The Valley Guide
Who to call, what's on every week, where the local news comes from, and how to get more out of each part of Frothley. Written for people who live in the Coachella Valley, by people who do.
Valley Guide
Neighbors
Neighbors is for the people around your ZIP code. Below is the practical stuff every valley household ends up needing: who to call, who sends the bill, and how to get through summer.
Who to call
911 for emergencies, 211 for county services, 811 before you dig, 988 for the crisis line. Four cities run their own police departments and five contract with the Riverside County Sheriff.
- Palm Springs
- Policed by the Palm Springs Police Department. City services, permits and council agendas are on the city site. palmspringsca.gov
- Cathedral City
- Policed by the Cathedral City Police Department. The city site has a utilities page that sorts out which water agency covers which side of town. cathedralcity.gov
- Desert Hot Springs
- Policed by the Desert Hot Springs Police Department. Agendas, minutes and meeting videos are on the city site. cityofdhs.org
- Indio
- Policed by the Indio Police Department. The city also runs its own water utility, the Indio Water Authority. indio.org
- Rancho Mirage
- Police service is contracted from the Riverside County Sheriff, out of the Palm Desert station. ranchomirageca.gov
- Palm Desert
- Police service is contracted from the Riverside County Sheriff, out of the Palm Desert station. palmdesert.gov
- Indian Wells
- Police service is contracted from the Riverside County Sheriff, out of the Palm Desert station. cityofindianwells.org
- La Quinta
- Police service is contracted from the Riverside County Sheriff, out of the Thermal station. laquintaca.gov
- Coachella
- Police service is contracted from the Riverside County Sheriff, out of the Thermal station. coachella.org
- Unincorporated communities
- Thousand Palms, Sky Valley, Bermuda Dunes, Thermal, Mecca and North Shore have no city hall, so the county is the local government and Sheriff's deputies patrol. Mailing addresses fool people here: plenty of homes with a Palm Desert or Indio address sit in county territory, and your property tax bill will tell you for certain. riversidesheriff.org
Utilities by area
Who sends your bill depends on where you live, and the lines are not always where you would guess.
- Electric: Southern California Edison
- SCE serves the west and middle of the valley, including Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage and most of Palm Desert and Indian Wells. sce.com
- Electric: Imperial Irrigation District
- IID serves the east valley, including La Quinta, Indio, Coachella, Bermuda Dunes, Thermal and Mecca. The boundary with SCE wanders through the mid-valley, so check your bill or ask before you assume. iid.com
- Community energy programs
- Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage each have a community energy program that buys the power while SCE still delivers it and sends the bill. If you see an extra name on your statement, that's what it is.
- Gas: SoCalGas
- SoCalGas is the natural gas provider valley-wide. If you smell gas, leave the building first and then call for help from outside. socalgas.com
- Water: Desert Water Agency
- DWA serves Palm Springs and the part of Cathedral City west and south of the Whitewater wash. dwa.org
- Water: Coachella Valley Water District
- CVWD is the big one. It delivers drinking water and sewer service across much of the valley from Cathedral City east, and also handles canal water and groundwater replenishment. cvwd.org
- Water: Mission Springs Water District
- MSWD serves Desert Hot Springs and nearby communities on the north side of I-10. mswd.org
- Water: Indio Water Authority
- Run by the City of Indio for customers inside city limits. Billing and service information lives on the city site. indio.org
- Water: Coachella Water Authority
- Run by the City of Coachella for its residents. Start at the city site for billing and service. coachella.org
- Water: Myoma Dunes
- Myoma Dunes Water Company is a small mutual water company serving parts of Bermuda Dunes and La Quinta. myomawater.com
Trash and recycling
Three haulers cover the nine cities. Pickup days and rules are on each hauler's site.
