Bad economy or no, Palm Springs attracts a loyal gay following

The Cleveland couple visits the desert oasis three or four times a year and spends a total of six to 12 weeks there annually.

"It's a place for us to decompress," said Cartney, 42.

"We feel better as soon as the plane lands," added Morrill, who recently celebrated his 60th birthday party in March with 20 guests at the InnDulge resort, the couple's favorite hotel in Palm Springs.

The men have often won over converts to Palm Springs among their friends.

"No one we've ever invited here said, Bitch, no way, I'm not going back,'" explained Morrill.

More and more gay tourists are continuing to go back. Despite the slowing economy and the foreclosure crisis that hit Palm Springs hard, the gay scene in the desert city is showing little signs of slowing down.

A brand new upscale and very gay-friendly nightclub and restaurant, Dink's, opened over the fall and a new gay bar, Studio One 11, is scheduled to open some time in February in nearby Cathedral City.

But undoubtedly the biggest draw for gay visitors to Palm Springs is not the nightclubs, but the city's more than two-dozen gay resorts. Most are constantly updating and renovating. And a new hotel, the Desert Eclipse Resort, opened in the fall in the gay Warm Sands neighborhood.

Video by:  Ed Walsh.    VillageFest every Thursday night on Palm Canyon Drive

The sights

The Palm Springs Museum of Art (101 Museum Drive; http://www.psmuseum.org) is undergoing a major renovation, which will be completed by the end of October. Three years ago, the museum changed its name from the Palm Springs Desert Museum. In keeping with its emphasis on art, the natural history section of the museum was taken away in the renovation. The museum benefits from the wealthy residents and art collectors who live in the Palm Springs area. Much of the art is borrowed or donated by residents. The museum lets visitors get up close to masterpieces, including works by Picasso, without glass barriers or ropes. Admission is $12.50 and it is free from 4 to 8 p.m. every Thursday night during the weekly Villagefest street fair. The museum also shows a free foreign film on Thursday nights.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (One Tramway Road; www.pstramway.com) lets visitors travel through four seasons in 10 minutes. The tram is on the north side of town. It scales Mount San Jacinto where you can hike a series of trails or have lunch or dinner in its restaurant. The temperature drops about 30 degrees when you get to the top so it's a great place to escape the valley heat.

Video by Ed Walsh: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

The Indian Canyons (www.indian-canyons.com) are another great place to get back to nature. They are made up of three canyons, Palm Canyon, Andreas Canyon, and Murray Canyon. Palm Canyon is the most photographed of the three with the spectacular grove of palm trees that grow from the base of a stream.

Video by Ed Walsh:   Indian Canyons Tour

The Palm Springs Aerial Museum (745 N Gene Autry Trail; www.palmspringsairmuseum.org) is a great place to see the role that airplanes played in the U.S. victory in World War II. The museum contains one of the largest collections of WWII planes in the world. Many of the volunteers who work at the museum fought in the war and are delighted to give visitors a true picture of what it was like to be part of the war effort.

Nightlife

The newest gay bar in the Palm Springs area will soon open in Cathedral City. Studio One 11 (67-555 Palm Canyon Drive) is across the parking lot from the Sidewinders bar, in the space where the Delilah's was. The owners are pouring a lot of money into the space and are planning a piano lounge bar.

By the way, Delilah's was once the Palm Springs area's only lesbian bar. It went out of business, but you will find women sprinkled throughout many bars in the Palm Springs area including Toucans, and Sidewinders. The Hunters nightclub has a women's night on the last Saturday of the month, 7 to 10 p.m.

Spurline (200 S. Indian Canyon Drive, enter on Arenas; www.spurline.com) is a video bar modeled after the wildly successful Sidetrack bar in Chicago. Each night has a different theme. The Monday and Friday show tune nights are especially popular.

Hunters (302 E. Arenas Road; http://www.huntersnightclub.com) is the biggest club on the Arenas Road gay strip. Weekly events include two for one nights on Tuesdays and an underwear night on Wednesdays.

Toucans Tiki Lounge (2100 N. Palm Canyon Drive; www.toucanstikilounge.com) is a longtime Palm Springs favorite. It is jammed on Tuesday nights for the two-for-one drinks.

