Photo Credit: Adam H Graham

TripOut Gay Travel:
Palm Springs

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Gay Friendly Rating: Gay Friendly Rating Very welcoming; this place is gay-tastic!
Serving up classic style and plenty of gay sass in the California desert!

Palm Springs Fast Facts:

  • Gayborhood For gays, Palm Springs is hard to beat: World class resorts, unique mid-century architecture and more male-only clothing-optional resorts than you can shake a dowsing rod at. (And a few women-only ones too.)
  • Best time to visit Palm Springs is from December to May, as summer months are unbearably hot and many businesses closes for up to two months.
  • Skip the restaurant sweets and instead treat yourself to a date shake, an original desert dessert. Shield's Date Gardens (80-225 Highway 111; 760 347-0996) in nearby Indio whips them up just fine.
  • Brush up on your architecture and design. Palm Springs is a mid-century design Mecca and when big names like Richard Neutra, Donald Wexler, William Cody and Albert Frey are dropped, you'll want to be in the know.
  • Flirt with the openly gay, African-American mayor, Ronald Oden. Not only is he tall and handsome, he's often out and about and eager to shake your hand and welcome you to his hometown.
  • Try not to over indulge! Desert heat, high altitude and excessive alcohol make for a very messy threesome. Drink lots of water, wear sunscreen all the time and eat and drink lightly. Palm Springs may be devilish and decadent now, but keep in mind its humble origins created the genesis of detox history.
  • Don't miss your hotel's cocktail hour. Most of the gay properties have free nightly cocktail hours where guests get a chance to get their neighbors' names after cruising them poolside all day.
  • Get your fudge packed at See's Candies (144 S. Palm Canyon Dr.; 760 325-6211) the west coast confectionaries known for sweet stuffed dates as well as an array of fudge and other sought after candies
  • The cool folks who handle tourism in Palm Springs aren't dummies. They're the ones who have dubbed the city "America's Gay Oasis" - and they'd be right! Check out their info-packed site, Gay Palm Springs Info (http://www.gaypalmspringsca.com/), which is full of great travel info, lists of spas, accommodations, great outdoorsy things to do, eating and drinking and partying options, and more!

Palm Springs: I Love You

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The idea of roasting in 95-degree California sand without an ocean in sight may not sound like the ideal vacation to your average ‘mo, but there’s a mysterious force lurking in the deep, dry and sculpted desert that just keeps pulliin’ ‘em... Read More Palm Springs: I Love You
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Palm Springs Top 5

Don't leave town before checking out...
TripOut Top Five
  1. Palm Springs Ariel Tramway
  2. Toucan's Tiki Lounge
  3. Azul Tapas Lounge
  4. Ace Hotel & Swim Club
  5. The Parker Palm Springs Hotel

Recommended In Palm Springs:

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Shopping

  • Gay+ Gay+: this place is super-gay! Have Fun! 1
    Gaymart 305 E Arenas Rd

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