- Burrtec cities
- Burrtec Waste and Recycling Services is the hauler for Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio and Coachella, along with several unincorporated communities. burrtec.com
- Palm Springs
- Palm Springs Disposal Services is the city's franchised hauler for homes and businesses. palmspringsdisposal.com
- Desert Hot Springs
- Desert Valley Disposal is the city's franchised hauler. desertvalleydisposal.com
- Bulky item pickup
- All three haulers offer scheduled pickup of things like couches, mattresses and appliances for residential customers. You generally have to call or book online ahead of time, and there are limits on how many items and what kind.
- Household hazardous waste
- Paint, pesticides, motor oil, car batteries and old gasoline never go in the bins. Riverside County Waste Resources runs free collection sites and events for residents, and some haulers offer curbside collection by appointment. Riverside County Waste Resources
- Organics
- California now requires food scraps and yard waste to be kept out of the trash. How that works, and which bin it goes in, differs by city, so read your hauler's guide instead of copying a friend in another town.
- Bins and the wind
- On windy days, wait until morning to roll the bins out, face the lids away from the wind, and bring them back promptly. Chasing your recycling down the block is a valley rite of passage you can skip.
- Holiday weeks
- Pickup usually slides a day after major holidays. Haulers post their holiday calendars, and a quick question in Neighbors will get you an answer from someone on your route.
Getting around
Two main roads, one bus system, and a few crossings that close when the weather acts up.
- I-10 and Highway 111
- I-10 is the fast way from one end of the valley to the other. Highway 111 runs through the middle of most of the cities and is slower but closer to everything. Locals pick based on the time of day.
- Wash crossings that close
- North Indian Canyon Drive, North Gene Autry Trail and Vista Chino cross the Whitewater wash in Palm Springs. They close for flooding after storms and for blowing sand on very windy days, sometimes for a long while. Have a backup route to I-10.
- Checking road conditions
- Caltrans QuickMap shows closures, lane work and cameras on the freeways and state highways. For city street closures, check the city's own site or social accounts. Caltrans QuickMap
- SunLine Transit Agency
- SunLine runs the valley's public buses, plus the 10 Commuter Link toward the Inland Empire and SunRide, an on-demand ride service in certain zones. Routes and fares are on its site. sunline.org
- SunDial
- SunDial is SunLine's paratransit service for riders who can't use the regular buses because of a disability. You have to apply and qualify ahead of time, so start before you need it. sunline.org
- Palm Springs International Airport
- PSP has far more flights in the cool season than in summer. Check the airport site for current airlines, parking and any construction detours. flypsp.com
- Amtrak Palm Springs station
- The station north of town is a platform with a shelter, not a staffed depot, and it's a good distance from downtown. Service is limited, so confirm the schedule and arrange your ride before you go. Amtrak PSN
- CV Link
- A long paved pathway for walking, biking and low-speed electric vehicles like golf carts, mostly following the Whitewater River channel. It's open in three stretches, in the west, central and east valley. coachellavalleylink.com
- Festival and tournament traffic
- During the April music festivals and the March tennis tournament, plan extra time around Indio, La Quinta and Indian Wells. Neighbors is a good place to share which streets are actually moving.
Desert home basics
Houses here work harder than houses elsewhere. A little upkeep saves a lot of grief.
- Service the AC in spring
- Get the system checked before the first hot week, when every technician in the valley is booked solid. Change filters often in summer and after any big dust event.
- Have a backup cooling plan
- Units fail on the hottest day because that's when they work hardest. Know where you'd go for a night, and keep a fan and some ice on hand while you wait for a repair.
- Irrigation
- Check drip lines and timers at the start of each season. A stuck valve can run all night, and a cracked emitter can kill a tree before you notice. Your water agency likely offers conservation rebates and watering guidance.
- Scorpions, black widows and friends
- Shake out shoes and gloves that have been in the garage, seal gaps around doors, and keep woodpiles away from the house. Most desert pests want nothing to do with you, but they do like a cool, dark corner.
- Rattlesnakes
- They're most active in the warm months, especially near washes and open desert. Watch where you put your hands and feet, keep dogs leashed on trails, and call a professional for removal instead of handling it yourself.
- Coyotes
- They live in every city in the valley. Don't leave pet food outside, and keep small dogs and cats in at dawn and dusk. Sightings are worth a quick heads-up in Neighbors.
