Welcome To La Quinta Country Club!

Founded in 1959, La Quinta Country Club members enjoy a rich heritage other clubs dream of possessing. Most people are drawn here by golf and quickly fall in love with the beautiful desert ambiance and camaraderie among members. Although the spectacular golf and weather are the initial attraction to our club, genuine respect and interest in each other is the foundation that binds our special membership.

Today, La Quinta Country Club is about to embark on it’s newest chapter, the new Santa Barbara style clubhouse opened the Fall of 2009. The new clubhouse is stately, sophisticated and inviting, qualities that are expressions of who we are as a club.

Come explore LQCC to learn more about our exciting future. We are making history again!
Call Kathy Schowe for private showings of homes at La Quinta Country Club!

Check out these great deals on homes at LQCC!

Click on each to see details– Coachella Drive & Entrada Lane !

A Palm Springs weekend in the 1960s

There was no local television and little local radio in the Coachella Valley. In the early 1960s, visitors and residents went out for entertainment.

Stars and well-to-do guests stayed at Charlie Farrell’s legendary Palm Springs Racquet Club, but they also stayed at newer hotels such as the Riviera, the Spa and Gene Autry’s Holiday Inn, sometimes for months at a time.

Palm Springs doubled in size in the early ’60s, which then-mayor Frank Bogert credited to the development of condominiums and mid-century modern houses built by the father-and-son team of George and Robert Alexander.

Most people still went to the old-school supper clubs, like the Chi Chi, Romanoff’s and the intimate Ruby’s Dunes restaurant, where local residents Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby cut their teeth.

But young people also were drawn to Palm Springs.

Autry brought his expansion Los Angeles Angels to Palm Springs for spring training in 1961 and, by ‘63, young players such as pitchers Bo Belinsky and Dean Chance were giving Palm Springs a reputation as a party town. Belinsky dated Ann-Margaret, Connie Stevens and Mamie Van Doren and married Playboy centerfold Jo Collins.

Spring break had been attracting college kids to Palm Springs since the 1950s and, by the early ’60s, local kids were enjoying rock ‘n’ roll. They’d buy records at Patty’s Record Shop on Palm Canyon Drive and R&B discs at Butch Diamond Music on North Indian Avenue.

The Howard Manor, now the Colony Palms Hotel on North Indian Canyon Drive, had long attracted young Hollywood. Elvis dropped by as early as December 1961, often to see ’50s rockabilly star Jody Reynolds.
But loud, raucous rock was generally restricted to the outskirts of town, such as the old Farmhouse restaurant in Cathedral City.

Adult contemporary music, reminiscent of the sounds featured in “Palm Springs Weekend,” has pretty much dominated the tourist-driven music scene since the big band era.

“This town has been so influenced by the music of one man, Frank Sinatra, that when (tourists) come down here, they want to hear the music of the Great American Songbook because that is Palm Springs,” said local keyboard artist Marty Steele. “All the snowbirds, they want to hear Sinatra, they want to hear Louis Prima, they want to hear Dean Martin.”

WHERE IT WAS SHOT:

The truth is, most of “Palm Springs Weekend” was shot on a sound stage in Hollywood.

The on-location shooting centered around the Riviera Resort, which was Palm Springs’ ritziest hotel.

When the spoiled rich kid played by Robert Conrad tells Connie Stevens’ character he’s staying at the Riv, she coos, “The Riviera!”

Stevens was staying at a rustic hotel amid a date palm grove, which was probably the complex behind Boomers amusement park in Cathedral City.

If you check out the DVD at a video store or the Palm Springs Library, or order it online, you also may recognize North Indian Avenue off Interstate 10 as the site for the chase scene involving Conrad, Troy Donahue and Ty Hardin.

Sellers Still Slashing Home Prices

SELLERS FEEL THE HEAT AS THEY CONTINUE TO SLASH HOME PRICES THIS SUMMER

Down Economy and High Levels of Home Inventory Put Sellers at Disadvantage as Prices Continue to Drop

According to data compiled by Trulia, they announced that 24 percent of listings currently on the market in the United States as of July 1, 2010 experienced at least one price reduction. This represents a nine percent increase from the previous month. The total dollar amount slashed from home prices was $27.3 billion and the average discount for price-reduced homes continued to hold at 10 percent off of the original listing price.

Many of the largest U.S. cities saw significant increases in price reduction levels this month with 22 of the top 50 cities across the U.S. experiencing price reduction levels at 30 percent or more, compared to just 10 cities in the previous month. Minneapolis leads the way with 40 percent of its home listings experiencing at least one price cut. This is the third straight month that Minneapolis has held the top spot and no other city has reached the 40 percent mark since Trulia started tracking home price reductions in April 2009. With an average discount for price-reduced homes at nine percent, the city’s total dollar amount slashed from home prices was $30.1 million.

“Sellers are feeling the heat this summer as the economic recovery simmers down and home inventory levels climb,” says Pete Flint, co-founder and CEO of Trulia. “We’re seeing more and more sellers reduce their home listing prices to attract potential buyers, who definitely have the upper hand in negotiations this season. The slow start to the summer season is a major concern that we are heading towards a double-dip in the second half of this year.”

Western U.S. Leads with Price Reduction Increases

In the first half of 2010, cities in the Western U.S. were experiencing a decrease in reductions.  This month, the same cities experienced some of the largest surges in price reductions compared to the previous month.  Oakland increased 38 percent month-over-month and San Diego saw reductions increase by 25 percent. Additionally, Honolulu experienced a 21 percent increase from the previous month and Las Vegas increased by 20 percent. Texas cities also saw significant increases in price reductions with San Antonio and El Paso increasing by price 21 percent and 20 percent respectively. The following U.S. cities experienced the biggest increases in price reductions from June 1, 2010 to July 1, 2010:

Luxury Market Still Feeling The Pain

Price reduction levels for luxury homes (those listed at $2 million and above) continue to provide large discounts with an average of 14 percent off of the original listing price. The average discount for homes priced less than $2 million remains at 9 percent.

The chart above confirms that the Luxury and Resort areas are still reducing prices!

For help finding a Resort, Golf, or Luxury home call Kathy Schowe at The Lori Bowers Group in La Quinta, CA!

Mountain Cove–Near Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Indian Wells Residents can play golf at the Resort at Indian Wells for $35.00 per round including golf cart. Free fitness workouts at the Hyatt Grand Champions, Esmeralda, and Miramonte. Close to shopping and restaurants with the prestigious Indian Wells address at a discounted price!

Great upstairs unit with high beamed ceilings and a second extra over-sized balcony ( permitted). There is a large den with door to the outside that can be used as 3rd bedroom. These units have 2 doors to the outside and can be divided. Nestled at the very south end of Mountain Cove Communities these units have a fantastic mountain setting !  $154,900– 2BR-3BA.

Call Kathy Schowe to schedule a tour of this home!  760-333-8886

If you go

What: Art Under the Umbrellas
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 7, Nov. 28, Jan. 16, Feb. 13, March 27 and April 10.
Where: Old Town La Quinta, 78-100 Main St.
Information: La Quinta Arts Foundation at (760) 564-1244 or www.lqaf.com

What’s Hot in Dining??

Hogs Breath in Old Town La Quinta keeps getting better!!

Watch the video and then click on the “casa” for more info!

Click the corner and turn the pages with your mouse!

WHAT DOES ‘LA QUINTA’ MEAN???

Come and visit the beautiful and diverse Palm Springs area!!

Some laughs to start out the seaon!

49200 Avenida Fernando– La Quinta Country Club — Open House! 12-3!

COME VISIT US IN LA QUINTA! It’s November 6th–take a look at the views and the weather!!

