DESERT DIVINE: It's hard to think about the more famous destinations of California without thinking they've always been there, in their present form, beckoning those city-weary folks with a few days of sunshine and poolside lounging. Pictures and movies and television shows and songs can drill a place -- drill in a good way -- into a person's ether. But our vacation destinations are newer inventions, and Palm Springs, the city as it stands today, has really only been around for three quarters of a century. That was around the time that Hollywood turned their cars east and began to visit. Soon after, stars like Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley were setting up homes. And luminaries from around the planet came to play golf and play tennis and take some sun and, yes, take a dip. The city and its fans, though, have kept tabs on its journey over the years, and that journey is at the forefront of Palm Springs' 75th anniversary. There are doings all year long, but the big birthday bash is set to roll on Saturday, April 20.
OTHER P.S. GOINGS-ON: Wintertime and the cooler months have long been prime time for the arid resort, but we rather like the P.S. when it begins to flirt with triple-digit temperatures. Palm Springs Restaurant Week falls smack dab in triple-digit territory; it's happening from May 31 to June 16 in 2013. The Forever Marilyn statute -- that's the 26-feet-tall sculpture of Marilyn Monroe -- is still on view downtown and will be for a few more weeks. Now's the time to see this much-photographed artwork. And other special events? Summertime heat can't stop 'em. Find many on the 75th anniversary site.
