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Guide To A Three-Day Weekend In Palm Springs

Palm Springs header photo Renaissance Esmeralda
(credit: Renaissance Esmeralda)

As if year-round sunbeams and Coachella weren't enough, Palm Springs just got even better. Thanks to the new Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs, it's now possible to leave your car in "park" while experiencing the best of the city by foot. Just steps from rosy Palm Canyon Drive, peruse the town by day and enjoy rock star treatment by night. From poolside pondering to hiking through mesmeric canyons, Palm Springs makes for an ideal three-day escape.

hard rock hotel palm springs
(credit: Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs)

Hard Rock Hotel - Palm Springs
150 S. Indian Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(760) 325-9676
www.hrhpalmsprings.com

Music enthusiasts, rock stars and wanna-be rock stars finally have a place they can call home in Palm Springs. Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs makes it possible to revel in the world's greatest collection of rock-n-roll memorabilia just two hours from Los Angeles. Sip on martinis while admiring keepsakes from legends like Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga.

And as if the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia wasn't enough to satisfy Hard Rock fans, guests can now enjoy a new in-room music amenity that turns your hotel room into a mega club. Leave the golf clubs at home and instead jam out on a Fender guitar or match beats like a DJ heavyweight. As part of its new brand-wide music amenity, The Sound of Your Stay, it's now possible to have musical inspiration like Traktor Kontrol Z1 mixing equipment, Fender guitars and Nixon headphones delivered straight to your room.

To make things even sweeter, expect to hear live music from today's leading artists as part of Hard Rock's new agreement with Goldenvoice (creators of Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and Stagecoach). During the festivals, Goldenvoice will produce events at the Hard Rock Hotel featuring artists from Coachella and Stagecoach and offer packages that include shuttle transportation to and from the festivals and entrance to the resort's pool events.

sessions restaurant hard rock hotel
(credit: Lewis F(

Sessions Restaurant - Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs
150 S. Indian Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(760) 325-9676
www.hrhpalmsprings.com/restaurant.htm

Dine in your party dress and have breakfast in bed in your pajamas. Executive chef Aaron Kiefer mixes a music-inspired menu to the tune of a 1960s-style restaurant. Suitably named "Sessions," Kiefer sought music inspiration from the hotel's music collection and legends. Described as "fun, witty, and irreverent" by Kiefer, he created dishes like "My Way, the King," a peanut butter banana stuffed French toast - Elvis' favorite - and "Johnny Hash of the day," inspired by Johnny Cash. After doing a kids cooking segment once, his now favorite breakfast dish "The Little Monsters" was created - dreamy French toast coated in frosted flakes.Kiefer locally sources the freshest, local ingredients and openly states on the menu that he loves a challenge and will cater to dietary and lifestyle requests. "We love a challenge and do not see lifestyle as entitlement but more as a proud trait." He's committed to making "the veg worshippers experience something far more valuable than a pasta primavera and a stop at Trader Joe's on the way home."

palm canyon drive
(credit: Nicole Spring)

Palm Canyon Drive/ Uptown Design District
N. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262
(760) 322-7799
www.palmspringsuptowndesigndistrict.com

There's no better place for Mid-Century Modern design and art inspiration than Palm Spring's Uptown Design District. From Tachevah to Alajo streets, you'll find the best of fashion boutiques, vintage and modern furniture stores, art galleries and cafes that celebrate the city's famed mid-century modernist roots. For an intimate, curated tour of some of the city's greatest examples of architecture and design, go on The Modern Tour. For $150 per person, it's possible to view the work of noted architects and the residential interiors of celebrity homes from Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor.

Women hiking in Santa Monica mountains
(Getty Images)

Indian Canyons Hiking Trail
38520 S. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92264
(760) 323-6018
www.indian-canyons.com

If running streams and rich, green vegetation aren't the first things that that pop into mind when you think of a desert hike, think again. Just 10 minutes from the Hard Rock Hotel, discover an adventure that will leave you naturally refreshed. A place rich in ancient history from the Agua Caliente Cahuilla Indians, choose from several trails through mysterious stone canyons, indigenous flora and fauna, streams, wildlife and intriguing artifacts of Cahuilla society. Don't forget lots of water, sunscreen and chapstick.

Related: Where To Play In The Snow Near Los Angeles

purple room -JCC L
(credit: JCC L/Yelp)

Purple Room Palm Springs
1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92264
(760) 322-4422
www.purpleroompalmsprings.com

As one of only two original Rat Pack hangouts remaining in the desert today, sip martinis at the very location Frank Sinatra hung out with his pals. With different music every night ranging from jazz and piano bar to live bands, you'll love its nostalgic setting and great eats. Don't miss its happy hour: $3 dollar well cocktails, $5 dollar call cocktails and a delicious selection of bar bites. Take advantage of its late night menu until 2 a.m. on the weekends and enjoy bites ranging from classic hummus with tapenade to veggie ceviche.

Related: The Perfect Long Weekend In Los Angeles

Jessica Blotter, M.A.Ed., is a contributing writer for CBS Los Angeles, Fast Company's Co., Exist and Examiner news outlets covering the topics of travel and social impact. She is also founder of creative group Publicly Loved and was a former earth science teacher with UCSD's Preuss School. Sign up to be part of her next project at kindtraveler.com. Read more on Examiner.com and @publiclyloved.

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