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Destination of the Day

Palm Springs, California

For more than a decade, the greater Palm Springs area has been home to two of the biggest, most exciting music festivals in the world. For three consecutive weekends in April, the Empire Polo Fields are taken over by Coachella, a rock, hip-hop, and EDM festival held over two weekends and attended by 250,000 people, as well as Stagecoach, which is basically Coachella's country music counterpart. Planning to attend? Read on for tips on where to stay, what to eat and drink, and what to do when you're not at one of the biggest events of the year.

Where to Stay

Lodging is the most challenging choice you'll have to make regarding this trip because the Greater Palm Springs region is truly blessed in the accommodations department. Many of the best Palm Springs boutiques, updated historic properties, and home rentals are found in downtown, the Uptown Design District, and ritzy neighborhoods including Twin Palms and Movie Colony. Palm Springs also has the largest concentration of LGBTQ resorts in the Western United States, most of which are found in the heart of the community, the Arenas District.

Where to Eat

There's never been a better time to be hungry in Palm Springs. Long a stronghold of steakhouses, the Coachella Valley culinary scene has blossomed into a more well-rounded edible oasis offering everything from Asian fusion to wood-fired 'za. These great restaurants ensure no one leaves town on an empty stomach.

Things to Do

Palm Springs is a mood. It's pool parties, palm trees, and pampering. It's at once elegant and sultry and casual and sporty. It's as much about the natural beauty of sun-kissed and star-dotted skies, towering mountains, sculptural Joshua Trees, and twilight's purple glow as it is the artifice of manicured golf courses and fake lakes. There's a reverence for history as seen in the care taken to preserve the midcentury architecture, the native American culture, and the legends of the old Hollywood guard who made it their second home and spread the desert's gospel near and far starting in the 1920s. Don't know where to begin? We're here to help.

Vacation Like a Pro

As beautiful as it is, the desert is not to be trifled with. Dehydration is a serious issue, especially when the summer heat soars into triple digits. Even if you're just lounging by the pool all day, drink plenty of water. Plan active outdoor activities early in the morning during summer. Always tell someone where you've gone, never wander off-trail, and look out for venomous rattlesnakes. They're most likely to be seen in May and June and should be given a wide berth.

Carrie Bell
Contributing Writer

Your Packing List

Exercise gear and hiking boots to explore canyons, mountain trails, and the nearby Joshua Tree National Park as this is the best time of the year to opt outside.

Flower crowns and leotards for Coachella; cowboy boots and hats for Stagecoach.

But with chilly mornings and nightly temps plummeting into the low 50s and 60s, don't forget to also toss a few fleeces or light jackets into your suitcase.

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One of France's most stunning examples of late Gothic architecture, Strasbourg Cathedral towers over the Northern city's skyline with dramatic, imposing details. Rising to 466 feet (142 meters), this is the world's sixth-tallest place of worship—until the late 19th century it was taller than any other building in the world.

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