- Wind prep
- Before a wind event, lower umbrellas, stack patio cushions, and tie down anything that could become somebody else's problem. Expect sand in the pool and a film of dust on everything afterward.
- Monsoon season
- Late summer can bring sudden thunderstorms with heavy rain, lightning and brief flooding. Clear roof drains and scuppers before July, and never drive through a flooded road or wash.
- Pools
- A pool in summer loses a surprising amount of water to evaporation, so learn what normal looks like before you suspect a leak. Keep gates latched and self-closing. That part isn't optional with kids around.
- Sun damage
- The sun here eats paint, plastic, rubber and wood. Shade what you can, expect to replace hoses and outdoor cushions more often than you'd like, and park in the shade when you find it.
Heat and emergency readiness
Where the official information lives, so you are not relying on rumor.
- Cool centers
- Riverside County opens a network of cool centers each summer through its Community Action Partnership: libraries, senior centers and community rooms where anyone can sit in the AC. The county posts a directory and map. Riverside County cool centers
- Alert RivCo
- The county's emergency alert system sends evacuation, shelter and hazard notices by phone, text and email. Sign up on the Emergency Management Department site, which also carries RivCoReady preparedness guides. emd.rivco.gov
- MyShake
- California's earthquake early warning app. A few seconds is enough to drop, cover and hold on, or to step away from a stove. MyShake
- Air quality
- The South Coast Air Quality Management District monitors the Coachella Valley and issues advisories for windblown dust and wildfire smoke. Check its map or app before a long run on a windy day. aqmd.gov
- Forecasts and warnings
- The National Weather Service office in San Diego issues the valley's forecasts, heat warnings, wind advisories and flash flood warnings. It's the source the TV forecasts are built on. NWS San Diego
- Power outages
- Report and track outages with whichever utility serves you. Southern California Edison has an online outage center, and IID posts outage information on its site. SCE Outage Center
- A basic kit
- Water for several days, shelf-stable food, medications, a flashlight, a battery or crank radio, phone chargers and copies of important papers. In the desert, put the water first on the list and store more than you think you need.
- Check on the block
- During a heat wave or an outage, knock on the door of anyone older or living alone. A two-minute visit is the most useful thing a neighbor can do.
- 211 for help finding help
- Inland SoCal 211 answers around the clock for Riverside County and can point you to food, rent and utility assistance, counseling, and disaster aid. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988. Inland SoCal 211
- Dig safely
- Call 811 a few working days before any digging, even for a fence post or a new tree. Marking the lines is free, and hitting a gas or irrigation main is not a good afternoon.
Being a good neighbor on Frothley
A few habits that make this section worth opening.
- Asking for a recommendation
- Say what you need, where you are, and when. 'Need someone to fix a leaking irrigation valve in north La Quinta this week' gets real answers. 'Anyone know a guy?' gets guesses.
- Giving a recommendation
- Tell people what the job was, how it went, and when you used them. Mention if it's a friend or relative. One honest, specific experience beats ten 'they're great' replies.
- Lost pet posts
- Lead with a clear photo, then the cross streets, the date and time, and whether the animal is shy or friendly. Mention a collar or chip. Update the post when the pet is home so people stop looking.
- Found pet posts
- Post a photo and the cross streets, but hold back one identifying detail so the real owner can prove it. A vet or shelter can scan for a microchip at no charge.
- Heads-up posts
- Stick to what you saw, where, and when. 'White van' with no other detail helps nobody. If it's a crime in progress or someone is in danger, call 911 first and post second. For things that aren't urgent, use the non-emergency line listed on your police or Sheriff's site.
- Neighbors or Public Square?
- If it mostly matters to people within a few miles of you, like a water shutoff, a yard sale or a loose dog, it goes here. If the whole valley would care, post it in the Public Square.
- Protect privacy
- Don't post a neighbor's full name, address, license plate or photo to complain about them. Describe the problem, not the person, and take real disputes to the HOA, the city or the non-emergency line.
