Nov 17, 201012:12 PMThe Life

Show Me Showed All

Peppered with colorful fighter planes, Palm Springs Air Museum's expansive hangar provided the perfect setting for Show Me Palm Springs.

Droves of enthusiastic hospitality and tourism professionals gathered in lavender twilight for the annual event showcasing all the fabulous attractions, tours, activities, restaurants, and entertainment that make Palm Springs a coveted travel destination. People sampled delicious bite-sized servings from some of Palm Springs' favorite restaurants - Trio, Johnny Costa's, Pomme Frite, Wang's, the list goes on. The aroma alone wafting through the hangar was enough to stimulate salivary glands. As a vegetarian, I didn't partake in too many of the culinary offerings but what I did sample was definitely tasty. Sweets from Palm Spring Cakery warranted repeat visits, especially the mini mint chocolate cupcake. Yum. With the theme of "Creating and Keeping Hospitality Jobs," the evening, orchestrated by the Palm Springs Hospitality Association, attracted hundreds of hotel employees and educated them on where to dine, shop, and play in Palm Springs. Even though a longtime desert resident (go Indians!), I learned a few new things. For example, at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway in Desert Center, I can finally find out if my sports car really hits 180 mph. And I can act out my Charlie's Angels fantasies at The Academy when they introduce girls' night in the next month or two. Forget paintball - this place really lets you play soldier. Keep checking Desert Guide as this develops. Naturally, the tourism biggies were all there: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, La Quinta Arts Festival, Palm Springs Art Museum, The Living Desert, etc. I even ran into a few folks from my Palm Springs High School graduating class of 19-something. Kudos to organizers for putting on a fun, informative event.