The essential Palm Springs part 3: the Coachella Valley
A SNOWCAPPED VIEW OVER THE CITY
While Palm Springs is well known for its Desert Modernist architecture, palm trees, and romantic images of pools rippling in reflected sunlight, it is surprisingly simple to escape the heat and discover an entirely different landscape – and temperature.
In 1963 a remarkable engineering project was completed, and the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway was opened to the public, whisking Valley residents up to wilderness of the San Jacinto Peak.
While Palm Springs is well known for its Desert Modernist architecture, palm trees, and romantic images of pools rippling in reflected sunlight, it is surprisingly simple to escape the heat and discover an entirely different landscape – and temperature.
In 1963 a remarkable engineering project was completed, and the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway was opened to the public, whisking Valley residents up to wilderness of the San Jacinto Peak.
The cable car departs from the Valley Station, designed by
Albert Frey, a structure lifted up from ground level to allow waters to pass
underneath with triangulated windows framing views up the Chino Canyon. The
journey then takes around 10 minutes, with rotating cars offering a panoramic
view of the terrain and a grand vantage down into the Coachella Valley and city
of Palm Springs.
At the top, after stepping out of the E. Stewart Williams-designed Mountain Station, a new world is discovered. When recessed.space visited there was deep snow offering welcome respite from the dry desert and a delight for playing children and hiking adults alike.
At the top, after stepping out of the E. Stewart Williams-designed Mountain Station, a new world is discovered. When recessed.space visited there was deep snow offering welcome respite from the dry desert and a delight for playing children and hiking adults alike.
SUNNYLANDS
CENTER & GARDENS
Once the winter retreat estate of business and diplomatic couple Walter and Leonore Annenberg, Sunnylands is now open to the public, offering 15 acres of gardens to explore, centred by a visitor centre designed by Frederick Fisher & Partners. Laid out by landscape architect James Burnett, over 53,000 plants make for a beautiful escape.
The Ambassador to Great Britain under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, Walter Annenberg became known for philanthropy, international diplomacy, and a love of culture. As well as supporting the restoration of St. Paul’s Cathedral, he and Leonora had a large collection of fine art. Many of their paintings – including works by Picasso, Monet, and Van Gogh – are now in New York’s Met, but reproductions are presented in the visitor centre alongside several original great sculptural works by the likes of Rodin, Giacometti, and Arp.
Sunnylands is a regular partner of the Desert X sculptural biennial – when recessed.space visited a towering pyramid of plants by the great Agnes Denes sat proudly on the main lawn. Around the year other cultural events take place, from youth workshops to dance performances.
Located at the junctions of Frank Sinatra Drive and Bob Hope Drive – so named after two of Palm Springs’ most famous residents – the estate is actually much larger than the areas public can visit. Nicknamed Camp David of the West, the main estate and Quincy Jones-designed house is still used for diplomatic and political gatherings.
Once the winter retreat estate of business and diplomatic couple Walter and Leonore Annenberg, Sunnylands is now open to the public, offering 15 acres of gardens to explore, centred by a visitor centre designed by Frederick Fisher & Partners. Laid out by landscape architect James Burnett, over 53,000 plants make for a beautiful escape.
The Ambassador to Great Britain under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, Walter Annenberg became known for philanthropy, international diplomacy, and a love of culture. As well as supporting the restoration of St. Paul’s Cathedral, he and Leonora had a large collection of fine art. Many of their paintings – including works by Picasso, Monet, and Van Gogh – are now in New York’s Met, but reproductions are presented in the visitor centre alongside several original great sculptural works by the likes of Rodin, Giacometti, and Arp.
Sunnylands is a regular partner of the Desert X sculptural biennial – when recessed.space visited a towering pyramid of plants by the great Agnes Denes sat proudly on the main lawn. Around the year other cultural events take place, from youth workshops to dance performances.
Located at the junctions of Frank Sinatra Drive and Bob Hope Drive – so named after two of Palm Springs’ most famous residents – the estate is actually much larger than the areas public can visit. Nicknamed Camp David of the West, the main estate and Quincy Jones-designed house is still used for diplomatic and political gatherings.
