High Culture and High Altitude: A Day of Extremes in Palm Springs

With long days at the pool and late nights at the bar, it's no surprise that brunch is a serious thing in Palm Springs. Cheeky's is one of the best spots to go and has great al fresco dining to boot. The wait may be long but stick with it – there's specialty cinnamon rolls, bacon flights, and a wide range of made-from-scratch breakfast comfort foods waiting for you.

Sunnylands is the former winter retreat for the wealthy Annenberg family, as well as a historic summit spot for decades of presidents and dignitaries. Open to the public since 2012, Sunnylands offers a 12-acre public garden and visitor center with rotating artwork from the Annenberg family collection.
Tours of the midcentury historic estate regularly sells out, so reserve your tickets in advance. Tickets are available for historic walks, shuttle tours and birding tours. The garden and visitor center is free of charge and a beautiful spot for a stroll, learning about the history of diplomacy, or taking a coffee at the cafe.

If you haven't spotted the elusive Peninsular Desert Bighorn Sheep yet, check them out at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, located just outside Palm Springs in Palm Desert. Aside from getting up close and personal with local wildlife of the Sonoran Desert, there are kangaroos, cheetahs, giraffes, and rhinos, to name a few. This is a great place for kids and adults alike. The cafe has a wide range of options here if lunch is needed.

Come back through town to trek up the mountainside by way of the world's largest rotating tram car, circa 1963. It takes just 10 minutes to hit 8,516 feet in the San Jacinto Mountains where you'll experience a double-digit temperature drop and the pristine wilderness of Mt. San Jacinto State Park. The park offers 50 miles of hiking trails (or cross-country and snowshoeing trails in the winter). The visitor center has a gift shop to browse, a natural history museum, and two theaters showcasing educational films. If you plan to do dinner at the top, check out the offer for discounted tickets and meal options good for the cafe at the top.

The top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway makes for an amazing dinner spot, and Architectural Digest thinks so too. It made the #8 spot on the publication's list of the World's Best Cliffside Restaurants. Perched high in the San Jacinto Mountain peaks, with views to Coachella Valley below, you can't get a better view than this.
The two dinner options up top include Peaks, for fine dining, and Pines Cafe, a cafeteria-style restaurant, both of which are open for lunch and dinner.