#F1 Being Mid-Mod

Modernism fans know Palm Springs is the place to see the best of midcentury modern architecture, whose clean lines, glass and sleek facades merge seamlessly with the desert landscape. Visionary Desert Modern architects like Donald Wexler, Albert Frey and John Lautner are celebrated today through ongoing tours and February’s Modernism Week, which showcases midcentury modern architecture and design through exclusive tours, events and more.

Start the morning with a mimosa and learn about Palm Springs’ history as a hideaway for the Hollywood elite. Head out to see where the Rat Pack and Elvis had homes in the area, and where young Hollywood is staking a claim today. Break for lunch at King’s Highway in the retro-hip Ace Hotel. After lunch, get an inside look at some of the most striking renovated midcentury modern homes in the area. End the day with a martini, ’50s-style.

Activity Level: Easy

#F2 Coachella Valley Agriculture Tour

It’s not well known that agriculture is a year-round industry in Greater Palm Springs. Get a close-up view of how local farmers plant, cultivate and harvest massive crops of vegetables and fruit in the desert. The tour takes us into the east side of the Coachella Valley, the heart of the growing area, where you’ll see hundreds of acres of our number-one crop, table grapes; groves of grapefruit, lemons, oranges and limes; and majestic fields of row-crop vegetables, from just planted to cultivated and harvested. We’ll also make a stop at jewel of the valley, the greatest date production and harvest in the western world. Learn about sustainable farming practices, commercial food waste recycling, state-of-the-art micro drip irrigation, how we manage water and where it comes from.

Activity Level: Moderate

#F3 Vintage Shopping

Greater Palm Springs is a vintage shopping mecca, brimming with so many options that it’s hard to know where to start. You’ll have fun as we mix it up and visit a variety of stores for every interest, from retro clothing and home furnishings to art. Stores vary from curated boutiques that specialize in certain types of collections, eras and styles, to charity and thrift shops where a little bit of patience may pay off big-time with that one-of-a-kind perfect find. You will step back in time and enjoy lunch Rat Pack style with a modernist twist.

Activity Level: Easy