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DYLAN + JENI
choose the natural hot springs grotto, where no talking or cell
use is allowed.
With an emphasis on peace and solitude, children under 18
are not allowed, and this is key. Guests will be turned away at the
entrance if bringing along anyone underage.
According to Katie, guests have often booked the resort for
needed recovery after some personal loss or trauma. Others come
to rebalance themselves mentally and emotionally. Says Katie, “A
lot of time they stay on the property and do not go anywhere else.
They have this space where there is no music and parties and noise
that will take away from the present.”
Many of the 68 remodeled rooms feature white walls, tile floors,
open beam ceilings and white down comforters. They come
equipped with robes and slippers, custom sewn linens, a small
refrigerator and high-end sound system.
Visitors who want a break from tech can request a Spring Room
that features simple décor, no TV, platform beds and, instead of
closets, a rack to hang clothes. Desert Rooms, sited by the pond,
are amenity-rich with TVs, closets and traditional beds.
Of note are the Casablanca Suites, one-bedroom dwellings with
a dining and living room area, king bed and private patios in the
front and back with a Jacuzzi. At 700 square feet, rates run $695
per night.
(pstramway.com), touting the world’s largest rotating glass car
tram. It travels 2½ miles up the cliffs of Chino Canyon. Upon
arrival at 8,516 feet, hikers can hoof the trails of Mt. San Jacinto
State Park. The peak offers two restaurants, observation decks, gift
shop, and two theaters.
Dining Faves: When asked where she loves to eat, Tracy says its
Kiyosaku (kiyosakusushi.menutoeat.com), billed as “the best sushi
in the desert.” Le Vallauris (levallauris.com), across from the inn,
is recommended by many hoteliers, famous for its fixed-price
French menu and romantic dining patio. Tracy rates Johannes,
for modern European cuisine, as “superb.”
Outdoor Action: Worth the journey are Indian Canyons (in
dian-canyons.com) and Tahquitz Canyon (tahquitzcanyon.com).
Both places are the ancestral home to the Agua Caliente Band of
Cahuilla Indians. At Indian Canyons you’ll discover sacred house
foundations. “Tahquitz Canyon has the waterfall where ‘Lost
Horizon’ was filmed. The canyon stood in for Shangri-La in the
movie for good reason,” explains Tracy.
Less than an hour’s drive is Joshua Tree National Park (nps.gov/
jotr), a surreal destination with spiky Joshua trees and geologic formations.
Nature enthusiasts can snag vistas of the Coachella Valley
and hike among the boulders. Drivers can take personal vehicles
on the 18-mile Geology Motor Tour, approximately two hours.
Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn. Rates start at $395 and
above, minimum stay two nights on weekends and holidays. 412
W. Tahquiz Canyon Way, Palm Springs. 800/966-9597. See thewil
lowspalmsprings.com
Two Bunch Palms
At this 68-room resort, it’s all about the hot springs and being
away from the kids for a weekend of tranquility. Human encounters
with the waters date back some 600 years, according marketing
manager Katie Camarena.
“We found a journal entry
from 1857 that tells travelers
coming through the old Pony
Express way to look to the
north for the ‘two bunches of
palms,’ and there they would
find rest and water,” she says.
Today, these healing hot
springs flow freely at the 1940
resort that has modernized
with the times. At the 77-acre,
eco-friendly respite, the mineral
springs measure low in
sulfur and high in lithium. In
other words, this is therapeutic,
and unlike other places,
there is no rotten egg smell
from the sulfur.
At Two Bunch spa, clients
dive into water yoga and
water shiatsu. It is the only
place where one can take in a
mud bath in a private cabana.
Guests can soak outdoors in
one of the boxed teak tubs or
Boho-chic Two Bunch
Palms is renowned for
its natural hot springs.
THE HOT MINERAL
SPRINGS GROTTO AT
TWO BUNCH PALMS
