Attractions


Agua Caliente Cultural Museum - Village Green Heritage Center, 219 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, 323-0151. Permanent and changing exhibits portray the history and culture of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and other Cahuilla people. Exquisite basketry, artifacts and archival photographs are displayed in the tribe's Spa Casino Resort lobby. Museum open Wed.-Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun. noon to 4 p.m.

Big League Dreams Sports Park - 33-700 Date Palm Dr., Cathedral City, 324-5600. What a clever idea: A sports complex that replicates the great ball parks of yesteryear. Also offering inline hockey, basketball, indoor/outdoor soccer, flag football fields, batting cages, sand volleyball courts. A perfect spot for group and corporate outings.

Cabot's Old Indian Pueblo Museum - 67-616 Desert View Ave., Desert Hot Springs, 329-7610. Part art gallery, museum and trading post, it's just the sort of quirky place CBS's Charles Kuralt would have loved. "There's no place like this place anywhere near this place, so this must be the place." Open Sat.-Sun. Closed July and August.

Camel Safari - Oasis Date Gardens, 59-111 Hwy. 111, Thermal/ 399-5665. Ride the ship of the desert at the beautiful Oasis Date Gardens. Available in season, March-May and Oct. & Nov. Reservation. www.movielandanimals.com.

Children's Discovery Museum - 71-701 Gerald Ford Dr., Rancho Mirage, 321-0602. Kids will be in their glory at this hands-on heaven. Children's favorite game, "Let's Pretend," gets some wonderful assistance with trunks full of vintage clothes for playing dress-up and a scaled-down grocery store just their size. Creativity blossoms as kids get to paint a real Volkswagen Beetle and even become budding designers and work with interior decors.

Desert IMAX Theatre - 68-510 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Cathedral City, 324-7333. Imagine a movie screen six stories high and a sound system so advanced you'll hear a pin drop or feel a volcano explode. Welcome to the world of IMAX. Call for a full schedule of upcoming films. Private screenings are available.

The Indian Canyons - Beyond the glitz and glamour of Palm Springs lies its true glory: the Indian Canyons. Located on Agua Caliente tribal land, just a few minutes drive from downtown, Andreas, Murray and Palm Canyons are perfect spots for hiking, picnicking or horseback riding. There's even a trading post. The canyons are also home to the only indigenous palm trees in the continental U.S. Follow S. Palm Canyon Dr. until it dead-ends at the entrance. 500 W. Mesquite Ave., Palm Springs, 416-7044. www.tahquitzcanyon.com.

Knott's Soak City U.S.A. - 1500 Gene Autry Trail, between Ramon Rd. & Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, 327-0499. Water, water everywhere -- and all of it fun. The former Oasis Water Park recently reopened as the new and expanded Soak City. Visitors will now discover 18 major water slides and attractions, including the 800,000-gallon Rip Tide Reef wave pool. For future surfers, there's Gremmie Lagoon, a kids' water playground, and the brand new Kahuna's Beach House, a family-interactive water playhouse. www.soakcityusa.com.

The Living Desert - 47-900 Portola Ave., Palm Desert, 346-5694. Part zoo, part botanical garden and totally unique and surprising. First there's the location, surrounded by the lovely residential neighborhoods of south Palm Desert and Indian Wells. You don't have to trek to the middle of nowhere to enjoy The Living Desert. And don't forget the rare desert animals -- ever seen a real meerkat? -- and exotic African wildlife that exist peacefully amidst native plants and scenic trails. Village WaTuTu is a must-stop (and just fun to say!). There are plenty of misted and shaded areas in the park to keep you cool. Gift shop, restaurants, picnicking, special star-gazing events and lectures are ongoing. Call for details or visit www.livingdesert.org.

Moorten Botanical Garden - 1701 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, 327-6555. A living museum with nature trails that weave around 3,000 varieties of giant cacti, trees, succulents, flowers, birds and even turtles. A charming, secret garden tucked away not far from downtown Palm Springs, it's small enough to easily negotiate, but still chockfull of fascinating species. Open to the public and available for special events and weddings.