- Close the loop
- Come back and say what happened. The plumber was good, the dog got home, the power came back at nine. Those follow-ups are what make the next person's search useful.
- Report what does not belong
- If a post is a scam, harassment or clearly in the wrong place, use the report option on the post instead of arguing in the comments.
Valley Guide
Things to Do
A local's standing list of what there is to do here, by week, by month and by season. Days and seasons shift from year to year, so confirm with the source before you drive.
Every week
The regulars. Most outdoor markets take the summer off.
- VillageFest
- Downtown Palm Springs closes Palm Canyon Drive to cars every Thursday evening for a street fair with food, art, crafts and music. It's run by the city, and it skips a few Thursdays for holidays and weather. villagefest.org
- College of the Desert Street Fair
- Saturday and Sunday mornings on the College of the Desert campus in Palm Desert, with rows of vendors, produce and food. The posted season runs October through May, so confirm before a summer visit. codaastreetfair.com
- Palm Springs Certified Farmers Market
- Saturday mornings in Palm Springs. In the cool season it's outdoors near the Palm Springs Cultural Center, and in summer it has usually moved indoors to the Palm Springs Pavilion. Check the current location.
- Cool-season farmers markets
- From about October through May there are certified markets on Sunday mornings in Old Town La Quinta, Thursdays in Indian Wells, and Fridays at Rancho Mirage Community Park. Locations have moved over the years, so look them up first. cvcfm.org
- Free Thursday nights at the Palm Springs Art Museum
- The museum offers free admission on Thursday evenings. It pairs nicely with VillageFest a few blocks away. psmuseum.org
- Free Thursday evenings at the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum
- The tribe's museum in downtown Palm Springs has offered free admission on Thursday evenings from October to May. Confirm on its site. accmuseum.org
- Stargazing at the Rancho Mirage Observatory
- The observatory next to the Rancho Mirage Library holds drop-in telescope nights most weeks, with extra programs around the moon's phases. Viewing depends on the weather. Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory
- Art on Main Street
- Old Town La Quinta, a walkable village of shops and restaurants under the Santa Rosa Mountains, hosts an outdoor art show on select Saturdays during the season. oldtownlaquinta.com
- Firebirds home games
- The Coachella Valley Firebirds, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, play at Acrisure Arena most weeks from October into spring. cvfirebirds.com
- A night at the McCallum
- Palm Desert's McCallum Theatre has touring Broadway shows, music, dance and speakers most weeks from fall through spring. mccallumtheatre.org
Evergreen attractions
The places you take every visitor, and should go back to yourself.
- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
- Desert animals from Africa, Australia and the Americas, botanical gardens and hiking trails in Palm Desert. Open year-round, with early hours in summer. livingdesert.org
- Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
- A ten-minute ride in a rotating car to 8,516 feet, with a visitor center and more than 50 miles of trails in Mount San Jacinto State Park at the top. pstramway.com
- Indian Canyons and Tahquitz Canyon
- The Agua Caliente Band's ancestral canyons south and west of downtown Palm Springs, with palm oases, streams and a seasonal waterfall. No dogs, and check heat advisories. indian-canyons.com
- Palm Springs Art Museum
- The valley's major art museum, at the foot of the mountain downtown, with a separate Architecture and Design Center on Palm Canyon Drive. psmuseum.org
- Palm Springs Air Museum
- Flyable warbirds from World War II through more recent conflicts, in hangars next to the airport. palmspringsairmuseum.org
- Sunnylands Center & Gardens
- Desert gardens, a reflecting pool and exhibits at the historic Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage. The center and gardens are free, tours of the house are ticketed, and the whole place closes for the summer. sunnylands.org
- Agua Caliente Cultural Museum
- The story of the Agua Caliente people told in their own voice, at the cultural plaza in downtown Palm Springs next to the tribe's hot mineral spring spa. accmuseum.org
- Moorten Botanical Garden
- A small, family-run cactus and desert plant garden in south Palm Springs that's been there since the 1930s. A short, pleasant stop.