LES CACTUS HOTEL
recessed.space stayed at Les Cactus hotel in Palm Springs, offering a space of seclusion away from the business of downtown and within easy reach of freeways heading into the Coachella Valley landscapes.
Named after the 1960s song by Jacques Dutronc, Les Cactus offers 27 rooms around a salt-water pool, hot tub, and hammock garden. The enclosed complex in warm pink offers a genuinely delightful space of escape from the heat and dryness, while the entrance building is immediately welcoming, with a rich range of books, drinks, snacks, and deep seating. There is a strong sense of playful design and identity throughout, with their cactus logo popping up everywhere, from the pillows to peaked cap and other merch.
Before its recent reimagination, the bungalow complex was a 1930s motor-court property in which Shirley Temple and her family once stayed ahead of buying a home in Palm Springs. That sense of pre-war Californian vernacular is still present in the modern boutique Les Cactus now offers.
recessed.space stayed at Les Cactus hotel in Palm Springs, offering a space of seclusion away from the business of downtown and within easy reach of freeways heading into the Coachella Valley landscapes.
Named after the 1960s song by Jacques Dutronc, Les Cactus offers 27 rooms around a salt-water pool, hot tub, and hammock garden. The enclosed complex in warm pink offers a genuinely delightful space of escape from the heat and dryness, while the entrance building is immediately welcoming, with a rich range of books, drinks, snacks, and deep seating. There is a strong sense of playful design and identity throughout, with their cactus logo popping up everywhere, from the pillows to peaked cap and other merch.
Before its recent reimagination, the bungalow complex was a 1930s motor-court property in which Shirley Temple and her family once stayed ahead of buying a home in Palm Springs. That sense of pre-war Californian vernacular is still present in the modern boutique Les Cactus now offers.
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
No trip to the Coachella Valley would be complete without a day or two spent exploring the incredible Joshua Tree National Park. Across nearly 3,500km2, a range of spectacular and ecologically important ecosystems can be visited, with the Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert offering rich landscapes to simply slowly observe from your car windows, or to get into on foot.
The land was first known to be lived on by the people of Pinto Culture, 8000-4000 BC (their tools and weapons have been discovered) while over the mellenia since other local communities have lived in harmony with the flora, fauna, and land. Since 1994, Joshua Tree has been designated a National Park, with the hope that future populations will respect the territory as much as people of the past.
While the Joshua Tree can be seen in great numbers, there is great breadth and diversity to the nature, from desert shrublands to junipers and pinyon pine, and more forested vegetation at higher points – though due to climate change, increasingly fewer seedlings are surviving while tortoises, lizards, and birds are similarly rapidly decreasing.
Sublime rock formations across the whole landscape are a huge draw, the park encompassing six blocks of mountains. Some of the formations date back over 1.7billion years, and while some – including the boulder piles of Skull Rock – are very busy, often with a queue forming towards the Instagram moment, it is incredibly easy to discover true solitude and wilderness to connect to the site’s deep history.
No trip to the Coachella Valley would be complete without a day or two spent exploring the incredible Joshua Tree National Park. Across nearly 3,500km2, a range of spectacular and ecologically important ecosystems can be visited, with the Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert offering rich landscapes to simply slowly observe from your car windows, or to get into on foot.
The land was first known to be lived on by the people of Pinto Culture, 8000-4000 BC (their tools and weapons have been discovered) while over the mellenia since other local communities have lived in harmony with the flora, fauna, and land. Since 1994, Joshua Tree has been designated a National Park, with the hope that future populations will respect the territory as much as people of the past.
While the Joshua Tree can be seen in great numbers, there is great breadth and diversity to the nature, from desert shrublands to junipers and pinyon pine, and more forested vegetation at higher points – though due to climate change, increasingly fewer seedlings are surviving while tortoises, lizards, and birds are similarly rapidly decreasing.