The aforementioned Dink's (2080 N. Palm Canyon Drive; www.dinksrestaurant.com)  is in a brand new building next to Toucans. It is both a restaurant and bar.   It is not a gay bar but "gay-friendly" and two of the three business partners who own it are gay.  By the way, Dink's stands for Double Income, No Kids.

The Oasis nightclub and Lounge (611 S. Palm Canyon Drive; www.cluboasisps.com) is Palm Springs' only gay after-hours nightclub. It is open until 4 a.m. on Saturday nights. The cavernous club also has the city's largest dance floor.

Sidewinders (67-555 East Palm Canyon Dive, Cathedral City; www.sidewinders-ps.com) changed ownership last year. The new owner streamlined the appearance of the club and opened it so it feels even more spacious. It attracts a loyal local clientele and the bar is known for its karaoke shows. 

Nearby Club Whatever (36-737 Cathedral Canyon Drive, Cathedral City; www.clubwbar.com) is another popular neighborhood hangout. The bar offers free pool and darts, country music on Saturdays, karaoke four nights a week, and the best deal in town, free barbecue 5 to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

The Tool Shed (600 East Sunny Dunes Road; www.toolshed-ps.com) is a Levi leather cruise bar, just a short drive from the gay resorts in the Warm Sands neighborhood.

The Barracks (67-625 Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City; www.thebarracksbarps.com) bills itself as "your leather, boot, uniform, bear, fetish and cruise destination."

Restaurants

Bongo Johnny's (214 E. Arenas Road) is in the heart of the gay Arenas Road business district. It has a surfer motif and the food is tasty and inexpensive. You can't beat the view of Arenas Road from the restaurant's patio.

Azul Tapas Inspired Lounge and Patio (369 N. Palm Canyon Drive; www.azultapaslounge.com) features a wide variety of food other than just tapas. Azul's outdoor bar and patio is another great place to people-watch.   The much-delayed Georgie's Alibi bar finally opened upstairs.   It's a small bar but its balcony sports a great view of Palm Canyon Drive.

Wangs in the Desert (424 South Indian Canyon Drive; www.wangsinthedesert.com) features Asian food in an upscale setting. Wangs' $2 drink happy hour is also very popular.  Friday nights are jammed.

Look Patio Bar and Restaurant (139 E. Andreas Road; www.lookpalmsprings.com) is open until 1 a.m. and is the perfect stop for a drink or a late night snack.

Koffi (515 N. Palm Canyon Drive; www.kofficoffee.com) is a favorite local stop for coffee and conversation.

Blame it on Midnight (777 East Tahquitz Canyon Way; www.blameitonmidnight.com) is a longtime gay favorite for a drink or a meal.

Hamburger Mary's, (415 N. Palm Canyon Drive; www.hamburgermarysps.com) is known for giant hamburgers and giant burritos.

The resorts

Palm Springs has two resorts for gay women and both are first rate. The Casitas Laquita (450 E. Palm Canyon Drive; www.casitaslaquita.com) sits on more than an acre. The lesbian couple who own the hotel are constantly working to maintain the property in its pristine condition.   Check out the hotel's Web site for information on the lesbian book festival scheduled for March 5 to March 8, 2009.

Below,  video by Ed Walsh, the wonderul resort for gay women, Casitas Laquita.

The nearby Queen of Hearts (435 Avenida Olancha; www.queenofheartsps.com) has nine units, and its sister property across the street, the Desert Hearts Inn, has three. Both properties are beautifully furnished and maintained.

The superb men's hotel, the Vista Grande Resorts (575 Warm Sands Drive; www.mirage4men.com) complex in the gay Warm Sands neighborhood is four resorts in one. To walk into the Vista Grande is like entering a different world. Lush vegetation is everywhere for plenty of shade for hot days. The resort is very cruisy but at the same time friendly if you are not looking to hook up.

