by Tim McCanless

Move over South Beach, there is a new Paradise! Palm Springs California if another secret paradise that BOI Magazine is exposing in this issue. It doesn't matter if you are young or old or somewhere in the middle, there is something in Palm Springs that will peak your interest.
Palm Springs is 45% gay and straight tolerant. The Mayor is gay and the city council is comprised of 5 members including the mayor, with 3 of the 5 being gay.
There are many sights, shops and all types of bars and clubs, there is even a Vegas Revue. Follies is a glitzy glamorous Las Vegas style review show with singing and dancing and lavish sets, but looking closely at the cast, you'll find that between them there is a millennium of experience, that is to say, the youngest cast member is 57 and the oldest is 87. You have to hand it to them, high heels and head dresses and great, great grandchildren, but they are hoofing it in the old fashioned entertainment style.

The food in Palm Springs is another highlight, with restaurants for every budget. A great breakfast destination is More Than a Mouthful. A life size statue of Marilyn Monroe with her skirt in the air marks this unique eatery. This gay owned and operated eatery never uses a mix or a pre-packaged ingredient. Everything is made from scratch from pickling their own corned beef to stuffing their own sausage. If lunch in a hurry is what you need, Aspen Mills will fix you right up. All the breads are baked fresh and sandwiches are huge with all fresh ingredients. They specialize in box lunches and cater quite a bit to the local resorts. For your dining pleasure in the evening, there are so many places it's hard to narrow it down, but Zin American Style Bistro is coined to be "Where the Other Chefs Eat." Another great place to dine is Wang's in the Desert. This place is another gay owned and operated business with a friendly staff, serving family style Hunan/Sechuan food and the coolest martini menu in the area.

Now that you are ready to go to Palm Springs let's talk about where to stay. There are so many resorts that the only way to share them with you is to break them down into areas. Palm Springs like any metropolitan area has neighborhood areas. We have Boystown, Andersonville, etc.; Palm Springs has a great area called Warm Sands.
Warm Sands is very cruisy, especially at night. There is an incredible view of the San Jacinto Mountains. Close to the bars and restaurants you still don't have to leave the comfort of your tropical paradise resort. The resorts usually offer a continental breakfast around the pool, most are clothing optional, some offer lunch and most of the resorts have a cocktail hour with the owners, if not every evening, always on Friday and Saturdays.
The thing that makes these resorts so extraordinary is that most of the owners live on the premises, so they are opening their homes to their guests. They have a great personality and pay extra attention to detail. Most of their business is repeat business and referral.

 

In 1975, the El Marisol where Bruce and his partner pamper you opened its doors as the first hotel/resort catering to the gay and lesbian market in Palm Springs. It was located in an area of Palm Springs known as Warm Sands. Just a few blocks from downtown Palm Springs, Warm Sands was the perfect area for gay resorts with spectacular mountain views and excellent wind free weather. Soon after in the early 80's, the Hacienda Warm Sands with host Jim Moje , Bob at the Vista Grande, and the Alexander (now Century with the sweetest and cutie Tom Jones just opened the Century in November) opened catering to the gay market. Many others followed, including Inn Exile with your host John Kendrick, Desert Paradise with Dale, who is single by the way, Inntrigue (now All World's Resort), Warm Sands Villa's where Dan is your host, Bacchanal is hosted by Carol and is pet friendly; what a sweetie, and INNdulge Palm Springs with the charming John and Jean-Guy graciously hosting and entertaining. Warm Sands offers over 225 rooms catering to our market. Gay hotels in Warm Sands range from small to large, moderate to luxurious, and vary in sexual temperature to suite every taste. On the average rooms go for $99 and up per night with incentives to stay such as, third night free. More on Palm Springs in future issues!