BMW Performance Driving School in Thermal
If you’ve ever dreamt of being a race car driver, start your engines here. Courses at the BMW Performance Driving School tell you how to skid, drift, change lanes, brake, and slalom, all performed at excessive speeds. Teachers provide real-time instruction over walkie-talkies while you drive. Put your newfound knowledge to the test in a drag race around the private track at the Thermal Club.
Extra credit: Refreshments are provided
at the school, but you can pre-warm your engine at TKB Bakery & Deli, located off Interstate 10 at Golf Center Parkway in Indio.
86030 62nd Avenue, off Highway 86 South, Thermal. www.bmwperformancecenter.com
Wonder Valley Dining
Locals call Sunday brunch at The Palms “church,” because the steak and eggs platter for $5.50 is some kind of holy. It’s a trek to this corner of the Mojave, but your reward is a savory meal and a bloody mary to write home about. This dive bar has been operating since the 1950s and has renewed energy since Laura and James Sibley took over.
Extra credit: From The Palms, continue
35 miles down Amboy Road to reach Amboy, population: four. Stop at Roy’s Motel and Café, a prime example of
Googie architecture that has been featured in countless films and fashion spreads.
83131 Amboy Road, Wonder Valley.
760-361-2810; www.computorzone.com/palms
Shopping in Idyllwild
Easy switchbacks on a two-lane highway lead to Idyllwild, a mile-high community that’s big on rustic. Nestled in the heart of the San Jacinto Mountains, Idyllwild is close to the desert but feels like it’s an entire world away. The town is brimming with talented craftspeople; look out for distinctive pottery, fancy mustard, or a solid walking stick.
Extra credit: Local favorite Café Aroma, on North Circle Drive, offers French, Latin, and Asian interpretations of traditional dishes in a bistro atmosphere. Visitors and residents mingle for live music, poetry readings, and casual fare.
Follow Highway 74 West; or take Interstate 10 West to Highway 243 South to Idyllwild.
Content sponsored by Trilogy at The Polo Club, 51750 Polo Club Drive, Indio, 760-775-5522.
For more information, please visit the Explore 52 day trip kiosk at the Trilogy at the Polo Club clubhouse.
