Take to Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs and enjoy VillageFest.
PHOTOGRAPH BY KIM UTLEY
Go to the street fair.
Weekend mornings, vendors gather in Palm Desert at The Street Fair at College of the Desert. On Thursday evenings, three blocks of Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs transform into a pedestrian-only open-air market for VillageFest.
PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIELE NAGEL
Rancho Relaxo
Support local makers.
Rancho Relaxo in Rancho Mirage provides a unique collection of artisan-crafted goods in a converted theater space that’s now light and bright and decked in happy murals. In Palm Springs and Yucca Valley, Mojave Flea Trading Post houses a collective of makers who sell everything from crystal towers to fresh bouquets to decorative handknit cactuses. (Disclosure: The art director of The Guide is responsible for the latter.)
PHOTOHGRAPH BY DANIELA STALLINGER
The Fine Art of Design
Discover vintage styles.
With four locations across Greater Palm Springs, Revivals stocks previously loved threads and tchotchkes looking for a new home. In addition to pre-owned designer gems, the nonprofit (which supports DAP Health) vends a collection of new furnishings, décor, and rugs with modernist flair. In Palm Desert, The Fine Art of Design keeps glamour alive with an artful selection of colorful, sequin-strewn designer vintage apparel and accessories.
Splurge on fine jewelry.
As an epicenter for art, fashion, and design in the desert, it’s no wonder that the El Paseo shopping district in Palm Desert boasts multiple high-end jewelers for those ready to spend. El Paseo Jewelers offers an impeccable selection of dazzling diamond-centric pieces that are designed in house. Down the street, Leeds & Son Fine Jewelers specializes in fine designer jewelry and luxury timepieces such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Tudor.
Get an outfit for dinner.
Need something to wear tonight? Thoughtful and modern pieces define the aesthetic at House of Lolo, an El Paseo boutique that takes an elegant and carefully curated approach to desert style. Meanwhile, bright colors define the women’s resort wear at Trina Turk, a designer who is synonymous with Southern California style with stores in Palm Desert and Palm Springs. (Don’t worry, fellas: An equally playful and bright collection of menswear is available at sister store Mr Turk in Palm Springs.)
PHOTOGRAPH BY NATE ABBOTT
Brandini Toffee
Grab a foodie gift.
Indulge your sweet tooth at Palm Springs Candy Company, with an assortment of caramel popcorn, chocolates, and chocolate-dipped dates. Gourmands who like to cook will appreciate the impressive array of savory oils at La Quinta Olive Oil Company. And if you’re into toffee, Brandini Toffee is a must — first sold 16 years ago by two high school students fundraising for a school trip, the standout recipe grew into a staple. They have outposts in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage.
PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIELA STALLINGER
El Paseo in Palm Desert
Explore the major shopping areas.
Retail therapy in Greater Palm Springs often starts on El Paseo in Palm Desert — for good reason. Here, shoppers can stroll a promenade lined with major names such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Gucci, and Saks Fifth Avenue as well as independent boutiques like Blonde and Summer Colony Living. Not limited to clothing, there are contemporary home and antique stores, galleries, restaurants, and salons. With shaded sitting areas, The Gardens on El Paseo makes for an easy meetup spot. Those on the hunt for a good deal will enjoy a trip out to Cabazon, which offers two outlet malls with hundreds of retailers offering deep discounts: Cabazon Outlets and Desert Hills Premium Outlets. The Spanish charm of Old Town La Quinta invites a leisurely experience with cobblestone pathways connecting small local boutiques and restaurants. At The River at Rancho Mirage, an outdoor plaza with a movie theater and mainstay restaurants, you’ll find a selection of bohemian giftables, hats, an interior showroom, and work by local artists.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY THE SHOPS AT THIRTEEN FORTY-FIVE
The Shops at Thirteen Forty-Five
Deck your home.
Palm Springs gift shop Destination PSP stocks items that encapsulate the mid- mod lifestyle — think brise soleil ice buckets, retro-themed wall clocks, and tissue box covers in the form of butterfly-roof homes. Nearby, The Shops at Thirteen Forty-Five harbors a collective of small retailers vending everything from handmade pottery to Moroccan textiles and designer interior décor. A treasure trove of antique, art, and design stores await in the Perez Road Art & Design District in Cathedral City, and a growing number of home stores, such as Dragonette Ltd. and Fig & Nash, have added to the interior design clout of El Paseo in Palm Desert.
itinerary
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL LETTERLOUGH JR.
Debra Carrington
A Day With Debra
Summer Colony Living owner Debra Carrington shares her picks for a getaway in Greater Palm Springs. Visit her luxury lifestyle boutique on El Paseo in Palm Desert. summercolonyliving.com
Morning:
“Take in the beautiful nature by walking along the mountains
in Palm Springs or Palm Desert followed by a refreshing juice at Juice it Up or breakfast at Kitchen 86 + Bar
in Palm Desert.”
Noon:<
“I love driving to the High Desert and going to Joshua Tree National Park. [Stop for] lunch at Kitchen in the Desert in Twentynine Palms, then [for] a coffee at Joshua Tree Coffee Company.”
Night:
“There are so many options in the evening after it cools down. Some of my favorites are Eddie V’s on El Paseo, Willie’s in Rancho Mirage, or Eight4Nine or Bar Cecil in downtown Palm Springs. Of course, the views are incredible at the top of the mountain at The Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage.”