Amazing fairway home at LA QUINTA COUNTRY CLUB! This can be your desert hideaway!

PUMPKIN CRISP RECIPE

1 LARGE CAN PUMPKIN PUREE  

3/4 CUP SUGAR

3 BEATEN EGGS

1 CAN EVAPORATED MILK

3 TSP. PUMPKIN PIE SPICE

1 BOX YELLOW CAKE MIX

11/2 CUP MELTED BUTTER

MIX FIRST 5 INGREDIENTS IN A BOWL–TRANSFER TO A BUTTERED 19×13 BAKING DISH

SPRINKLE CAKE MIX ON TOP- DRIZZLE BUTTER OVER TOP

BAKE @ 350 FOR 1 HOUR… GARNISH WITH WHIPPED CREAM!

Tiger’s Crash News spreads like wild-fire on Twitter— CNN, get a clue!

Click on the picture for full article!

A very creative employee for Medline created, directed and choreographed this in Portland last week for her Medline glove division as a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness.  This was all her idea to help promote their new pink gloves.  I don’t know how she got so many employees, doctors and patients to participate, but it started to really catch on and they all had a lot of fun doing it.

When the video gets 1 million hits, Medline will be making a huge contribution to the hospital, as well as offering free mammograms for the community.  Please check it out.  It’s an easy and great way to donate to a wonderful cause, and who hasn’t been touched by breast cancer?

Tree Lighting Ceremony

Friday, December 4, 2009
Festivities begin at 5 p.m.

Trying out the “FUN THEORY” !! 

Google is going to take over the world sooner than we thought! Wait until you see what the brains at GOOGLE have for us NOW!  Take a picture– GOOGLE-GOGGLES will tell you what it is… I AM NOT KIDDING!

Let’s Party

Gretchen Wilson at Stagecoach Festival

Photo Credit – Robin Carrol

Oddee.com reports that grown men jump over newborn babies in Spain, some 600 monkeys are treated to a huge buffet in Thailand, and runners chase a 7-pound wheel of cheese down a hill in England.

None of the Coachella Valley’s numerous festivals rank on the list of the world’s wackiest festivals, but they are definitely safer, wiser, and — we think — more fun.

We Love Movies
Each January, the Palm Springs International Film Festival kicks off a year of celebrations. After 20 years, the event started by Sonny Bono has earned a place among the great film festivals of the world. Honored filmmakers and actors have included such high-profilers as Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, Dustin Hoffman, Sean Penn, and Anne Hathaway — and that was just the 2009 festival!

When the days get longer, the films get shorter. Summer marks the Palm Springs International ShortFest, one of the largest events of its kind in the country. It’s also the season for the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival. Other local fetes of filmdom include the Festival of Native Film & Culture, Latino Film Festival, Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, and Palm Springs Student Short Film Festival.

Music to Our Ears
Coachella Music and Arts Festival became an “overnight sensation” after the inaugural event in 1999 drew 25,000 to polo grounds in Indio to hear Beck, Rage Against the Machine, Morrissey, Tool, and a full lineup of lesser-known, cutting-edge singers and bands. Since then, Coachella has attracted the likes of Madonna, Prince, and, this year, Paul McCartney (who wowed the crowd with a 33-song set). On the heels of that event is the Stagecoach Festival, which focuses on country music.

A few more multiday music festivals are between one and two hours from the desert floor. The Joshua Tree Music Festival in spring features two stages of alternative, techno, and world music; the Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival in the fall bills itself as “a rootsicana new grassy folkadelic experience.” Idyllwild Jazz in the Pines in the alpine village of Idyllwild offers a full slate of jazz styles.

While music is their raison d’etre, these festivals include art, vendors, and other activities.

Art’s in our Hearts
Beautiful year-round weather attracts people outdoors, and we welcome many opportunities to stroll around park-like settings to discover paintings, sculpture, glassworks, photography, jewelry, pottery, and other forms of creativity. The Indian Wells Arts Festival, La Quinta Arts Festival, Southwest Arts Festival, and Rancho Mirage Art Affaire draw hundreds of accomplished artists to our “door.”

These festivals also feature live entertainment, food and wine, and demonstrations of various art forms.

We’re So Proud
Other areas of the country have county fairs, but we pair ours (the Riverside County Fair) with the National Date Festival in recognition of the fruit crop that no other place in the United States can match. The date festival includes camel and ostrich races and an Arabian Nights-themed pageant.

Another food we fete in a festival comes to us by way of the Hispanic culture that infuses our communities: the Indio International Tamale Festival. The event showcases inventive as well as traditional recipes that families pass from one generation to the next.

The Greater Palm Springs Pride Festival celebrates diversity and attracts a large crowd to the always-colorful gay pride parade on Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs.

World-Class Style
Though not officially “festivals,” two weeklong events deserve mention here, as attendees revel in grand architecture, design, and fashion: Modernism Week in February and Fashion Week El Paseo in March. Both events include a breadth of offerings that provide entertainment and educational value — as well as great shopping!

For dates of these celebrations, check the Calendar at  www.palmspringslife.com and click on Desert Guide.

15 Best New Restaurants

Many local eateries have opened in the 12 months since we surveyed the Coachella Valley for new restaurants. Here are the best based on cuisine, vibe, value, and service

Gazston Photography/Courtesy Miramonte Resort and Spa

CAFÉ CHOCOLAT
The Corridor
515 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
1-760-320-8889

Cuisine: Californian. Menu is seasonal, featuring salads, soups, and cheese and quiche plates. Specialties include chicken salad with Asiago dressing and Black Forest ham, brie, and green onion quiche, using gourmet products for sale in the shop. Afternoon chocolate tea. Coffee served in a French press.
Vibe: A mix of Southwestern and Art Deco architecture. The interior is intimate and surrounded by tempting displays of fine chocolates and gift items. There are two patios, one for sidewalk dining and one with great mountain views.
Serving: Lunch is served Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., desserts from 3 to 5 p.m. The largest party that can be accommodated is 28.
Pocket Factor: $6 to $10.
The “It” Factor: The combination of a French bistro-styled café and chocolate shop.

CARLYLE DELI
Plaza La Quinta
78477 Highway 111, La Quinta
1-760-777-9400

Cuisine: New York-style deli serving house-made bagels and rye breads, grilled Reuben sandwiches, matzo ball soup, sirloin tip over noodles, and truffle torte chocolate mousse cheesecake.
Vibe: Established by Robert Gary, owner of La Quinta Baking Co., with classic leather booths, dark woods, slate floors, and a warm and inviting ambiance designed by Mary Gary. Prints of New York scenes abound. Dogs are welcome on the patio.
Serving: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Ten guests can be accommodated at one table. Also offering takeout, delivery, and catering.
Pocket Factor: Dinners from $14 to $20.
The “It” Factor: A typical New York deli experience with an exhibition kitchen.

