The first time I visited Palm Springs on a non-work trip was several years ago when my family went over the Christmas holiday. We stayed at La Quinta, and quickly feel in love with the area – the lovely property, the dependable weather, and the lush golf courses. The travel proved delightful as well with a direct flight, tiny airport, and rental cars on-site. It wasn’t until several years later, after a dear friend moved to Palm Springs, that we truly experienced the area of Palm Springs proper. Since that time we’ve rented houses with the full family for golf vacations, Trevor and I have taken a trip together for a long weekend, and I’ve made a few trips solo for quality time with my girlfriend. Based on the number of new and delightful places I experience on each visit, there are no shortages of fun things to do and interesting places to see in Palm Springs, but listed below are some of my favorite spots to hit, with pictures from a recent trip in December.

The scenery. This is the view you have in much of Palm Springs. The palms and mountains are a beautiful backdrop for lounging, a leisurely walk, or a morning run before the sun gets too intense.

The Spas. I took this picture in the entry to the Spa at the Parker. We just did a walk though at the spa, which is lovely and would no doubt be an extravagant treat, but my visit was brief and my girlfriend and I wanted to spend our time catching up.

The shops. I always try to get some time to take a stroll through the Uptown Design District. This is a close up of the most darling upholstered furniture at a place called Pelago Palm Springs, where we spent a good amount of time browsing and chatting with the delightful owners.

The Food. We made a point to visit one of the many great burger places during this past visit. This particular deliciousness was from Tyler’s. Other favorite food places include Birba for pizza, Cheeky’s for brunch, and Workshop for a great salad and craft cocktail.

The sights. Robolights (also known as Robo Christmas) is an interesting, bizarre, 4-acre light installation by an artist who displays his work in the backyard of a large private residence smack in the middle of the city. I’ve seen the property and his art during other times of the year when the “show” isn’t live, but this was the first time I’ve experienced the full walk through. Pretty creepy but amazing stuff.

The Drinks. This lovely, super tiny spot had drinks that on paper looked to be too much (likely too strong, maybe too sweet, and certainly too busy) but were perfectly executed and delicious, and made with care by a couple of friendly and knowledgeable bartenders.