- Cabot's Pueblo Museum
- A hand-built, Hopi-inspired pueblo in Desert Hot Springs made from reclaimed materials by homesteader Cabot Yerxa. Tours and grounds visits are offered. cabotsmuseum.org
- Coachella Valley History Museum
- Local history on a shaded campus in Indio, with gardens and historic buildings. Hours are shorter in summer and it usually closes in August. cvhm.org
The valley year by month
What usually lands when. Dates move every year, so treat this as a rough calendar and confirm with the organizer.
- January
- The Palm Springs International Film Festival usually opens the year, followed by The American Express PGA Tour event at PGA West in La Quinta. Peak season is under way and reservations start to matter. psfilmfest.org
- February
- Modernism Week fills Palm Springs with architecture tours and events. The Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival usually runs in Indio around Presidents Day, and the Tour de Palm Springs charity bike ride is usually this month too. datefest.org
- March
- The BNP Paribas Open brings pro tennis to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for about two weeks. Fashion Week El Paseo and the spring La Quinta Art Celebration usually land in March as well. bnpparibasopen.com
- April
- The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival usually takes two weekends in Indio, with the Stagecoach country music festival right after. Expect heavy traffic in the east valley and full hotels everywhere. coachella.com
- May
- The season winds down, the outdoor markets wrap up, and pool weather arrives for real. Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week usually starts around the end of the month. visitgreaterpalmsprings.com
- June
- Restaurant Week usually carries into early June, and the Palm Springs International ShortFest screens short films in air-conditioned theaters later in the month. psfilmfest.org
- July
- Fourth of July fireworks and celebrations happen in several cities. After that it's pools, splash pads and night events, such as dive-in movies at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center. pdpool.com
- August
- The quiet month. Some museums and restaurants take a break, others run summer deals for locals, and monsoon storms put on a show some evenings. A good time to ride the Tram up to cooler air.
- September
- Still hot, but school is back and the season is being planned. The Aerial Tramway usually closes for annual maintenance this month, and Sunnylands usually reopens for the season. pstramway.com
- October
- The outdoor markets and the Street Fair come back, hockey season starts, and Modernism Week holds its shorter October edition. The Palm Desert Golf Cart Parade usually rolls late in the month. golfcartparade.org
- November
- Greater Palm Springs Pride usually takes over downtown Palm Springs in early November. The fall edition of the La Quinta Art Celebration and the Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival usually come later in the month. pspride.org
- December
- The Indio International Tamale Festival usually fills downtown Indio in early December, and the Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade has traditionally run down Palm Canyon Drive on the first Saturday of the month. Tamale Festival
Free and cheap
Plenty of the best things here cost nothing but gas and sunscreen.
- Museum free nights
- The Palm Springs Art Museum is free on Thursday evenings, and the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum has offered free Thursday evenings in season. Confirm before you go. psmuseum.org
- Sunnylands gardens
- Walking the gardens and visiting the center is free during the season. Go early for the birds and the light. sunnylands.org
- VillageFest
- Strolling is free. The kettle corn is on you. villagefest.org
- Downtown Indio murals
- Indio has a collection of large outdoor murals telling the city's history, easy to see on a short walk around the old downtown.
- El Paseo sculpture walk
- El Paseo is Palm Desert's mile-long shopping and dining street, and its median is lined with rotating public sculpture. Walk it in the evening when the shop windows are lit.
- Palm Springs public art and architecture
- Downtown Palm Springs has outdoor sculpture in and around its park, and you can see a good share of the city's famous mid-century buildings from the sidewalk.
- Stargazing
- The Rancho Mirage Observatory runs drop-in telescope nights. For a darker sky, drive toward Joshua Tree or out past the east valley on a moonless night. Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory
- Whitewater Preserve
- Free entry, picnic tables, a river to walk along and bighorn sheep on the cliffs if you're lucky. Whitewater Preserve
- Guided hikes
- Friends of the Desert Mountains leads interpretive hikes and bird walks during the season, a good way to learn the trails with someone who knows them. desertmountains.org
- Sunsets
- The west valley loses the sun early behind San Jacinto, so for color, look east at the Little San Bernardinos turning pink. From the east valley, any open spot facing the Santa Rosas does the job.