ERNIE’S BAR & GRILL AT PGA WEST
56150 PGA Blvd., La Quinta
1-760-564-7125

Cuisine: Gastro pub American, a dining experience styled in the 1900s at the Eagle Restaurant in London. The hallmark of gastro pub is an adventurous twist on familiar fare prepared from scratch daily with palate-arousing ingredients. Presenting eclectic items to typical pub cuisine and offering a sense of comfort and relaxation make it gastro pub. The hottest items are the double-stack grilled cheeseburger with on a toasted brioche, smoked buffalo-style chicken wings, and cedar plank roasted salmon.
Vibe: Overlooking the Jack Nicklaus and Stadium golf courses with a grand entrance. The ambiance is contemporary with rich wooden tables and comfortable chairs. The terrace with two fire pits, awning, and misters is a popular choice. Ernie’s is a public clubhouse. PGA West members, visiting golfers, locals, and tourists love the action and the menu of Sous Chef Casey Milner, who hails from the Arizona Biltmore.
Bar/Lounge: Ernie’s centerpiece is the always-buzzing circular bar, featuring premium brands, festive cocktails, draft beer, and fine wine. Happy hours 3-6 p.m. and 8-10 p.m. Ten plasma screens feature sporting events.
Serving: Breakfast from 6:30 a.m. Friday-Sunday, lunch from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, and dinner 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday and 5 to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. A party of 15 guests can be seated at one table. A private wine room and catering are available.
Pocket Factor: Entrées from $16 to $28.
The “It” Factor: No other club compares in bringing elegance to the pub experience in such a grand setting.

THE GROVE ARTISAN KITCHEN
Miramonte Resort and Spa
45000 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells
1-760-341-2200

Cuisine: Farm-to-table Californian. A specialty is braised short ribs with bleu cheese ravioli. The chef uses produce from local growers, farm-raised meats and poultry, and Pacific seafood. Produce and herbs are grown on property. Everything is fresh, not overworked, letting the natural flavors come out.
Vibe: Inside the Mediterranean-inspired resort with an exhibition kitchen and great views from the patio and courtyard. The ambiance is sleek, contemporary, and energetic.
Bar/Lounge: The adjacent Vineyard Lounge draws a lively crowd, featuring local entertainers. Open from 10 a.m. to midnight, with a lounge menu from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The wine list is perfectly balanced with Californian, Italian, and international choices.
Serving: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. Reservations can be taken for 24 guests at one table.
Pocket Factor: Entrées from $18 to $29.
The “It” Factor: No one in the valley goes as far as in presenting farm-to-table cuisine in such a sophisticated atmosphere. Executive Chef Robert Nyreck has 30 years of experience with top hotels.

HARRY’S OKLAHOMA STYLE SMOKEHOUSE BBQ
47150 Washington St., Suite B, La Quinta
1-760-564-4920

Cuisine: Slow-smoked barbecue ribs, tri-tip, and pulled pork, plus home-style sides. Meats are smoked in a state-of-the-art, closed-pit smoker. Harry’s motto is “low and slow.”
Vibe: Fun with red-and-white checkered tablecloths and a peanut-filled cowboy hat on the table (you may throw shells on the floor). Walls are filled with celebrity photos from owners Jon (Harry) and Margot Bayouth’s restaurant in Tulsa. There’s no lounge, but entertainers perform on Friday and Saturday nights.
Serving: Lunch and dinner daily, plus an all-you-can-eat buffet Friday-Sunday. Hog Hour Sandwich Special daily and Monday-Thursday dinner specials. Free delivery in a three-mile radius for orders of $25 or more. Can serve 20 to 30 people at one table.
Pocket Factor: $8.95 to $26. Early birds specials served 4-6 p.m. Sunday-Friday.
The “It” Factor: Authentic cuisine from family recipes and very hands-on service.

THE HOMESTEAD
78045 Calle Cadiz, La Quinta
1-760-771-3331

Cuisine: Swiss-born Owner/Chef Roger Meier, with classic European training, does American comfort food and some Italian favorites with élan. Specialties include sand dabs meunière and chicken pot pie.
Vibe: The Homestead is owned by John Reynolds and Roger Meier, owners of Chapelli’s in La Quinta, on the site formerly known as Cunard’s. Just look for the home with all the American flags. The converted private home is conducive to relaxation. Three dining rooms are cozy and comfortable. The patio and courtyard offer additional enclaves for conversation before and after dinner. You may roast marshmallows over the fire pit with friends and enjoy a cup of coffee. Typical crowds are locals happy to see this property awakened and hotel visitors.
Bar/Lounge: Cocktail service on patio and courtyard with grill and fire pit. Full bar. Entertainment on weekends. You won’t be bored just because you are in a classic setting. The varied wine list complements the menu. Locals are welcome to stop at the courtyard to enjoy the serenity of the grounds.
Serving: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner with special prices for all servings, as well as menu prices. Open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Parties of six to 10 can be seated at one table.
Pocket Factor: $15 to $28.
The “It” Factor: An iconic 1930s-era, three-acre estate.

THE JACKALOPE RANCH
80400 Highway 111, Indio
1-760-342-1999

Cuisine: Progressive Southwestern, featuring barbecue, steaks (even bison), chicken, seafood, and locally grown produce. A signature entrée is shrimp stuffed with crabmeat wrapped in bacon. Executive Chef Steve Quinones changes his personal creations daily.
Vibe: A finely crafted lodge on artfully landscaped six-and-one-half-acres offering charm in all dining areas. Rocks, timber, outstanding lighting fixtures, Western artifacts, and a hand-carved Harley-Davidson blend to make an inviting place to dine and party.
Bar/Lounge: The Palapa and Saloon are bustling with weekly events, live entertainment, and dancing on weekends. Happy hour nightly. The Palapa has a large fire pit for congregating. The wine list covers a full range of moderately priced to special selections.
Serving: Lunch and dinner daily and Sunday brunch in season. Happy hour daily from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Can accommodate parties of 20 to 30 guests inside or on the patio.
Pocket Factor: Dinner entrées $22 to $29.50.
The “It” Factor: The whole package — a beautiful destination, quality food, fine service, and fun.

KING’S HIGHWAY
Ace Hotel & Swim Club
701 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
1-760-325-9900

Cuisine: American “peasant food,” with international influences. Special entrées include T-bone steak and frites, locally raised vintage beef with cowboy relish, and Harissa lamb with smoky eggplant purée and chickpea ragout. Featuring Stumptown coffee.
Vibe: Formerly a Denny’s circa ’40s-’60s diner, now upgraded and part of the Ace Hotel. The diner atmosphere remains intact; the ambiance is upbeat and frequented by local retirees and a hip, artistic crowd of 20- to 40-somethings on weekends. Poolside dining is available.
Bar/Lounge: The Amigo Room, once a rancher hangout, serves food all day, specialty cocktails from 4 p.m. to closing, international beers, and a California and imported wines by the glass and moderately priced bottles. Happy hour 4-7 p.m. Entertainment on weekends, DJ on Sunday, fun theme nights.
Serving: Breakfast (all day, featuring a singer!), lunch items from 11 a.m. and dinner entrées from 5 p.m. Up to 35 guests can be seated at one table.
Pocket Factor: Entrées $7-$28.95.
The “It” Factor: Locally grown and organic food, inspired but never pretentious, in an atmosphere of buzzing excitement, like the most amazing backyard barbecue you’ve ever been to.

LAVENDER BISTRO
78073 Calle Barcelona, La Quinta
1-760-564-5353

Cuisine: Californian with French influence. A specialty is Oregon dover sole over a bed of sautéed spinach and basmati rice with lemon caper beurre blanc. The chef’s daily selection is a Lavender Bistro Country Dish. Executive Chef Emmanuel Janin from Alsace, France, is a connoisseur of gourmet and international cuisine.
Vibe: Situated in a country-style home with a tree-shaded patio with fountain. Casually elegant and comfortable. The faithful clientele is from area country clubs and a local, younger crowd.
Bar/Lounge: Happy hour 5-7 p.m. nightly in the bar lounge and terrace. Entertainment changes nightly. The wine list features fine Californian and French wines.
Serving: Dinner only from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Can accommodate a single reservation for up to 16 people.
Pocket Factor: Entrées from $22 to 27.
The “It” Factor: Casual ambiance; attentive service; and fresh, organic ingredients.

