Stay:
When I went in 2019, I stayed at We Care Spa. It was under renovations, and I booked one of the new rooms. It was nice and clean. The main hall had more of a granola health food store vibe. I'm not sure if they have renovated the main building yet. You go on a cleanse when you stay there, and colonics are a big part of their detox program. To make a difference, I think you need to stay a full week. The weekend program didn't seem like enough of a reset.
After the spa, we stayed at ARRIVE. It's a motel with a pool in the center and a lively bar. It has a young hip vibe, and the rooms were cool and modern.
I recently went back and rented the "dome home" out in the middle of the wind farms through AirBNB. The owner was lovely, and the house was very clean and modernly decorated. My only complaint was that there aren't any comfortable seating areas in the main living space or outside to hang out and enjoy the surroundings. Also, the loft room isn't an ideal bedroom for anyone that doesn't want to be woken up early, as the ceiling is made of skylights.
Dine:
The best brunch in downtown Palm Springs is at Chi Chi (Avalon Hotel). The avocado toast is piled high with fried egg, radishes, greens and the option to add smoked salmon. The chips, salsa and guacamole are handmade and delicious.
We loved Dillon's Burgers for a motorcycle vibe and casual burger or veggie burger with onion blossom pieces.
Lunch poolside at Ace Hotel was nice and fresh. They have great dips, salads and sandwiches.
Sushi at Sandfish is wonderful. It's a small restaurant, so get a reservation if you can.
Coffee at Gre Coffee House & Art Gallery is yummy, and they have an incredible collection of vintage first edition vinyl records to shop.
See & Do:
I was interested in the mineral water baths in Desert Hot Springs, so we booked some spa services at The Springs. The staff was great, but I didn't love the way the facilities were set up. I will try Two Bunch Palms next time. We Care Spa doesn't allow for day visitors.
Joshua Tree National Park is beautiful and definitely worth a 20-30 minute drive from downtown Palm Springs. It's an easy park, as you can drive through most of it. There are plenty of spots to hop out and get a photo or take a walk around the giant rock stacks and Joshua trees.
Shop:
There is a cute Joshua Tree shop right across from the visitor center down the road a few miles from the park entrance. We found t-shirts, hats, stickers, posters and water bottles there.
My favorite shops in downtown Palm Springs are Gre Coffee for vinyl, Palm Springs Rock Shop for crystals, The Shops at 1345 (N Palm Canyon Drive) for 14 curated shops - think Fred Segal in the 90s, Thick as Thieves for gifts, blankets, cool finds.