Summer survival
June through September, the rules change. Locals do things early, late, indoors or wet.
- Go up
- The top of the Aerial Tramway is far cooler than the valley floor, often by tens of degrees. Pack a picnic and a light jacket and spend the afternoon in the pines. pstramway.com
- Go early
- Walk, golf, hike and run errands at sunrise. The Living Desert opens early in summer for exactly this reason. Be back inside by late morning. livingdesert.org
- Pools and aquatic centers
- Public pools in several cities offer open swim, lessons and lap lanes. The Palm Desert Aquatic Center adds slides, a splash playground and summer evening events. pdpool.com
- Splash pads
- Many city parks have free splash pads that run in the warm months. Check your city's parks page for locations and the season.
- Museums with AC
- The Palm Springs Art Museum, the Palm Springs Air Museum and the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum are all indoors and cool. Check summer hours first. palmspringsairmuseum.org
- Arena nights
- Acrisure Arena, the valley's big indoor arena off I-10 near Palm Desert, hosts concerts and events through the summer. Bring a sweatshirt, which feels ridiculous in the parking lot and correct inside. acrisurearena.com
- Libraries
- Every city has a public library with AC, wifi, kids' programs and summer reading. Several also serve as county cool centers.
- Night events
- VillageFest keeps going on Thursday nights, the observatory holds evening stargazing, and pools run night swims and dive-in movies. The desert after dark is the best part of summer. villagefest.org
- Short escapes
- Idyllwild, the high desert and the coast are all a couple of hours away or less. Half the valley is on Highway 74 or I-10 on a July Saturday for this reason.
- The non-negotiables
- Water with you at all times, shade for the car, no dogs on hot pavement, and no hiking in the heat of the day. People need rescuing every summer for skipping these.
With kids
Tested on actual children.
- Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert
- Hands-on exhibits in Rancho Mirage built for kids up to about eight. It reopened in 2024 after a renovation. cdmod.org
- The Living Desert
- Giraffes, a walk-through kangaroo area, a splash pad and plenty of room to run. Plan on a morning. livingdesert.org
- Palm Springs Air Museum
- Real planes kids can get right up next to, and volunteers who love to explain them. palmspringsairmuseum.org
- Palm Desert Aquatic Center
- Slides, a splash playground and zero-depth entry for little ones. The water-park features are seasonal. pdpool.com
- The Tram
- The ride itself is the thrill. At the top, there are easy nature trails near the station, and in a snowy winter there's snow to play in. pstramway.com
- Firebirds games
- Loud, fast and friendly to kids, with a mascot and plenty of noise. cvfirebirds.com
- Rancho Mirage Observatory
- Seeing the moon or Saturn through a real telescope sticks with a kid. Check the calendar for drop-in nights. Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory
- Whitewater Preserve
- Shallow water to look at, ponds, a lawn for lunch and short flat trails. Bring a change of clothes anyway. Whitewater Preserve
- Shields Date Garden
- A date shake and a walk through the garden is an easy hour that every age tolerates. shieldsdategarden.com
- Library story times and city rec
- City libraries and recreation departments run story times, swim lessons, camps and youth sports all year. Check your city's site for the current schedule.
Outdoors
Some of the best hiking in Southern California, with rules that exist for good reasons.
- Best season
- October through April is the time for trails on the valley floor and in the foothills. In the warm months, head for higher country, like the trails at the top of the Tram or up Highway 74.
- Heat rules
- In warm weather, start at sunrise and be off the trail by mid-morning. Carry more water than you think you need, turn around when half of it is gone, and tell someone where you're going.
- Flash-flood caution
- Stay out of canyons and washes when rain is in the forecast, including rain in the mountains you can't see. Water arrives fast and without much warning.