MORGAN’S IN THE DESERT
La Quinta Resort & Club
49999 Eisenhower Dr., La Quinta
1-760-564-7600

Cuisine: Contemporary California cuisine focusing on traditional methods, such as open grilling, slow roasting, braising, pickling, and curing, drawing inspiration from the Coachella Valley bounty and sourcing the best local products grown and raised responsibly. Executive Chef Jimmy Schmidt creates deliciously rustic and healthful dishes, such as pan-roasted breast of duck and foie gras with caramelized two-apple salad, porcini-crusted Angus filet with grilled mushrooms, wild Washington coho salmon steak, roasted split spiny Santa Barbara lobster, great starters, and fabulous desserts.
Vibe: The legendary La Quinta Resort & Club partnered with celebrated chef, author, and restaurateur Jimmy Schmidt in evoking the glamour of the original 1926 venue. The new signature dining venue (formerly Azur), named for La Quinta Resort founder Walter Morgan, has been completely refurbished and re-outfitted to reflect its historic roots. While the cuisine is modern, the décor incorporates many attributes of the original restaurant with hacienda-style ambiance and seductive spaces. Famed for his Rattlesnake restaurants in Detroit, Trump 29 Casino, and The Classic Club, Schmidt is a pioneer in America’s farm-to-table dining experience.
Bar/Lounge: A 26-seat U-shaped bar, featuring handcrafted cocktails created with fresh ingredients, is open from 4 p.m. to midnight, weekends to 1:30 a.m. The wine list is extensive. The adjacent lounge is the hub for live entertainment Wednesday to Sunday from 7 to 11 p.m. Two cozy patios feature misters, heaters, and fire pits.
Serving: Dinner nightly from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Parties of 12 to 150 can be accommodated. A private dining room seats 38. Reservations are highly recommended.
Pocket Factor: Entrées average $18 to $36.
The “It” Factor: A legendary dining opportunity created by a famed chef in an historic desert landmark.

OLD CREEK HOUSE
1555 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
1-760-322-3442

Cuisine: Primarily American. Generous portions of comfort food, steak, and prime rib, integrated with European classic and California casual cuisine. Fabulous desserts. Executive Chef Jorge Mendez has been at the helm here for 22 years, having served as executive chef when the building housed Cedar Creek Inn.
Vibe: A Spanish colonial building with high ceilings, tapestry chairs, plants, and patio with a fireplace. Frequented by a mix of seniors and families.
Bar/Lounge: Featuring an extensive wine list to fit any budget, by the bottle or the glass, the lounge also is used for overflow diners.
Serving: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner from a bountiful menu. Can accommodate 12 guests at one table.
Pocket Factor: Entrées $4.95-$12.90.
The “It” Factor: The restaurant’s slogan says it best: “Food and prices like they should be.”

SAMMY G’S TUSCAN GRILL
The Vineyard
265 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
1-760-320-8041

Cuisine: Italian, with fresh house-made pasta and risotto. Specialties are filet mignon bruschetta and chicken carbonara. Executive Chef Salvatore Zavala spent 20 years at Riccio’s Restaurant. Owners Sam Pace and Larry Krammer also own Trilussa Ristorante in Cathedral City.
Vibe: In a Tuscan-styled building formerly housing St. James Tuscan Grill. Stonework has been added and the interior redone to a cosmopolitan setting with changing artwork. Dressy casual attire requested. Two patios and fountain. Very personal service by servers referred to as “captains.”
Bar/Lounge: Lively Sex in the City-type bar with live music and dancing Wednesday-Sunday. Happy hour 5-7 p.m. Monday-Friday. Featuring boutique California wines and extensive Italian selections.
Serving: Dinner only 5-10 Tuesday-Sunday.
Pocket Factor: Entrées $12-$36.
The “It” Factor: Dinner, entertainment, and dancing in artful surroundings.

THE SLICE – N.Y. PIZZERIA RISTORANTE
Monterey Marketplace 2
72775 Dinah Shore Drive, Rancho Mirage
1-760-202-3122

Cuisine: New York-style pizza and full Italian menu. A specialty is stuffed pizza with double crust, double cheese, sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers, and mushrooms. In addition to pizza, subs, and calzones, The Slice serves Others include cioppino, balsamic grilled Atlantic salmon, and chicken and spinach stuffed ravioli.
Vibe: Comfortable fun ambience with an exhibition kitchen, brick walls, and black-and-white checkered flooring to giving a classic New York pizzeria feeling. Background music and three TVs for sports lovers. Clientele is made up of lots of locals and Monterey Plaza shoppers.
Bar/Lounge: No formal lounge, but the wine list includes domestic and Italian vintages, some by the glass, at affordable prices. The house wine is Tiziano Chianti. Domestic and imported bottled beers and beer on tap.
Serving: Open for lunch and dinner daily from 11 a.m.
Pocket Factor: Entrées range from $15 to $22.95, $6.95 for children under 10 years old.
The “It” Factor: The New York experience.

TRIO RESTAURANT AND BAR
707 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
1-760-864-8746

Cuisine: American modern, blending California comfort food with an American flair. Specialties include slow-roasted Yankee pot roast and seafood stew with a tomato and fennel vegetable broth. Owners Tony Marchese and Mark Van Laanen are committed to sustainable organic seafood, meats, and local produce.
Vibe: Color, modern décor, and changing artwork for sale create panache. Typical crowd is a mix of locals and out-of-towners exploring uptown Palm Springs.
Bar/Lounge: An energetic, open conversation-style bar comes alive at night, featuring premium brands and wines from California and international vintners. Happy hour 4-7 p.m.
Serving: Dinner from 5 p.m. Can seat 15 guests at one table in the dining room and 30 in a semi-private room.
Pocket Factor: Entrées $14 to $24.
The “It” Factor: Location, style, excellent food, and service at an affordable price point.

ZINI CAFÉ MED
140 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
1-760-325-9464

Cuisine: Italian-Mediterranean. Featuring a seasonal menu that includes sole, mussels, and shrimp in a tomatoes, white wine, and saffron broth, using sustainably farmed produce and meats and environmentally sound seafood.
Vibe: A sister restaurant to Zin American Bistro just down the street, this is a people-watching sidewalk café in downtown Palm Springs. The atmosphere is cozy, eclectic, and art-filled.
Bar/Lounge: The full bar features Spanish tapas and wine flights. Happy hour 4-6 p.m. and 11 p.m.-closing. A belly dancer, Flamenco guitarist, and others entertain. A fine list of imported and California wines are moderately priced, and wines by the glass are paired with the changing menu.
Serving: Open for lunch, dinner, and tapas 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. weekdays and until 12:30 a.m. weekends. Six guests can be accommodated at one table.
Pocket Factor: Entrées $12 to $20.
The “It” Factor: Wine Director/Owner Mindy Reed is a multi-award winner, as was her late husband, Chef Nicolas Klontz.

Entertain on your patio and drink in the amazing views on the Signature Hole , #7 at La Quinta Country Club! Home of the Bob Hope Classic golf tournament, you can follow the Players and mingle with the Celebrities right outside your sliding back door.  This Hacienda home has fairway, lake, waterfall and mountain views!  Over 3100 sq. ft. of living space on a large 1/3 acre corner lot is offered for sale by Kathy Schowe and The Lori Bowers Group.

Check out the video below — and click on 49341GuijarroDrive@SchoweProperties.com for details!

La Quinta Country Club still loved by Bob Hope

Classic golfers !

LA QUINTA — Although the sun wasn’t shining at La Quinta Country Club on Wednesday, players sounded like they were in golfing paradise.“I remember my first year out here in ‘07, I was going, ‘Man, I could play here every day,’” George McNeill said.

