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For decades, Palm Springs has been a hide-away for the rich and famous.  Drawn by the sun and close proximity to Hollywood, many interesting, fabulous people have built homes and estates here.  Many of these homes are considered true architectural gems of the city.  Below are some of the great walking tours available to the public.

The Palm Springs Historical Society offers one of the largest selections of walking tours.  All of the pre-scheduled tours are $20/per person and most last about two hours.  The tours are packed full of history.   You’ll stroll through beautiful neighborhoods of Palm Springs, including the Movie Colony and the breathtaking homes of Old Las Palmas.  Reservations are recommended, especially during peak season.  You can see a list of tours on their website.
www.pshistoricalsociety.org

Another interesting tour is sponsored by the Architecture and Design Center.

“The Docent Guided Walking Tours – The Architects and Visionaries Who Built Palm Springs” is a 90 minute tour for $25/per person.  The price of the tour also includes admission to both the Palm Springs Art Museum and the Architecture and Design Center.
www.psmuseum.org/architecture-design-center/tours

If interiors are your thing, then we recommend the “The Modern Tour”.  It’s a two and half tour of several home interiors, including ones owned by Frank Sinatra, William Holden, Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Lawford and more.  The cost is $175/person but it’s a once in a lifetime chance to see how some big time Hollywood stars lived in Palm Springs.
www.themoderntour.com

Over the past few years, the restaurant scene has changed dramatically in Palm Springs.  One of the most exciting changes is the number of restaurants that don’t close up shop at 9PM!!  For years the late night selection was pretty much iHop (great pancakes!)  Now there are some fantastic choices for folks that aren’t quite ready for that 6:00pm reservation.  We thought it would be great to highlight a few of the more notable places open later than the rest…

Birba

Open until 10:30PM week nights, 11:30PM weekends

Delicious Italian food, with great share plates and flat breads.  Try to save room for a homemade dessert!

http://www.birbaps.com/new/birba-home.html

Ruben & Ozzy’s Oyster Bar

Open until 11:00PM

This place used to be a well-kept secret for locals, even though it is right downtown.  Not a secret anymore! The word is out that this little place is serving some great food.  And there’s an awesome “after 9PM” happy hour menu.  Highlights are the seafood pastas, fish tacos, and any of the baked oyster dishes.

www.rubenandozzysoysterbar.com/

Smokin’ Burgers

Open until midnight!

Definitely a local favorite for grabbing a big juicy burger!  There are several great in-house combos, or you can build your own.  And if you’re a fan of crispy delicious tater tots, they can be ordered instead of fries!  YUM!

www.smokinburgerslounge.com

Black Book

Serves food until 1:00AM

Don’t let the bar scene fool you.  This place serves a surprisingly good upscale bar-food menu.  The chicken sandwich is juicy and delicious.  The hamburger is a city wide favorite.  And the nachos could possibly change your life! If you decide to order some fries, don’t worry one order is enough to share for the table.

www.blackbookbar.com

Sandfish Sushi

Palm Springs’ newest sushi restaurant is a very welcome addition to the food scene.  Upscale sushi…and whiskey bar.  They have some incredibly interesting menu selections that are creative and surprising as well as traditional rolls and nigiri. The dining area is small but there’s an awesome patio for those warm late nights when you’re hungry!

www.sandfishps.com

Kings Highway

Open until 11PM

King’s Highway is the roadside diner at Ace Hotel & Swim Club.  Formerly a Denny’s, this is now a funky hipster spot with a delicious and creative menu.  The dining room is filled with comfortable booths that are perfect for a late night bite.

www.kingshighwaydiner.com