- Bighorn sheep and trail closures
- The mountains above the valley are home to endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep. Some trails close seasonally to protect them, and dogs aren't allowed on most trails in the national monument, in the state park or in the Indian Canyons. Give wildlife room, stay on the trail, and check closures before you go. BLM National Monument
- National Monument visitor center
- The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument visitor center is on Highway 74 a few miles south of Highway 111 in Palm Desert. It's the best place to ask about trail conditions and pick up a map. BLM National Monument
- Mount San Jacinto State Park
- Pine forest and granite at the top of the Tram, with trails up to the 10,834-foot peak. You need a wilderness permit to go past the area near the station, and winter means real snow and ice. Mount San Jacinto State Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Boulder piles, Joshua trees and dark skies about an hour from most of the valley. Fall through spring is the time to go, and the Cottonwood entrance is the closest from I-10. nps.gov/jotr
- Whitewater Preserve
- A year-round river, ponds, picnic areas and trailheads in a canyon off I-10 west of Palm Springs. It's free, and it's one of the few trail areas where leashed dogs are allowed. Whitewater Preserve
- Coachella Valley Preserve
- Thousand Palms Oasis, where the San Andreas Fault pushes water to the surface and fan palms grow thick around it. No dogs, and access is limited in the hot months. Preserve info
- Salton Sea
- The state recreation area on the northeast shore, down Highway 111 from Indio, has birdwatching, big skies and a visitor center, with some facilities closed or limited. Farther along, tiny Bombay Beach is known for its outdoor art. Go with a full tank and plenty of water. Salton Sea SRA
Valley Guide
News
The News lens pulls together local headlines. This guide lists who covers the valley, where the official information comes from, and how to read all of it with a clear head.
Local newsrooms
The outlets that actually send people to the meetings. Read more than one.
- The Desert Sun
- The valley's daily newspaper, based in Palm Springs and part of the USA Today Network. It has the broadest coverage of city halls, courts, schools, sports and the environment. desertsun.com
- KESQ News Channel 3
- Local TV newsroom with daily newscasts, weather and breaking coverage across the valley, alongside its sister stations. kesq.com
- NBC Palm Springs
- KMIR, the valley's NBC station, with local newscasts and a steady stream of community and public safety stories. nbcpalmsprings.com
- The Palm Springs Post
- An independent, reader-supported newsroom focused on the city of Palm Springs: city hall, land use, business and neighborhood news. thepalmspringspost.com
- Coachella Valley Independent
- Independent news, arts, music, food and opinion, published online and in a monthly print edition. cvindependent.com
- Uken Report
- A locally run online news site covering valley politics, health, education, business and veterans' issues. ukenreport.com
- Palm Springs Life
- The long-running lifestyle magazine: design, dining, events, real estate and local history, with a useful events calendar. palmspringslife.com
- Coachella Valley Weekly
- A weekly focused on local music, nightlife, arts, food and community events. coachellavalleyweekly.com
- Telemundo 15
- Spanish-language local news, weather and sports from the KESQ newsroom, published online under the KUNA name. kesq.com/kuna
- Noticias Notivalle
- Spanish-language local news for the Coachella Valley from Entravision's station in Palm Desert. noticiasnotivalle.com
- Gay Desert Guide
- LGBTQ+ news, events and business listings for the Palm Springs area, connected to the KGAY radio station. gaydesertguide.com
- Frothier
- Frothley's sister news site. frothier.com
Official sources
When you want it straight from the agency.
- City websites
- Each city posts its own news releases, council agendas and meeting video. Start at the city's home page: palmspringsca.gov, cathedralcity.gov, ranchomirageca.gov, palmdesert.gov, cityofindianwells.org, laquintaca.gov, indio.org, coachella.org and cityofdhs.org.