It didn’t hurt that McNeill shot the lowest round of the day at the course — a 7-under 65 — but fellow pros echoed his praise. They are pleased that the course has rejoined the rotation at the Bob Hope Classic after a one-year absence.

“I’ve always liked this golf course,” McNeill said. “It’s always in just absolutely perfect shape.”

The course wasn’t used last year primarily because a new clubhouse was being constructed. It opened last fall.

But it’s the course’s historic charm as well as its flawless greens that most impress the pros.

La Quinta Country Club opened in 1959, and was first used for the Hope in 1964. The setting is intimate. Its well-conditioned layout weaves through cottage-style houses dotted with citrus trees.

“When I’m here, I know I’m in Palm Springs,” said Matt Kuchar, who shot a 5-under 67.

McNeill also raved about the greens, saying that he and his fellow golfers consider them among the best on tour.

“We go, ‘Man, the best greens we play on all year are at La Quinta,’” he said.

Jeff Klauk also complimented the course’s condition. He is hard to impress. His father served as the superintendent at TPC Sawgrass.

“The course is in great shape,” said Klauk, who shot a 6-under 66. “Being the son of a superintendent, I always seem to notice a lot of things.”

Although the conditions at La Quinta were cool and windy, scoring was slightly lower than in 2008. The scoring average was 69.688 on Wednesday, and 69.891 two years ago.

Three strokes behind leader Shane Bertsch, McNeill saved his round at one of the Hope’s most historically difficult holes, the 434-yard second.

The par-4 requires players to land their drives in a narrow space between bunkers and palm trees. It was the second most difficult hole in the tournament Wednesday with a 4.406 average.

After an errant drive, McNeill was forced to pitch out from behind a tree, but he got up-and-down for par from 80 yards. He then closed with three birdies on his last five holes.

Scoring at La Quinta will depend on the conditions as the week progresses, McNeill said, but he said players could finish a few strokes lower than his 7-under 65.

“You’ve still got to shape your shots off the tee, and you’ve still got to shape your shots into the green,” he said. “Being soft, you can go at the pins.”

But he doesn’t see anyone threatening the course record of 11-under 61, which Lennie Clements set in 1994.

“I don’t see anybody shooting 60 or anything,” McNeill said. “If they do, good for them, but there won’t be more than one of them.”

Cast your vote for the top Restaurants, Happy Hours, Margaritas, Hiking Trails, Schools, Spas, Public Golf Courses, Dog Parks, Pizza, Dive Bar, Wine Shop, Car Wash— and many other categories!!  I will post the results when they come out– voting closes on Feb. 14th!

Click on the icon below to cast your vote!!

Let’s go Taste what La Quinta has to offer– this sounds like a really great Event!  Mark your Calendars!  Can’t WAIT!

We had such a great time with Bruce & Bonnie Cotton at Indian Ridge CC !

This wonderful homesite at The Hideaway Golf Club takes in sweeping views of the Santa Rosa Mountains and 14th tee of the Clive Clark course. Offered by Kathy Schowe and The Lori Bowers Goup for $377,000, it measures 16,117 sq.ft. or .370 acres.

The Hideaway Golf Club at La Quinta is one of the best kept secrets in the Southern California Desert.  The Hideaway’s 36-holes of golf are surrounded by a private gated community, combining the amenities of a fine resort with all of the comforts of home.

Hideaway homesites, ranging in size from one-third to over one-half acres, offer ready-to-build sites complete with full urban utilities, paved roads and majestic views of the mountains, water features & golf courses  perfect to design and build the refined custom home of your dreams.

For more info on The Hideaway Golf Club, and this property visit schoweproperties.com

Great party to celebrate a terrific year at La Quinta and Ladies TeamPlay!  Our team ROCKS!

Wow– an amazing time at The Hideaway Golf Club in La Quinta, California! From the opening party with Elvis, Rod Stewart, and Whitney Houston to the closing party dinner dance…we had a wonderful time! Deby Anderson & Kathy Schowe teamed up to take the low-gross prize with rounds of 69-67 !  The girls at the Hideaway know how to have a good time!  What a great tournament!

La Quinta Resort…Prime Time On The Plaza
LQ Resort
Another great way to start your weekend, this evening at La Quinta Resort… 5 PM – 7 PM, “Prime Time on the Plaza” with Candice Aragon. And more tickets to give away at 6:30 to the Tennis Tournament now underway in Indian Wells.. And tonight — another very special treat. You’ve heard of the Bryan Brothers — the number one doubles champions in the world! Well, they also have a band! And they’ll be playing between 7 and 8 at La Quinta Resort. It’s going to be a big evening — so please join us..

We had such a great time at the La Quinta Country Club’s Fiesta Alegre tournament! Can’t wait for next year!

The first TASTE OF LA QUINTA was a huge success– selling out in 2 hours!  We had a great time and can’t wait until next year!  Come on down to Old Town for a great time in La Quinta !

The best-sellers in the tapas samples… Adobe Grill fish and ceviche tacos,  Hog’s Breath Inn pulled pork sliders, Morgan’s short-ribs, and the Desert Sage– pork tenderloin medallions over polenta!

Our favorite WINE… Barossa Jack Shiraz! Available at Old Town Cellar!

We had a great time mixing it up Spring-Fall Teams and an super party after!

Here are your picks for the best of everything in the desert!  First up… Desert Dining!

DINING, BY TYPE

DINING, INTERNATIONAL CUISINE

DINING, CLASSIC & CONTINENTAL

DINING, CASUAL

DINING, LIGHT FARE

BAR AND DRINKS

The festival will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Empire Polo Club in Indio.

Indio Police officers say this weekend’s music festival should be less problematic than last weekend’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — which created traffic nightmares and long lines — because it’s only a two-day event, has fewer attendees and allows for RV parking, which means there’s less in-and-out traffic.

“The dynamics (of Stagecoach) have never come close to the traffic challenges of Coachella,” Indio Police spokesman Ben Guitron said.

Still, police have recommended the following alternate routes and roadways to avoid this weekend.

Here’s what you need to know:

One-way roads

Monroe Street will be converted to southbound traffic only from Avenue 52 to Avenue 48.

Avenue 50 will be westbound only from Madison to Jefferson streets.

Avenue 52 will be eastbound only from Madison to Monroe streets.

Roads to avoid

Southbound Jefferson Street from Indio Boulevard to Avenue 52

Southbound Monroe Street from Interstate 10 to Avenue 52

Highway 111 at Jefferson Street

Highway 111 at Monroe Street

Eastbound Interstate 10 off-ramp at Jefferson Street

Eastbound Interstate 10 off-ramp at Monroe Street

Alternate routes

When traveling north or south in Indio, use Madison, Jackson and Calhoun streets and Golf Center Parkway.

When traveling east or west, use Fred Waring Drive, Miles Avenue east of Madison Street and Avenue 48.

Those who live south of Avenue 52 near the event should drive south to Airport Boulevard before going east or west.

Road closures

Avenue 49 at Monroe Street

Avenue 50 between Jackson and Madison streets

Hjorth Street between Avenue 49 and Avenue 50

Madison Street between Avenue 49 and Avenue 50

Check out this terrific resource on Facebook — 365 Things to do in the Palm Springs, CA Area! Click on the logo below to become a FAN !

Everyone always asks me for this recipe–  Originally from Martha Stewart…I usually triple this recipe– YES!   I add extra fresh ginger– and also add candied ginger!  Enjoy!

Directions

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
4. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

la quinta country club home

Check out this amazing buy at LQCC–on the Signature 7th Hole!  Amazing views of golf course, lake, and mountains!

