Sweet Willie

sorry so late, hopefully someone else can benefit.

I'd drive in one entrance and out the other, so no backtracking.
Per my earlier comment, the south side entrance is usually not as crowded as the northern ones, so I'd enter there first.

Bring/pack a meal (& water) if staying in the park awhile, there are no foodservices inside the park.

A nice easy hike is Barker Dam hike.

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christianj

For the PS regulars...I just read this comment in the Hyatt forum in the Hyatt PS post and I thought it might also be of interest. I personally had not heard of this place but the menu looks pretty interesting and it might be a good alternative to CPK in downtown PS.

nmenaker

We tried Don and Sweet Sues, and it was great. Seemed to be a good crowd, others were waiting for some reason, but we went right in? Anyway, food was good, value for $$ and we were close by staying at the Westin (pcln 100$ night) so it was a good fit. Would recommend.

TimMeineke

I've been to Matchbox and it is good pizza

Don and Sweet Sue's gives a good portion of food; but I feel like the quality has declined over the last few years

singletraveler

For Breakfast, try Cheeky's on N. Palm Canyon. Excellent breakfast that focuses on organic and fresh ingredients that they buy locally. http://www.cheekysps.com/

IsleTraveller

We have been going to the PS area for about 15 yrs, just returned from a few weeks of R&R in the warm sun.

The Living desert is a must and if you go, definitely go to the animal hospital and their talk. This is a must-must if there are younger folk (I'd say up to 15) in the group. Adults might also learn a thing or two.

The tramway is another option. It can be a little expensive, depending on your budget. The drive down from the base and the views from the base are both free and well worth it.

We have not done the windmill tours but will do so one day.

A trip to an Oasis should also be on anyone's list. There are several to choose from.

What about Soak City for the young, and young at heart? You could also try Boomers or Chuck-e-Cheese too.

We like the mexican food at La Casita and are not as fond of it at las Casualas. Yelp.com does a good job at sourcing the good restaurants in the area.

The River (a shopping and entertainment area) is another good destination. Pieros has awesome deals, good food and is consistently rated one of the best restaurants in the area. PF Changs and Cheesecake Factory are in the smae complex.

We stumbled across brunch at Spotlight 29. This casino is on the east side of the valley so it may be a bit of a trip for some. The Sunday buffet brunch was about $10 all in, but the quality was quite good (definitely not buffet quality), and the choices were decent.

christianj

Getting ready for our annual trip to the area next week. Any other new restaurant suggestions not mentioned already?

ck2003

Bumping this up for more suggestions especially near Indian Wells. We don't need anything too fancy since we'll be with kids but no fast food either.

Thanks!

christianj

Just back from our annual trip to the Palm Springs area. The following are some of the newer places in town since we were there last time which some might be interested in trying:

Birba - http://www.birbaps.com/
Woody's Burgers and Beer - in the old Cowboy way location - http://www.yelp.com/biz/woodys-burge...r-palm-springs
Lulus - http://www.lulupalmsprings.com/ - at the same intersection as Kaiser Grill and Zin - place had tried to open over the years as a bar and also a drag show place - menu is huge and the space was nicely renovated. Definitely the place to try now and also the place to be seen.
Escena Grill at the Escena Golf Club - http://www.escenagolf.com/sites/cour...876&page=52856

A couple of restaurants have renovated including Zin and Kaiser Grill. Dinks is closed now which IMHO is not a loss at all.

Also recently read about these interesting restaurants in the area around Palm Springs/Joshua Tree:

Natural Sisters Cafe in Joshua Tree - http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-natural-...fe-joshua-tree
Pappy & Harriet's in Pioneertown - http://www.pappyandharriets.com/
Sam's Pizza and Indian Food in Joshua Tree - http://www.yelp.com/biz/sams-pizza-joshua-tree

leebids1

On a recent trip, I enjoyed the Palm Springs Art Museum a lot more than I expected. It's the right size for about a 1/2 day or so visit, has a very diverse collection with a few "big names" thrown in. Was also a nice place to get out of the hot sun, if you have enough of that. My hotel has some half price tickets as well. Nice break from eating, lounging and shopping.

Flying Machine

Here is an Old School Place that mosly locals know about ( just ruined that )

http://www.yelp.com/biz/keedys-fount...ll-palm-desert

Flying Machine

John Henrys in Palm Springs is a great place. Need to make a reservation a few weeks in advance for a Saturday Night. Ask for Patio Seeting if that is your thing, I like it there. Good food, great prices and the Duck is really good when they have it. Bring your own wine if you like too. $12 Corkage. Check it out, good olde school people watching too..

http://www.yelp.com/biz/john-henrys-palm-springs-2

Flying Machine

Murphs Gaslamp at the Bermuda Dunes Airport is a fun spot and a blast from the past. They have brugers and martini for lunch ( less than $10 ) But, I only go for the family style fried chicken dinner. Make a reservation and when your done with dinner, take the short stroll ( you will be in the same parking lot and check out the private lear jets ) Great Find. ONLY GO TO THIS LOCATION IN BERMUDA DUNES AND NOT THE NEW SPOT IN PALM DESERT..

http://www.murphsgaslight.com/

Maykita

We went there last March. It was a fun place but totally packed. I believe we were there on a Saturday night. We didn't make reservations and there was absolutely no chance of getting a table that night or even being able to get close enough to the bar to get any food at all. We did manage to get a couple of drinks and listened to some live music in a very crowded space. By the time we got back to Joshua Tree to look for something to eat, every place was closed. So don't try going there without a reservation unless you want to go hungry!

Flying Machine

Great Hiking in the Indian Canyons www.indian-canyons.com The Victor Trail is 3 miles and the loop takes you through Palms, streams, and wonderful views up in the mountains ( not that hard to hike it as well ). Takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours depending on your speed. Many other hikes as well.