Oasis Date Gardens - 59-111 Highway 111, Thermal/399-5665, 800-827-8017. A 175-acre working date ranch. Date palms can produce fruit for well over 100 years. In fact, one tree at Oasis was planted in 1919 and now towers 80 feet above the Oasis Ranch Store -- a great place to buy your own delicious date treats. And Oasis Date Gardens is the new home of Camel Safari camel rides, in season.

Palapas of Araby Cove - 3255 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, 416-1818. It's a lush 14-acre garden nestled in the picturesque canyon of Araby Cove. But Palapas is so much more: a working nursery and an artist colony. Renowned local and visiting artists work in open studios using dozens of media -- ceramics, glassblowing, sculpture, pot throwing, silk screening, stained glass and many more. Palapas calls it "the magic of art together with nature." We call it unique and enthralling.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Hwy. 111 & Tramway Rd., Palm Springs, 325-1391 for recorded info. This is the best show on cable. One minute you're in our arid environs, 15 minutes later you're in an lush forest -- and you got there via a tramcar that revolves as it ascends. At the 8,516-ft.-high Mountain Station, you'll find a 30-degrees-cooler, Christmas-tree scented world with hiking, camping, sledding, cross-country skiing and an alpine restaurant. Tramcars depart at least every half hour. The Tram's economical Ride 'n' Dine tickets let you enjoy dinner above it all.

Palm Springs Air Museum - 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, 778-6262. You cannot help but be inspired by one of the world's largest collections of flying World War II combat aircraft. See Spitfires, Mustangs and reach out and touch a real B-17, among many others. Evocative photographs and memorabilia of the era enhance the experience, as do the volunteer docents, many of whom served and survived combat during WWII. Gorgeous vintage automobiles are also displayed in the museum's air-conditioned hangars. Who wouldn't want to drive that Tucker home? Don't miss the gift shop -- they've even got replicas of those terrific Air Corps bomber jackets.

Palm Springs Desert Museum - 101 Museum Dr., Palm Springs, 325-7186 or recorded info: 325-0189. Comprehensive and sophisticated, this museum would be welcomed in any large city -- but we're lucky enough to have it in the desert. Founded in 1938 to promote greater understanding of art, natural science and the performing arts, the diverse permanent exhibits include Ice Age Mammals, a Coachella Valley Diorama, Western American and Native American Art, miniatures and a selection of art and artifacts. William Holden collected beautiful pieces during his world travels and bequested the collection to the museum. Visit www.psmuseum.org for all the information on current exhibits and programs.

Ruddy's 1930's General Store Museum - Village Green Heritage Center, 221 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, 327-2156. Step back 70 years to the good old days. This vintage store carries all original products. It's pure nostalgia. And remember: The most you'll spend is the 95 cents admission fee.

Shalimar Sports Center - Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival Fairgrounds, 46-350 Arabia St., Indio, 863-8246. Off-track betting, using the Watch and Wager Pari-mutuel Satellite, in a state-of-the-art facility. Open during the California racing season from 11:30 a.m. for day racing and from 6 p.m. for evening races. Thurs. admission is one cent for seniors 62 and over. Call Mon. or Tues. for latest information. Must be 18.

Shields Date Gardens - 80-225 Highway 111, Indio, 347-0996. This family business has been around for 75 years. Floyd and Bess Shields worked as a team: He directed the ranch and packing operation and she supervised the office and ranch store. The tradition continues today with a gift shop, tours and, yes, they're still showing the documentary film Romance and Sex Life of the Date.

Uprising outdoor adventure center - 1500 Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, 320-6630, 888-CLIMB-ON. Here's an extreme sport that anyone age six and above can love. There's 7,500 square feet of rock to climb with 125 different routes up to 55 feet long. Classes and programs are geared for beginners to experts. We know locals who are absolutely hooked on climbing. Luckily, Uprising offers memberships as well as corporate and group events. And the all-outside facility is shaded and micro-cooled for year-round fun.