Summer ZooCamp consists of six weekly sessions. Each themed class focuses on an entertaining and educational topic, geared to the specific age level, at which it’s offered. ZooCampers will be excited by the special behind-the-scenes tours and animal encounters you can only find at The Living Desert!

And NEW this year – ZooCampers ages 6-12 can become Junior Rangers at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway!

Summer ZooCamp is offered for ages 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 and 10-12. Weekly session run Monday through Friday from 8:00a.m. to 12:00 noon. Summer ZooCampers need to come equipped for outdoor activity with a snack, lunch and water bottle each day.

ZooCamp Sleepover Option!
ZooCampers now have the opportunity to spend the night at the zoo! ZooCamp overnights are offered once per ZooCamp. Your adventure begins at 6:30pm and includes guided nighttime walks, a campfire program and surprises along the way! Breakfast the next morning is provided.

Week 1: June 21st – June 25th

Week 2: June 28th – July 2nd

Week 3: July 5th – July 9th

Week 4: NEW! Jr. Rangers Program at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (Ages 6-12)

•Session A: July 12th-13th at 9am-2pm
•Session B: July 14th-15th at 9am-2pm
•ZooCamp Sleepover! July 15th 6:30pm – July 16th 9:00am

Week 5: July 19th – July 23rd

Week 6: July 26th – July 30th

Please see the Summer ZooCamp Schedule for pricing and program specifics.
http://www.livingdesert.org/pdfs/ZooCamp_Flyer_2010.pdf

Registration began April 15th. Register early, as ZooCamp sessions frequently sell out!

5 To Dos Before Marketing Your Home

1. Flower up curb appeal. Do the lawn and bushes look neatly manicured? Could it use more? Are pretty flowers or plants framing the entrance? Is the walkway free from cracks? Does it smell like blooms or manure as you approach the front door? Are the windows clean? Is the paint peeling? Is the grass healthy? Weeds are green, too, you know, so by healthy I not only mean green, but I also mean no weeds. Does your front door have a fresh coat of stain or paint? Curb appeal can be a chore or a fun family event. Either way, it has to happen before the sign goes in the yard! And, by the way, continue it ’til the closing. It’s just the right thing to do.

2. Have a pre-sale home inspection. Be proactive. An inspector will give you a good indication of what will stand out to potential buyers. Plus, it is highly likely the buyer will hire one themselves and why not eliminate everything he would otherwise report? You’ll be able to make repairs before buyers start charging you 10 times the price in the low offers they would bring unmaintained or before their inspector gets there and the repair requests start flying in like rockets. The best way to avoid insulting low offers or nagging repair requests is look like a million bucks to begin with — get things done before-hand.

3. Get replacement estimates. Do you have big-ticket items that are worn out or will need to be replaced soon, such your roof, old foggy windows or carpeting? Get estimates on how much it would cost to replace them, even if you don’t plan to do it yourself. The figures will help buyers determine if they can afford the home and will be handy when negotiations begin. Don’t play poker. They will see your foggy window and raise you ten.

4. Find warranties. Gather up the warranties, guarantees, and user manuals for the furnace, washer and dryer, dishwasher, and any other items that will remain with the house.

5. Organize and clean. De-clutter! Items like kitchen tools, out-of-season clothes, toys, and exercise equipment need to GO. Store items off-site or in boxes neatly arranged in storage areas. Clean windows, floors, fixtures, walls and baseboards to make the interior shine.

Sellers, the beauty of a tough economy is a lot of homes are neglected, abandoned, abused or otherwise show like poo. This is your chance to shine! Plus, none of the recommendations above are bank busters.
via Kristin Ueckert ActiveRain

Join Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall as they “Carrie On” with a Special Midnight Show Wednesday Night, May 26
SPECIAL PRE-OPENING MIDNIGHT SHOW PARTY!
- in Kodak Digital Cinema [Digital Projection & Sound / 47-Foot Screen!] -
Wednesday (5/26) 12:01 A.M.

Old Town Happy Hour Specials

Devane’s – Happy Hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily, featuring half-off bar menu items, house wines and well drinks. 760-771-5330 www.devanesoldtown.com

Hog’s Breath Inn­ – Happy Hour in the bar runs from 3:30 p.m. to close daily featuring 50% off the bar menu food. Plus, enjoy $9.95 lunch entrees all summer long! 760-564-5556 www.hogsbreathinnlaquinta.com

Old Town Cellar & Wine Bar – Happy Hour Monday through Saturday from 3 p.m. to close with 12 food and wine specials that are all $6 each. 760-771-8950 www.oldtowncellar.com

Viva! Cantina & Grill­ – Happy Hour daily in the Cantina from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. featuring $1 off all bottled beer, half-price glasses of house wine, $2 off specialty cocktails and margaritas, $1.95 Carne Asada Tacos, $3.95 Cabo Fish Tacos and 50% off the Cantina Menu. Starting May 31st, VIVA! will have Happy Hour all day on Saturdays and Sundays in the Cantina. 760-777-6625 www.vivalq.com

Stuft Pizza Bar & Grill – Happy Hour 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily featuring 50% off house wines, well drinks and draft beers; discounted specialty drinks; 25% off all “small plates” (over 25 choices); $2.50 off all small pizzas. 760-777-9989 www.stuftpizza.com

Art & Wine
1st Tuesday of Each Month All Summer!

Presented by La Quinta Arts Foundation come enjoy a series of artists at Old Town Cellar throughout the summer months while sipping your favorite wine!

Tuesday, June 1st – 5pm to 7pm
Artist: Rebecca Molayem, Painter
Wine: Zaca Mesa Winery
Nibbles: Old Town Cellar

Tuesday, July 6th – 5pm to 7pm
Artist: Robert Ferguson, Painter
Wine: Ferrari Carano Winery
Nibbles: Cool Options Gelato

Tuesday, August 3rd – 5pm to 7pm
Artists: Ric & Tim Vigallon, Metal Sculpture & Bart Aldrich, Photographer
Wine: Bennett Lane Winery
Nibbles: TKB Bakery & Deli

Tuesday, September 7th – 5pm to 7pm
Artists: Joanne Casey, Mixed Media & Leslee Adams, Painter
Wine: Rutherford Ranch Winery
Nibbles: Hogs Breath Inn

For further information please visit www.lqaf.com.

Four Vines: Funky and fun tasting room! Home of the NAKED Chardonnay and stemless glasses! fourvines.com

Turley: Sophisticated wines… beautiful tasting room.  Old vines! turleywinecellars.com Chateau Margene: Very special handcrafted wines by Mike Mooney and the Mooney family!  Stop by and try these amazing wines!  chateaumargene.com

COOL OPTIONS IN OLD TOWN LA QUINTA!

Best Gelato in the Desert! COOL OPTIONS in Old Town La Quinta!

Gelato, Sorbetto and Ice Cream Now Chilling Out in the heart of La Quinta Village

Hanging out in Old Town La Quinta is now even cooler – just in time for summer. Old Town La Quinta welcomes Cool Options – a new gelato, sorbetto and ice cream shop opening TODAY in Old Town La Quinta.

“After the recent closing of Baskin Robbins in La Quinta, it’s great to have new ‘Cool Options’ in the community,” said Leslie Locken, property manager of Old Town La Quinta. “We’re excited to provide a gathering place for kids, seniors – and everyone in between – to enjoy refreshing treats.”

Cool Options will be offering a menu of Palazzolo’a gelato and sorbetto, Clemmy’s all-natural and sugar free ice cream, homemade gelato pies, a Cool Options smoothie as well as beverages such as Panna, Pelligrino, Izze Italian Soda, Orangina and iced tea.

