But there’s another side to the desert oasis that may surprise you.

In 2000, the tram cars were updated and became the largest rotating of their kind in the world.

Passengers go from an elevation of 2,643 feet to 8,516 feet in just 10 minutes.

Stagecoach sign from 2024

Andreas Canyon is the epitome of desert oasis.

The winding path is the perfect way to observe the juxtaposition of desert rocks and green palm trees.

Shields Date Garden

Besides tourism, agriculture is the largest industry of the valley.

A crowd at a festival during sunset

For a taste, plan the classic stop atShields Date Gardenin Indio.

For further education on the agricultural history of the area, visitCoachella Valley History Museum.

To see them in motion is mesmerizing.

Palm Springs, a city in the Sonoran Desert of southern California, is known for its hot springs, stylish hotels, golf courses and spas. It’s also noted for its many fine examples of midcentury-modern architecture.

Giraffes peek over grassy knolls and birds fly freely within the Australian habitat.

It’s open Wednesday through Sunday from mid-September to early June, and admission and parking are free.

Joshua Tree National Park

Last but certainly not least isJoshua Tree National Park.

Wooden post marking points of interest and distance from Palm Springs’s portion of the San Andreas Fault

The park is also an International Dark Sky Park, great forperfecting astrophotography.

To complete a full-circlePalm Springs trip, take the Keys View trail for a full view of Coachella Valley.

The pool area of a mid-century modern house in Palm Springs

A collage of three photos, views from the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and the tramway car on it’s way up to the top of Mount San Jacinto.

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Palm tree oasis in Palm Canyon, which is apart of Indian Canyons

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Three images of scenes in Andreas Canyon at Indian Canyons, home of the Agua Caliente Band of Indians near Palm Springs, California

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Converging rock formations at Andreas Canyon in Indian Canyons

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A date grove at Shields in Palm Springs

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Moon rises over the mountains at sunset from the Windmill Farms in Palm Springs

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Giraffes and Big Horn Sheep at the Living Desert Zoo near Palm Springs

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View of San Andreas Fault during sunset

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Two images showing the San Andreas fault area near Palm Springs

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Sun rises shining pink light onto Mount San Jacinto from Sunnylands Garden Center

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A replica of the bench that President Barack Obama gave President Xi Jinping of China when the two met at Sunnylands in 2013 for what has been termed a “shirtsleeve summit.”

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View of Joshua Tree at sunset between two boulder rocks

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