Do any of you have any recommendations for a good mineral hot spring, and recommendations for anything else to do in Palm Springs? I’ve already booked my hotel, but it doesn’t have a hot spring spa associated with it. I’m going in March. TYIA!
Hiking in the Indian Canyons. Highly recommend this!
Thanks @BunsenBurner !
The aerial tram is also worth checking out! There view from the visitor center is spectacular, and there are some short hiking trails at the top. Very different from the Canyons. Do check if it has been reopened after the recent storms.
I second the aerial tram. Take a warm coat!
Village Fest every Thursday night on Palm Canyon Dr.
Sunnylands
The Tram is out of service until at least April because of devastating floods in the region that took the roads out. Many of the hiking trails around Palm Springs were also closed as of this week because of the floods. There are some fabulous walks you can try that are led by the palms springs historical society that cover different Areas of Palm Springs and different movie stars and architectural styles in the 50s and 60s. In town you can visit the Living Desert which has a lot of animals in their surroundings and also the Mortoon Arboretum which is a homage to cacti.
Also worth a day trip if you have a car Joshua tree national Park is an hour away and worth the drive. Many hikes and view points and fascinating geography.
Second the Living Desert. We were pleasantly surprised by it. We did the Joshua Tree Park trip by car and also did the guided nighttime tour of it.
That is too bad about the tram. 
I heard there was some damage to that area… apparently, pretty substantial.
Date milkshakes. You are welcome!
Thank you for all the ideas! You’ve all been really helpful. It’s so hard to try to figure out what’s really good by just reading information on-line because it’s hard to sift out what’s promotional and what’s real. I finally gave up and thought of other threads I’ve seen on CC where people asked for recommendations. You’re the best!
I just read this and thought of you. https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/travel-guide/a26539113/things-to-do-in-palm-springs/
Joshua Tree National park was awesome. We spent a couple of days there - drove in one day from the north entrance and did some hiking/climbing on boulders. Drove from the south entrance the next day - such different vegetation/views. Hiked Ryan Mountain while we were there - just absolutely gorgeous. Don’t miss the Cholla Cactus garden either. Sunsets were just beautiful in the park.
We did do the aerial tram one evening. Long wait, but the view up top was definitely worth it. It was too dark for any hiking however. Too bad that the road/tram is not operational now.
When I go to the Palm Springs area I usually stay in La Quinta or Indian Wells and either play in a tennis tournament, or go to watch the pros at the BNP Paribas Open (March 4-17). I have a friend who plays golf who says there are a lot of great golf deals right now. I have heard great things about the Thursday evening street fair in Palm Springs.
This is all really helpful information, thank you all so much! For whatever reason I had thought that Joshua Tree would be a quick 1 hour only stay, but based on your comments it’s clear that this is at least a half day trip if not a full day or more. I’m really looking forward to seeing that, the cacti garden, spending a half day at one of the mineral baths, going to the Th night Village Fest, and doing one of the architectural tours. And Dates. I wish we had more time because the tennis sounds great, but we only have 2 days and it sounds like they’ll get filled up quickly.
Is The Living Desert like the San Diego Wild Animal Park? We used to love going there before it got bought out by the San Diego Zoo and got more commercialized.
Yes, the Thursday evening street fair is fun. Joshua Tree can be a long day if you plan any hiking. But we are expected a wildflower ‘superbloom’ this year because of all the rain and the desert could be absolutely spectacular. Check with the park before going out there for the flower status.
I’m going out for the tennis on Saturday.
Thank you all for your suggestions. I’m headed back home tomorrow morning. We ended up doing the following: hot springs at The Spring in Desert Hot Springs, the Th night street fair, the Palm Springs Air Museum, the Living Desert, and Joshua Tree Nat’l Park. If we had more time we would have been interested in going on a tour of the windmills. I’ve never seen a windmill farm before and it was really interesting to see as we drove by on the highway. @TatinG have a great day here tomorrow! Hope the tennis is terrific.