One of the things to do in Palm Springs is admire the modern desert architecture of many of the homes as well as some hotels and other commercial buildings. There are tours to be had, but they cost $189 per person. That seemed a bit steep for us, and we weren’t sure we wanted to spend a few hours driving around with others in a van. Our answer was to purchase a $5 map from the visitors center and do our own driving and walking tour of some homes and neighborhoods.
The downside is we don’t know any more about architecture than we did when we started out this morning, but we did get to see some lovely homes, walk around great neighborhoods with beautiful mountains in their backyards, and admire what we chose to admire based on our personal taste.
This is what our map tells us of Desert Modernism, which arose in the middle years of the 20th Century. ‘It is notable for its use of glass, deep overhangs, natural and manmade materials, and indoor/outdoor spaces.’ The indoor/outdoor building is big here with lots of patios that flow inside and vice versa. The airport is even indoor/outdoor in the main concourse. The homes are very much understated in comparison to the high end homes of today.
City of Palm Springs Historic Site.
Home where Elvis and Priscilla Presley honeymooned.
Appears that there is some work underway.
is the former residence of Cyd Charisse and Tony Martin
for having a lot of the Desert Modern architecture.
This is one of many homes we admired as we walked around this area.
Peckish Travels 