This post is sponsored by Palm Springs but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
Day trips are our jam! I was feeling in a rut and I think it’s because we hadn’t traveled in a while. Day tripping all over Southern California has been a favorite past time since we moved here. The scenery is so diverse, you can be at the beach and then drive to a snowy mountain within 3 hours! I absolutely love how easy it is to explore here. We broke our mundane daily routine right before Christmas and headed to Palm Springs for the day! It was so much fun!
I’ve been to Palm Springs before but have been dying to head back with the kids. There’s still so much we didn’t get to see in our short 8 hours there that I’m already planning a weekend trip back with the babes! I’ll be heading there next month for 5 days for a photo conference and I’m so excited to explore and share more with you guys! Palm Springs is truly a Southern California Gem!
ADVENTURES IN PALM SPRINGS
We started the day off with a stop at the Living Desert zoo! It did not disappoint and was the perfect stop after our 1.5 hour drive! The kids were able to get their wiggles out and walk around right away. The zoo is laid out so well and really capitalizes on the views and desert life of the area. Both mind and the babes favorite thing of all was riding on the Camel! I didn’t get to ride by watching the babes’ excitement about riding the Camel was enough for me! They were also really into watching the giraffes roam the open space!
We rode the carousel and spotted leopards and cheetahs! We ended our tour by spending about a half hour eating our packed snacks and watching the model train go around and around. Easton still talks about “the train at the desert”, he was smitten!
Our next stop was in town! Even though I packed plenty of snacks, these two never cease to amaze me with how much food they can pack into their tiny bellies! We headed to El Mirasol for some delicious Mexican food and a mommy margarita! It was so good and not crowded which is a bonus when you have wild kiddos.
After lunch we walked around a few of my favorite neighborhoods of Palm Springs. We stopped by the classic pink door and spotted a fun yellow door too! We ended our walk with a tasty treat from one of the best new Ice Cream spots in Palm Springs!
After exploring the town, we drove around for a bit and then headed out for our final stop and possibly the most exciting one, at least according to Easton. Cabazon Dinosaurs are located just a short drive west of Palm Springs on the 10. I’ve driven by them twice now but never with a T-Rex obsessed child. I was so excited to take Easton here and see his reaction… it was all I hoped for and more!
While this exhibit is small, it is full of action and fun things to do for little ones of all ages! We there about an hour before it closed and stayed the whole time. Our first stop was the dino-dig where you can find a treasure in sand and take it in to the store to trade for a treat! After that, we roamed the grounds and found T-Rex’s of all shapes and sizes and even a few T-Rex footprints!
My favorite was seeing Easton’s face light up when we went inside the giant T-Rex! He was beside himself and didn’t even have words to speak haha! This exhibit is a must see if you’re in the Palm Springs area with kiddos!
We had the best time spending the day in Palm Springs! I’ve already made a list of all the additional things I want to do when we go back for a weekend stay! I will note, if you’re not familiar with the climate, the best times to head to Palm Springs are between November and April before it gets too warm! Even when we were there in late December, it was a toasty 78 degrees and you could definitely feel that desert sun!
Definitely include Palm Springs into your day-trip roster for 2019! It’s such a great place to visit with so many attractions for people of all ages!
- Brandi