What’s more, Cool Options is one of very few places to enjoy gelato in the desert. Gelato is European-style ice cream that has very little air whipped into it and is made from a lower butterfat cream than most super premium ice creams. By using less air, there’s no need to use a high butterfat – which eliminates the greasy palate caused by a lot of fat. Today we tried out the “dulce la leche”, “coconut, almond, fudge”, and the “white chocolate raspberry cheesecake”!  Yummmy!

Cool Options is located at 78-010 Main Street, Suite 108, in Old Town La Quinta. Hours of operation are 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day. Phone: 760-771-9132.

The addition of an ice cream/gelato shop in Old Town La Quinta fulfills another business that has been sought by the developers of this quaint shopping and dining destination in La Quinta. Other shops currently being recruited as part of Old Town’s top desired businesses are a florist, bike shop, bath & body, high-end shoes, gourmet foods, candy & chocolates and a garden store.

El Mirador – A Grand Hotel

El Mirador had a style and charm which reflected a time of graciousness and conviviality.

The El Mirador Hotel

Photo from the Palm Springs Life Archives

(Republished from the November 1977 issue of Palm Springs Life magazine)

It had 165 rooms to start with, and it once was advertised, with exuberant use of words, as “a magnificent palace of splendor.”

More simply stated — a true luxury hotel.

It attracted well-known persons from over the nation and from Europe. Guests included Albert Einstein, the scientist; John Barrymore, the actor; Lord Beaverbrook, the London publisher; Salvador Dali, the artist, and a child movie star named Shirley Temple. H.G. Wells, English novelist and historian, came to enjoy the desert sunshine, as did the Earl of Warwick, along with such American tycoons as John Jacob Rasob, Thomas Wanamaker and Charles Howard, who owned a famous horse named Sea Biscuit.

For pre-World War II days, in a small village known as Palm Springs, it was a remarkable achievement for a hotel. And for good reason.

It boasted an Olympic-size swimming pool with five diving boards, an underwater window on the pool for use by photographers, and a pool observation platform.

With an impressive landmark that became known and recognized everywhere — a pink Byzantine tower from which the hotel took its name — El Mirador — meaning “The Lookout.”

A somewhat bizarre touch, at one time, was a full-grown lion, pacing in a cage above the hotel entrance and spotlighted at night. A temperamental lion that would eat only when its keeper was with it, stroking it gently as it ate.

Today, after 49 years of such headline activity, part of El Mirador still stands on North Palm Canyon Drive, but only as a structure, warmly wrapped in memories. Waiting now for the final gesture. The final headline. It is scheduled now for demolition, except for the tower, to make room for additions to Desert Hospital. The tower will be kept on the hospital grounds. The great pool already is filled in.

It’s the end of a many-sided story — involving hope, initiative, disaster, success, change, and decline. In that order. A story, in its way, of how Palm Springs left off being a quiet village and became a world-recognized resort city.

It began in 1927 when a Palm Springs pioneer named Prescott Thresher Stevens took a gamble on the future. Not on the stock market, the popular game at that time, but on the future of Palm Springs as a resort community. What Stevens, a well-to-do land developer from Colorado, took a chance on was building a hotel he felt would lure free-spending visitors to the area. A really exceptional hotel, located on 20 acres of ground. With a landmark tower unlike anything the desert has known. Then and now.

For Palm Springs, with only one paved street at the time, it was an extraordinary venture. By an extraordinary man. There was the Desert Inn, to be sure. But the inn, fashionable and elegant as it was, had its built-in clientele. It was quiet and decorous. What Stevens and his associates brought about was a hotel that was to signal the nation, in no uncertain terms, that a desert vacation in California could have liveliness, variety and style — real style — for those who could afford it.

The price tag for this sort of desert vacation came to $26 a day. American plan. Room and three meals a day. With a superb menu. But not to be judged by today’s standard of dollar value. At that time $26 a day wasn’t for everybody.

It took time to complete the new hotel — to get it landscaped and all. At the beginning it stood out in bold relief on wind-blown desert wasteland, remote from Palm Springs proper. But there was a New Year’s Eve party on December 30, 1928, with a grand opening the following February. Hollywood personalities promptly found the hotel intriguing. The hotel register began to glitter with names like the Barrymores, Charles Chaplin, Leslie Howard, Charles Laughton, and Victor McLaglen. Ralph Bellamy and Charles Farrell, who were to start the famed Palm Springs Racquet Club a few years later, were steady patrons.

So the Stevens dream took hold.

And then — disaster! The 1929 stock market crash.

Anthony (Tony) Burke, now a Palm Desert real estate broker, who served as the hotel’s first publicity director, recalls what happened:

“Stevens,” Burke explains, “had no way of knowing what was going to happen to the nation financially. But he was a man of vision as far as Palm Springs was concerned, more than many others at the time. A man with a curious habit of dress, in that he would wear an overcoat on occasion, but never a necktie. But he believed in Palm Springs. He created several early subdivisions. And Palm Springs, keep in mind, was doing a good business at the time, with wealthy visitors who came out of the midwest and east for the then-precise six-months-long desert season. But all that changed with the stock market debacle. And Stevens went down with it.”

As the Palm Springs Villager was to report: “P.T. Stevens, an optimistic pioneer, surrendered his fortune to what became a frankenstein, and died under the strain of heavy debt during the early years of the Depression.”

For El Mirador it meant the auction block. It was sold, in 1932, for $300,000 to Warren Pinney, attorney for the hotel, and Ralph LeCoe, a businessman-investor.

But this brought on an important question for the new owners. How to put over a luxury hotel, with high standards — expensive standards — in the midst of the nation’s big economic shakedown? How to attract those who had the money to spend, and were willing to spend it despite the times?

It was up to Burke, as publicity director, to provide the answer. And Burke, an Englishman, a former assistant director at MGM in Hollywood, whose amazing and varied career will be detailed in book form, with an introduction by Bing Crosby, has this explanation of a success story:

“We began by assuming there were people with money to spend. There always are, even with a nation in an economic tailspin. Our problem was to get the right publicity, and lots of it, without having any money to speak of to spend on it. And those were days, mind you, when some newspapers across the country kept referring to Palm Springs as being in Florida, not in California. A mixture of ignorance and jealousy. A tendency to look down their noses at anything west of the Mississippi. So the nation had to be told. It had to be educated.”

The answer was: do it with pictures.

“What we did,” Burke relates, “was invite the newsreel cameramen — Pathe, Fox Movietone, Paramount, and the others — to be our guests at El Mirador. With free room, free meals, and all the rest. We’d give them a great time, and then put on a real show for them. Diving exhibitions, for example. With stars like Dutch Smith, the famous Olympic diving champion, as coach and director. We had aquatic stars like Clarence (Buster) Crabbe, Johnny Weismuller, Georgia Coleman, Bill Lewin of Canada, and the great Duke Kahanamoku of Hawaii. We had them all, in diving and swimming contests. And the cameramen and photographers did the rest, giving us publicity that brought in more prominent people as paying guests. Guests who made good news copy in their own way, at a time when pictures were really important. When you went to the movies to see what was going on. The good old newsreels.”

Among El Mirador guests who made good copy at the time was Albert Einstein, the famed German scientist, who was newly arrived in this country.

