3-day weekend - Palm Springs, California

Sunset, Jan, 1999 by Matthew Jaffe

In Palm Springs, desert meets greens

Two hours east of Los Angeles, I drop down from the San Gorgonio Pass on Interstate 10. The view shouts: Welcome to the Great American Desert.

That pure desert vision doesn't linger for long. A few miles up State 111, a former gas station built in the shape of a giant flying V sends a different message: Welcome to Palm Springs.

Palm Springs is of the desert yet separate from the desert. Its setting takes in some of the driest valleys and steepest mountains in the country. But man has turned the town of Palm Springs - and the adjacent Coachella Valley resorts of Palm Desert and Indian Wells - into nipped-and-tucked oases for old-line movie stars and big-time golf tournaments. (One of the biggest runs this month: the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, January 18 through 24. Tickets, which start at $20, can be reserved by calling 760/346-8184.)

I love both the natural and the manmade Palm Springs. I love its hiking trails leading into native palm canyons that are like something out of a dream. And I love that instead of returning to a windswept campsite, I can head back to a comfortable inn or a glossy resort. In Palm Springs, "roughing it" means you've walked the back nine.

In its glory days - the 1920s through 1950s - Palm Springs was a favored showbiz hangout. And even now, it retains a Hollywood-on-holiday aura. Downtown is filled with Spanish architecture from the '20s and '30s. The '50s and '60s Paul Newman-is-Harper era is represented by Palm Springs's sleek stock of postwar architecture, more Ann-Margret than Queen Anne. The best was designed by the late Albert Frey, the world-renowned architect who arrived in 1934. "Style," Frey said, "should be the result of the conditions."

My own feeling is that Palm Springs's style and conditions are best appreciated with golf club in hand. There are nearly 100 courses in and around town, and I am determined to play I head south for a lesson at the Golf Resort at Indian Wells.

The instructor teaches in a language I can understand: When I've got too much motion in my hips, he tells me, "You're Elvising." When I'm not holding my head steady enough, he says, "You're doing a Stevie Wonder."

By the end of the hour, I'm hitting 175 yards to the target green. The hot desert sun beats down on this most un-desert-like greensward. And the two sides of Palm Springs come together perfectly.

Area code is 760 unless noted.

friday

DOWNTOWN BREAKFAST. Start Friday morning by exploring Palm Springs's heart. Peabody's Coffee Bar and Jazz Studio (134 S. Palm Canyon Dr.; 322-1877) offers breakfasts and good bakery items. Afterward, head next door to La Plaza (100 block of S. Palm Canyon), an appealing 1938 shopping center.

ORIENTEERING. Next stop is the Palm Springs Visitors Information Center (2781 N. Palm Canyon; 800/347-7746). Architecture buffs will want to pick up the "Palm Springs Historic Architectural Highlights" brochure.

PALM MODERN. To see the best of Palm Springs's midcentury modern architecture, drive to two Albert Frey buildings: Palm Springs City Hall (3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way) and the former service station at 2901 N. Palm Canyon.

MUSEUM STROLL. The Palm Springs Desert Museum (101 Museum Dr.; 325-0189) has both art and natural science exhibits. It's open 10-5 Tue-Sat, 12-5 Sun; cost is $7.50, $3.50 ages 6-17. From the museum, walk the short Carl Lykken Trail, which heads into the foothills for a pretty view of town.

C'EST BONNE. For dinner, Melvyn's at the Ingleside Inn (200 W Ramon Rd.; 325-0046) serves the haute cuisine that is the essence of classic Palm Springs.

saturday

PALM SPRINGS'S PALMY SPRINGS. Wake up early and hike the Indian Canyons (end of S. Palm Canyon; 325-3400), where an underground aquifer helps native palms flourish. Open 8-5 daily; cost is $6, $1 ages 6-12.

HELLO, DELLS. Back in town, grab a deli breakfast at Nate's Deli Restaurant (100 S. Indian Canyon Dr.; 325-3506) or Sherman's Deli & Bakery (401 E. Tahquitz Canyon; 325-1199).

FORE! Even with Palm Springs's wealth of golf courses, getting a tee time can be tough, especially in winter. Plan ahead. The Palm Springs visitor center has information on fee services that can help you get times. Many resorts offer golf packages, which come with tee-time preferences as well. Lessons at the Golf Resort at Indian Wells (44-500 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells; 346-4653) start at $45 for 30 minutes.

KNOW THE DESERT. Golf not your thing? Palm Desert's Living Desert (47900 Portola Ave.; 346-5694) is a wonderful wildlife and botanical park with a strong emphasis on local ecology. It's open 9-5 daily; cost is $7.50, $3.50 ages 3-12.

ISLAND DINING. For dinner, try Ono Island (69934 Hwy. 111, Rancho Mirage; 324-5613). The building is notable for its low-slung, futuristic design.

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. Finish off your day with the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies at the historic Plaza Theatre (128 S. Palm Canyon; 327-0225). It features performers all over the age of 50. Sound corny? It's terrific. A recent documentary on the show was nominated for an Academy Award. Tickets start at $30.