DIVA explores the rich and beautiful activities the area has to offer for the LGBTQIA community

BY CHAR BAILEY

As soon as I found out I was going, I asked as many queer women as I could, for “thoughts on Palm Springs”…Did you just read my mind? Yeah, they all said Dinah Shore, that’s the only thing there for queer women, right?

Wrong… Settle in let me tell you all about how I became unstitched, sunkissed and in love with Palm Springs.

First things first, shout out to my “woo woo queers”, if you’re up for being engulfed in gorgeous, powerful feminine energy Palm Springs does not disappoint. The place has a togetherness stemming from its strong matriarchal history, the phrase “a woman’s touch” springs to mind. Palm tree leaves hang like lush eyelashes, with the sun casting pretty shadows on her cheeks. Just walking around the place, there’s a softness in the streets, people wear flamboyant shirts and gentle smiles. It’s paradise. Historically inhabited by the Cahuilla Native Americans the richness of the heritage here is palpable. Can I say that energy is a reason to visit a place? Well, I just did, if you don’t believe me, you’ll just have to go and feel for yourself or I have no problem listing some more tangible reasons.

I’ll start with the main reason for my visit, which was to check out the city’s bi-yearly Modernism Week. There’s a mini one in October lasting four days with an awesome offering of activities, and the main event lasts 11 days in February. A great way to kick start the immersion into this wonderland is to take the Architectural Bus Tour. I was shooketh to see with my own eyes Frank Sinatra’s Piano pool and the house where Elvis & Priscilla honeymooned. I’m an old soul, but would I even be a lesbian if I didn’t mention the Don’t Worry Darling house? Sadly Harry Styles wasn’t there but inside and outside the house was otherworldly. Time seems to move differently when you’re surrounded by desert bliss.

Speaking of bliss, you cannot visit California without a proper spa experience. I’d like to say I’m pretty good at self-care but this spa was next level. The Spa at Sec-he is like no other; crystal copper hi-tech beds that recharge and align every chakra, massage chairs that rotate giving the feeling of complete weightlessness, and my favourite of all the “taking of the waters” ceremony. A 15-minute soak in a private bath filled with water that’s spent 12,000 years underground. My skin has never felt so soft. It was truly the best spa experience of my life.

Staying on the wellbeing theme, Gather Yoga And Wellness offer a beautiful sound bath. Just be sure to do it near the end of the day – the one I experienced was so powerful I needed the rest of the afternoon to process everything that came up.

If activities are more your thing, fear not, there’s lots. You could head into the real desert, on a Red Jeep tour. Not only will you hear all the must-know survival skills, but you’ll also see breathtaking views, climb through rocks, and even be greeted with the sweetness of tiny dates you can pick off the trees. If you can handle heights the Aerial tram will transport you 8500ft into the mountains giving you 360 views as it slowly rotates. Or if you prefer to stay grounded and just look up you must book an experience with Sky Watcher, a professional stargazer who will talk you through the constellations, show you the planets and even let you take photos of the moon through a telescope. I’d never felt so big and small synonymously.

Last but not least, you cannot visit Palm Springs without a trip to the Trixie Motel. This was hands down the most intimate, thrilling, and hilarious Drag Show. Tucked into a perfect pink room of wonder, around 25 guests and three performers. I was gripped, terrified and well and truly thrilled. This was Drag art at its finest.

It’s clear to me that there’s much more to Palm Springs for queer women than I first thought. I wasn’t quite ready for her to steal my heart and nourish my soul. So it might be cheesy but I’m going to say it anyway. Palm Springs… I love you.

I stayed at the newly opened Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa and the Paloma Hotel .

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