By Judith Salkin
Summer may not officially hit the calendar – that doesn’t happen until the 21st! – but triple digits are here to stay until September and finding ways to beat the heat is the hottest game around right now.
You can run all over the valley to troll the mall, catch all the summer blockbusters at the local movie theater or hang out at one of the local resort’s pool areas sipping some icy blended concoction.
Or you can roll into www.ElPaseoSummerFun.com and check out what summer has in store for you and your family to find the shops with the best summer deals, restaurants that are offering meal deals and galleries presenting art of the ages and modern masterpieces along Palm Desert’s famed shopping district.
And the summer deals in the mid-valley city aren’t confined to the mile-and-a-half long shopping district. Palm Desert if filled with fun activities for the fam!
Hit the deck! The Pool Deck at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center, that is. The huge swim center is open to all and offers more splash per acre than any other public pool in the valley. The center is an 8-acre water park with a Splash pool for little tykes to enjoy slides and a huge dump bucket that drenches the swimmers every 15 to 20 minutes. Older kids get in on the two 20-foot slides that are open to those 48 inches or taller. Get the youngest swimmers accustomed to the water in the Zero Depth Pool while serious swimmers, divers and pool gamers can take to the big pools for laps, exercise classes, water polo and swim team activities. All for $6 or less per person per entry or buy a 50-punch admission card for a summer of fun for $200 or less, depending on if you live in Palm Desert. PDAC is at 73751 Magnesia Falls Drive, behind Civic Center Park. Need info, call or visit (760)565-7467.
Good, green fun: Guests to the valley or residents who need a quick staycation, can get in a round or three of golf at some of Palm Desert’s best courses. Case in point, the city owned Desert Willow Golf Resort. Hit the mountain or desert courses for an early morning round or book a Perfect Golf Getaway at The Westin Desert Willow Resort Villas, complete with a round or two of golf. Call or contact Desert Wlllow Golf Resort, 38-995 Desert Willow Drive. (760) 346-0015; desertwillow.com
Music in the air: From free concerts in Civic Center Park to the local casinos, lounges and resorts, there’s plenty of music to enjoy this summer, and www.palm-desert.org/events has all the info you need find your favorite music.
That was a close: Shave that is. Father’s Day is in just a couple of weeks and if he’s a daily-shavin’ man, why not give him a real treat. The days of the daily shave at the barbershop may be over, but the Art of Shaving in the Gardens on El Paseo offers a couple of luxurious treats for the man. Shaving kits and supplies or a close shave in the hands of pro. Info: (760) 862-1930.
Oh, yum: There’s a full menu of restaurants that are offering summer specials as a way to say thanks for supporting them throughout the year. If you haven’t tried them yet, this is the perfect time to get acquainted. Starting later this month, Mastro’s will offer a $55 summer prix fixe dinner. Café des Beaux Arts has something special for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Wilma and Frieda’s, the farm-to-table café at the Gardens, is holding a beer tasting on June 19 and serving up tasting bites for breakfast and lunch throughout the summer. It’s all there on the website: www.ElPaseoSummerFun.com.
Special events: It’s not all shopping and dining. Check out C.E.O. (Chick’s Evening Out) Party from 5-7 p.m. June 25 (also July 30 and Aug. 27) at Wink Lash and Beauty Bar. The $35 cost of the night gets you mini-services, including a brow-wow eyelifting treatment or microdermabrasion hand treatment. Reservations required: (760) 324-5274.
And we cannot forget the Fourth of July! Palm Desert puts on a great fireworks display! Enjoy a picnic and concert before the synchronized music and fireworks at Civic Center Park or on the second floor deck at the Gardens on El Paseo and celebrate the country’s 238th birthday!
