Now that scorching summer days are a thing of a past, a trip to Palm Springs makes for a great vacation. First known as a playground for Hollywood and later as a rowdy Spring Break destination, these days Palm Springs has a laid back vibe making it perfect for family travel getaway. Here are five fun things to do in the Palm Springs area.

Desert Adventures: The highlight of my family’s recent trip to the Palm Springs area was a desert eco-tour in one of the red jeeps of Desert Adventures. Twenty four years ago the jeeps began taking bored golf-widows staying at the Ritz Carlton on picnics in the desert and surrounding mountain wilderness.  The tours were so popular that it wasn’t long before Desert Adventures was born, and couples, groups, and families were out riding in their famous red jeeps, exploring with some of the most knowledgeable guides around. Our guide Mitch took us to a palm oasis, a recreated Cahuilla Indian village, an old prospector’s mine, and the San Andreas Fault. He managed to keep both the small children and adults in our party completely enthralled with history, Native American cultural knowledge, and plenty of adventure as we explored the desert.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway: One thing that surprises many first time visitors to the Palm Springs area is that in less than 15 minutes, they can go from the warm and dry valley floor to a veritable winter wonderland atop Mt San Jacinto. The mountain rises abruptly from the valley floor as a result of thousands of years of seismic activity, making it one of the most prominent peaks in the country.  A ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway takes riders up to 8,500 feet above sea level where temperatures are typical 40 degrees cooler than on the valley floor and snow is often present during the winter months.  Cross-country ski equipment and snowshoes are available to rent from the Winter Adventure Station but if your family is like mine, a landscape covered in white powdery stuff is all you need for a fun afternoon filled with sledding, snowball fights, and snowman making.

The Living Desert: The Living Desert celebrates the beauty and life flourishing in deserts around the world with animal exhibits and beautiful gardens.  Mountain lions, desert tortoises, bighorn sheep, cheetahs, giraffes, and camels are among the creatures you will encounter in this expansive zoo. One of the special spots in the Living Desert is the Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center. The state-of-the-art building was designed to help keep the animals of the Living Desert healthy while giving visitors an opportunity to get a close up view of what goes on inside an animal hospital with docent led tours.  Train lovers will be pleasantly surprised to find a large G-scale model train display just across from the camel rides. Only in the desert!

Palm Springs Air Museum: Located adjacent to the Palm Springs Airport, the Palm Springs Air Museum is home to large collection of WWII aircraft that are still in flying condition. The museum houses most of the aircraft in 70,000 square feet of hangars dedicated to Army planes, Navy planes, and B-17s as well as ship replicas, cars, military uniforms, a USO stage, and walls filled with written history.  The museum has a special area dedicated to kids, featuring airplane and helicopter cockpits for kids to sit in, an old fashioned fire engine to play on, and an actual plane to paint.  One of the highlights of our visit was the opportunity to climb into an actual WWII airplane and see just how tight the quarters actually were.  My fear of heights sent my heart thumping when I saw the tiny capsule that a gunner sat in under the plane, with nothing but a few thousand feet of sky below him. Older children will get a kick out the flight simulators which they can use to take a virtual plane up into the sky and experience the "feel" of flying an airplane.

Indian Canyons: Centuries ago, Native Americans settled in the Coachella Valley. Though the region is a sprawling and oppressive heat dominates the summer season, the natives thrived because they discovered the secret to desert survival- water. Palm Springs sits on a massive shallow aquifer and this water bubbles up in various places creating spring fed palm oases.  In other words, there are actual native palms and springs in Palm Springs! Indian Canyons, owned and operated by the Agua Caliente Cahuilla Indians, is a group of pristine desert canyons perfect for hiking.  My family explored Palm Canyon and we were absolutely amazed at how many palms crowded the canyon. We picnicked while the kids played by the stream and watched squirrels dart out to snag some palm nuts and have plans to explore the park’s other two canyons, Murray and Andreas, on future visits to the area.

Photo: Sharlene Earnshaw