of “let’s go and float” and watch any lingering stress wash away. That night, you will be rewarded with a blissful deep sleep.
Good Vibes Sound Bath, Locations vary from hotels to clubs, check their website for options (Signature Color: Aqua)
While playtime can’t last forever, you will always remember your inner kid’s delight in a restorative and joyous weekend in Greater Palm Springs.
Warning: Following this itinerary may increase the likelihood of future play dates in Greater Palm Springs!