InnDulge (601 S. Grenfall Road; http://www.inndulge.com) features a kidney-shaped pool that is heated extra warm making taking a dip in the coolest winter nights very comfortable. Besides the continental breakfast that is standard in the gay hotels, InnDulge serves up a cocktail hour, which goes on for two hours. The owners maintain a very friendly atmosphere that keeps guests coming back year after year.

The Desert Eclipse Resort (537 Greenfall Road, wwww.deserteclipseresort.com) is Palm Springs' newest gay resort. It is a block from InnDulge and replaces the old Columns hotel. It underwent a complete top to bottom renovation and opened over the fall. It has seven luxurious units and gears itself more to couples than singles.  But it is popular with both.  Another great  feature to this resort is that it has pet-friendly rooms.

The luxurious Santiago Resort (650 E. San Lorenzo Street; www.santiagoresort.com) has 24 units surrounding a huge pool. It features spectacular mountain views and includes a free breakfast and lunch.

The Santiago's neighbor, the Triangle Inn (555 E. San Lorenzo Street; www.triangle-inn.com), is another gem in the gay San Lorenzo enclave. The nine-unit property was always in good shape but it became even more fabulous after an extensive renovation over a year ago. The hotel name comes from the shape of the roof of the main building. The hotel is a mid-century modern architectural treasure. If you are traveling with a group, you can also rent the private four-bedroom house next to the property.

Video by Ed Walsh: Tour of the Triangle Inn

The Terrazzo resort (1600 East Palm Canyon Drive; www.terrazzo-ps.com) is one of the most upscale gay resorts in Palm Springs. The 14-unit property tends to attract more couples than singles. Amenities include free drinks and the resort has a small but very well appointed gym.

The Cathedral City Boys Club (CCBC) (68-369 Sunair Road, Cathedral City; www.ccbc-gay-resort.com ) is the largest gay resort in the Palm Springs area. It sits on 3.5 acres and features a new phallic-shaped Jacuzzi surrounded by some beautiful new landscaping. The resort is open 24 hours a day for day and night passes, so it's always very cruisy. Wednesdays are very popular. Even if you aren't staying there, the reduced Wednesday price of $12 gets you in and there is a free buffet lunch.

Video by Ed Walsh:   Hot Tub at the CCBC.

The Canyon Club Hotel (960 N. Palm Canyon Drive; www.canyonclubhotel.com) doesn't look like much from the outside but it was recently renovated and is very nice inside. The one-acre lot next to the hotel was beautifully landscaped with a maze and a Koi pond. The yard is also available to rent for commitment ceremonies. Amenities include a steam room, sauna, small gym, a 50-foot pool, and a 16-man hot tub. If you want to check it out, you can, as the owner is currently offering free day passes. This property used to be the Canyon Boys Club, and while it looks much nicer inside, it is still as frisky as ever.

Shopping

Gay Mart (350 E. Arenas Road) is in the heart of the Castro Street of Palm Springs, Arenas Road. The spacious store has club wear and gay-themed everything.

Gay Mart's neighbor, Bear Wear (319 E. Arenas Road, www.bear-wear.com) specializes in clothing with embroidery featuring various bear logos.

The Q Trading Company (606 E. Sunny Dunes Road, www.qtrading.com) is near the Tool Shed and has a great selection of gay books, cards, and gifts.

Getting there and around

Both Alaska and United offer nonstop service to Palm Springs from San Francisco International Airport. Their fares are usually around the same but Alaska doesn't charge to check your first bag. San Jose and Oakland's airports offer connecting flights to Palm Springs. But during the current high season, from December 14-April 27, 2009, Horizon Air offers nonstop flights once a day from San Jose.

If you are traveling in a group of two of more and don't mind the long drive, it is cheaper to drive than to fly. But it will cost you in time. The ride takes about eight hours from San Francisco. The flight is a little over an hour.

 If you do fly to Palm Springs, a rental car is a good idea and it really pays to shop around for one. On a recent trip, I saved about $200 on a four-day rental by renting a car from Enterprise's office in downtown Palm Springs rather than from its airport location. Part of the reason for the savings is that when you rent a car off-airport, you won't have to pay the airport and other fees that are tacked on to the final price of the rental.   But that trick doesn't always work.   Every once in a while, it is cheaper to rent a car at the airport.