It seemed unlikely 125 years ago when a lawyer from San Francisco named J.G. McCallum decided to trade his home in the cool, damp, foggy Bay Area for a different one in the Mojave Desert, but the developments of Palm Springs and nearby Palm Desert are two of the most coveted and fastest growing areas in Southern California today. Home to desert golf courses and convenient to historic Death Valley, Palm Springs and Palm Desert offer endless activities to vacationers and currently, there are some hot travel deals as well.

For example, today visitors can get great bed breakfasts. In addition, there are many activities for the family that are cheap, and in many cases, are free. Those who are interested in nature, such as discovering unique native desert species and the local ecology will find enough to occupy them for weeks, if not months. Palm Desert has also developed a thriving arts community, which is celebrated throughout the year.

Human inhabitance in the Palm Desert-Palm Springs region dates back at least to the mid-1600s, and maybe as far back as 1500. The earliest people to live there were the Cahuilla Indians. The Cahuilla Nation is still the principal landowner in the Coachella Valley. In the 1890s, the federal government divided the land between the Cahuilla Indians and the Southern Pacific Railroad, the latter as an incentive for progress.

Since the late 1940s, when the initial commercial real estate development was planned, Palm Desert has been visited by celebrities that over the decades have included Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Bob Hope. Palm Springs took a little longer to catch up. It was almost a ghost town until the early 1970s, but is today a year round vacation destination with several cabin rental accommodations.

Because of its sunny climate, with over 350 days of sun every year and a mere 5 inches of annual rain, golfing is one of the major outdoor activities in the area. A lot of resorts in the area are offering golf rental deals for the summer. Based on the day of the week and tee times, green fees start at less than $20.

Of course, just because its summer vacation does not mean the little ones have to stop learning. Palm Springs is also home to the Moorten Botanical Garden and Cactarium, which has exhibits of desert fauna and flora from all over the world.

Guests will also like the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in which you and your family can take a trip from the Southwest desert to the Arctic tundra in what was once a hike that took a few hours in under ten minutes. At the top of the San Jacinto Mountains, guests will find miles of hiking trails, lofty views of 200 miles in all directions and even an opportunity to ride a burro. Afterwards, folks can refresh themselves at one of the two delectable restaurants at Mountain Station.

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