“He came to Palm Springs as the guest of Samuel Untermeyer, the well-known attorney,” Burke recalls. “He stayed for a time at Untermeyer’s home and then spent three weeks at El Mirador. No one was allowed to take pictures of Einstein and his wife, but I got permission to do so. I sent out stories and pictures and they got attention everywhere. And Einstein, let me say, turned out to be a delightful person. It was difficult to talk with him, since neither he nor his wife spoke any English. Very little, anyway. But he was amazingly genial at times. On one occasion he borrowed a violin and took part in one of the hotel’s Sunday night musicals. He used to wander about the hotel, wearing bedroom slippers. And he enjoyed walking out into the desert — there was nothing between the hotel and Indio to speak of at the time — and go poking around in the sand. Thinking his own thoughts. So he made excellent copy for the hotel. And that’s the way we worked to put the hotel, and Palm Springs, on the map. We knocked out the idea that Palm Springs had to be in Florida.”

Helen Kenaston (Helen Lindsay), who managed the I. Magnin store at the hotel, a celebrity in her own way, remembers this period of El Mirador history for its attention to detail in food, service and entertainment of guests. For what it stood for in style and fashion:

“There was such a conscious effort to make things perfect for the hotel guests, with picnics, riding parties, breakfast cook-outs, and fashion shows. It was a time when people really dressed for dinner. And when it came to clothes, the guests bought in amazing quantity as well as quality. They bought furs as well as desert attire. Whatever they wanted was sent to the hotel from Los Angeles. And the hotel itself became a beautiful garden spot as trees and shrubbery were planted, with scenes and incidents that can never be forgotten. Like seeing Samuel Untermeyer and Albert Einstein locked into a tight bridge game. One could only stand and marvel at that particular contest of minds.”

Then, in 1936, Burke left the hotel for other assignments, including managing the Palm Springs Tennis Club and serving as chief public relations officer for the late Howard Hughes. The task of dreaming up ideas, of selling El Mirador as a hotel, was given to Frank Bogert, who later became mayor of Palm Springs. The routine of how to treat a guest royally, how to make a guest feel important, swept on to new highs.

There was the day when Jimmy Walker, colorful mayor of New York, arrived for a stay at El Mirador.

“We met him at the Palm Springs railway station with a stagecoach,” Bogert recalls. “We brought him in in real style, getting it all down on film and still pictures, of course, including the way he was greeted at the hotel by Gus, our famous doorman, who looked like General Pershing, with more dignity than any man had a right to have.”

It was a continuation of publicity maneuvers in the manner of the ’30s. It involved checking up on important people, getting stories into national newspapers, along with hometown publicity, with full use of the picture magazines that were coming into being — magazines like Life and Look. The premium was always for doing things differently. The odd and the unusual. Like a poolside Christmas party that Bogert organized, with the Christmas tree under water, anchored to the bottom of the swimming pool.

“We had Santa Claus under water, alongside the Christmas tree, breathing through a tube, with children and grownups diving down to get their presents off the tree. It made good photo copy. And by that time we had the underwater window in the pool, a real break for photographers, both the professionals and the amateurs.”

Among other things, Bogert made a publicity pitch at popularizing shorts for men. He cut off some slacks at the knee, then hired some men to wear them while pulling a rickshaw through the streets of Palm Springs. It was something new, different.

But the photo release that Bogert remembers best, and is most proud of, involved Shirley Temple, child movie star, at age 7.

“We had Governor Herbert Lehman of New York as a guest at the hotel,” Bogert recalls. “He wanted privacy. No interviews. No photos. But he expressed one wish. He said he’d like to meet Shirley Temple who was staying at the Desert Inn with her mother. I said I’d try to arrange it. And I did. Shirley’s mother said she’d like to meet the governor. So they met for lunch beside the pool at El Mirador. I took several pictures and thought I was doing pretty well until little Shirley spoke up and said, ‘Look, Mr. Bogert, why don’t you stand over there with your camera? The governor can sit where he is and I’ll cheat a little toward him. I think that will do much better.’ . . . Well, I did what she said and got a picture that went all around the nation. By following the advice of a 7-year-old. But what a 7-year-old!”

What Bogert remembers, too, was the reaction of the Desert Inn to a photo that gave El Mirador all the publicity.

And so it went until World War II erupted. The Army bought El Mirador and turned it into Torney General Hospital for sick and wounded soldiers sent home from the war in the Pacific. Here again an example of what can happen to a hotel. As Bogert tells it:

“Warren Pinney, who owned the hotel at the time, got a bit panicky. He felt sure the war would end tourist travel to Palm Springs, what with gas rationing and all. He expected the Army would pay him handsomely, and agreed to sell. But the Army found out the hotel had been valued at $420,000, in seeking a lower tax, and wound up paying Pinney that amount. On the other hand, the Desert Inn stayed open during the war, and did very well. Palm Springs was coming into its own, regardless.”

The war over, the United States Army put El Mirador on their surplus property list, first offering it for sale to the City of Palm Springs. Residents voted on a resolution to have the city buy the property for a civic center, but the vote was negative. The hotel then went through several changes of ownership until 1952 when it was purchased by a group of investors, including Roy Fitzgerald and the late Ray Ryan, reportedly for about $900,000.

Something like the old life now came back to El Mirador with Hollywood personalities as steady customers. William Holden and Dean Martin were regulars, as were such stars as Gregory Peck, Paulette Goddard and Ginger Rogers. Louella Parsons, the famous Hollywood columnist, was a frequent guest, and radio personalities like Arthur Godfrey joined the list. Two famous radio stars, Freeman Gosden and Charley Correll of “Amos ‘n’ Andy” fame, did their show from a special studio set up for them in the tower of the hotel. They wanted to spend their winters in the desert and were prominent enough to put it over, giving additional publicity for hotel and city through a radio show with 40 million regular listeners.

But times were changing. Bogert came in as manager in 1956 and, with the hotel losing money, began booking in conventions, a distinct departure from tradition.

Four years later, another change. Ryan bought out his co-investors for a reported $900,000 and announced plans to spend another million in refurbishing. To liven things up, he brought in big-name bands and innovations like a steel drum band from Trinidad.

El Mirador was back in good form, with headline guests including the late Howard Hughes.

“He booked a cottage,” Bogert relates. “But no one saw him arrive. No one saw him leave. No one saw him. Period. Blankets were hung over the cottage windows from the inside. Food was prepared inside. Trying to find out who was with him became the great guessing game of the moment. And we never did find out.”

What did become clear, as the hotel steered its way through the ’60s, was that the old order was slipping away. Palm Springs had new attractions and more hotels. Air travel was emphasizing vacations in Hawaii, in Europe. The picture magazines and Sunday newspaper supplements were giving up to television. Old-style publicity had had its day. Old-style luxury hotels, catering to the individual rather than the group, with expensive grounds and accoutrements, faced new problems.

In 1968 ownership of El Mirador passed to Mr. and Mrs. John Conte, who used part of the property for a television studio. In the years that followed the hotel remained open but with diminishing popularity, until it was sold in December 1972 to Desert Hospital, adjacent to the hotel, for $4 million.

That is pretty much the end of the story. Except that for a little time yet one can walk the once fastidious grounds of the old hotel. One can look across the lobby where famous people once gathered for afternoon tea. One can look at the splendid tower, with its enclosed balcony, where, while millions of Americans sat beside their radio sets, Amos and Andy brought them uplift and laughter. And, with some recourse to imagination, one can see again the swimming pool where newsreel cameramen ground out film of aquatic stars, while guests from far and wide watched from poolside and from their private cabanas. All this is part of what was, in its way, a storybook hotel with half a century of both troubled and glamorous history.

There is an important and insistent question about it all, one that can’t be ignored.

Where would Palm Springs be today, it can be asked, if it had not been for El Mirador? With all the publicity that was achieved. All the photographs and film that were spread across the nation. And to other parts of the world. In the clever, persistent, and happy way in which publicity was handled. At the time. Way back when.

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