Sublime rock formations across the whole landscape are a huge draw, the park encompassing six blocks of mountains. Some of the formations date back over 1.7billion years, and while some – including the boulder piles of Skull Rock – are very busy, often with a queue forming towards the Instagram moment, it is incredibly easy to discover true solitude and wilderness to connect to the site’s deep history.
PIONEERTOWN
A much more recent history can be discovered at Pioneertown, though it’s not quite as old as its 1880s cowboy-esque architecture may suggest. Actor Dick Curtis initiated the town in 1946 as a themed environment for both a residential community as well as a set for filmmakers. It has been the site of hundreds of productions including 156 episodes of The Cisco Kid, The Gay Amigo, and the video for Cydi Lauper’s Funnel of Love.
It is still the site of some productions, but is also still a functioning town – though some residents have made way for AirBnB’s. Along the town’s Mane Street there are several stores and establishments to take in an uncanny sense of California’s past, real and imagined.
recessed.space took in hearty cowboy food and liquor at Pappy & Harriet’s barbecue restaurant, popped into (but didn’t hold up) the bank, and perused the goods at the General Store, though its offer was more for the tourist than a cowboy preparing for a trip into the unknown.
A much more recent history can be discovered at Pioneertown, though it’s not quite as old as its 1880s cowboy-esque architecture may suggest. Actor Dick Curtis initiated the town in 1946 as a themed environment for both a residential community as well as a set for filmmakers. It has been the site of hundreds of productions including 156 episodes of The Cisco Kid, The Gay Amigo, and the video for Cydi Lauper’s Funnel of Love.
It is still the site of some productions, but is also still a functioning town – though some residents have made way for AirBnB’s. Along the town’s Mane Street there are several stores and establishments to take in an uncanny sense of California’s past, real and imagined.
recessed.space took in hearty cowboy food and liquor at Pappy & Harriet’s barbecue restaurant, popped into (but didn’t hold up) the bank, and perused the goods at the General Store, though its offer was more for the tourist than a cowboy preparing for a trip into the unknown.
INDIAN
WELLS TENNIS
This week, the 2026 BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament is served up at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the fifth largest tennis competition in the world. Sat between the Australian and French Opens, it attracts many of the world’s greatest players – perhaps drawn not only by the rich competition, but also the warm winter weather and over £7m in total prize money.
The architecture of Indian Wells Tennis Garden can’t be described as aesthetically exciting, but it’s extremely functional as a backdrop to the energy, excitement, and drama of a highly-fought tennis match. This is especially the case later in the day, when the crisp Californian sunlight slowly dims, replaced by dusk and the warm glow of floodlights.
Last year, recessed.space watched on as Carlos Alcaraz and Jasmine Paolini put on a masterclasses in their singles tournament victories in the 16,100 capacity main stadium. While the vantage and excitement from the grand stand is fantastic, it’s also interesting to leave the main arenas and walk around the Rossetti Associates Architects-designed complex to soak up the atmosphere and observe the training courts.
A fittingly victorious place to finish the recessed.space Essential Palm Springs journey that has taken in Desert Modernism to cowboy film sets and nowcapped mountains to dry deserts.
This week, the 2026 BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament is served up at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the fifth largest tennis competition in the world. Sat between the Australian and French Opens, it attracts many of the world’s greatest players – perhaps drawn not only by the rich competition, but also the warm winter weather and over £7m in total prize money.
The architecture of Indian Wells Tennis Garden can’t be described as aesthetically exciting, but it’s extremely functional as a backdrop to the energy, excitement, and drama of a highly-fought tennis match. This is especially the case later in the day, when the crisp Californian sunlight slowly dims, replaced by dusk and the warm glow of floodlights.
Last year, recessed.space watched on as Carlos Alcaraz and Jasmine Paolini put on a masterclasses in their singles tournament victories in the 16,100 capacity main stadium. While the vantage and excitement from the grand stand is fantastic, it’s also interesting to leave the main arenas and walk around the Rossetti Associates Architects-designed complex to soak up the atmosphere and observe the training courts.
A fittingly victorious place to finish the recessed.space Essential Palm Springs journey that has taken in Desert Modernism to cowboy film sets and nowcapped mountains to dry deserts.