- County of Riverside
- County news, departments and services, plus links to the Board of Supervisors. rivco.gov
- County emergency information
- The Emergency Management Department runs Alert RivCo and the RivCoReady preparedness program and posts active incidents, evacuation information and shelters. emd.rivco.gov
- National Weather Service, San Diego
- The forecast office responsible for the Coachella Valley. Heat, wind and flash flood warnings start here. weather.gov/sgx
- Caltrans QuickMap
- Live closures, lane work, chain controls and traffic cameras for I-10 and the state highways. quickmap.dot.ca.gov
- Caltrans District 8
- The Caltrans district that handles state highways in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, with project updates and news releases. Caltrans District 8
- South Coast AQMD
- Air quality readings, forecasts and advisories for dust and smoke in the Coachella Valley. aqmd.gov
- Southern California Edison
- Outage status, estimated restoration times and public safety power shutoff notices for SCE customers. SCE Outage Center
- Imperial Irrigation District
- News and outage information for east valley electric customers. iid.com
- Coachella Valley Water District
- Board meetings, rate proposals, water quality reports and conservation programs. cvwd.org
How to read local news well
Five minutes of care saves you from sharing something wrong.
- Check the date
- Old stories resurface constantly, especially about road closures, crimes and weather. Look at the publication date before you react or repost.
- Find the original
- If you're reading a summary, a screenshot or a social post about a story, click through to the article itself. The headline and the story don't always say the same thing.
- Notice who's quoted
- A solid story names its sources and includes more than one side. Be more careful with stories built on a single unnamed source or a single press release.
- Wire versus local reporting
- A lot of what runs on local sites comes from wire services and covers the state or the nation. Look at the byline to see whether a local reporter actually worked the story.
- News versus opinion
- Columns, editorials and letters are labeled as opinion for a reason. They can be worth reading, but they're arguments, not reporting.
- Sponsored content
- Paid posts are usually marked 'sponsored' or 'partner content.' They aren't news stories, even when they sit right next to them.
- Corrections are a good sign
- Reputable outlets fix mistakes in public. A correction note at the bottom of a story means the newsroom is paying attention, not that it can't be trusted.
- Compare two outlets
- On anything contentious, read how two different newsrooms covered it. What each one led with tells you a lot.
- Early reports change
- In the first hour of a breaking story, numbers and details are often wrong. Wait for the follow-up before you draw conclusions or pass it along.
- Pay for it if you can
- Local reporting is expensive and thinly staffed. A subscription or a donation to an outlet you rely on is what keeps someone at the council meeting.
Following local government
Most of what changes your daily life gets decided at a meeting almost nobody attends.
- Find the agenda page
- Every city posts council agendas a few days before each meeting, along with staff reports. Meeting days and times differ by city and shift around holidays and summer, so check the agenda page instead of trusting memory.
- Watch from home
- All nine cities and the county stream or archive meeting video. You can skip to the item you care about and skip the proclamations.
- Planning commissions
- New housing, hotels, shopping centers and cell towers go to the planning commission first. If you want a say in what gets built, that's the meeting, well before the council vote.
- Sign up for notices
- Most cities and CVAG will email you agendas automatically. It's the easiest way to hear about something before it's decided instead of after. cvag.org
- County meetings
- The Board of Supervisors meets in Riverside, and its agendas and calendar are posted by the Clerk of the Board. Items affecting the valley's unincorporated areas are decided there. rivcocob.org
- Water boards
- Rates, conservation rules and long-term supply are set by water district boards, not city councils. Their agendas are on each agency's site. Desert Water Agency
- School boards
- Three school districts serve the valley: Palm Springs Unified, Desert Sands Unified and Coachella Valley Unified. Each board posts agendas and takes public comment.
- Share what you learn
- If you sat through a meeting, post a short summary: what was decided, the vote, and what comes next. It's one of the most useful things anyone contributes here.
Beats that matter here
The running stories that shape the valley. Worth following even when they are not in the headlines.
- Water and the Colorado River
- The valley sits on a large aquifer that's replenished with imported Colorado River water, and the east valley's farms depend on the Coachella Canal. Negotiations over the river's future affect supply and rates here.
- The Salton Sea
- As the sea shrinks, exposed lakebed sends dust toward east valley communities. State restoration and dust control projects, and plans to extract lithium nearby, are long-running stories. State Salton Sea Program
- Housing and short-term rentals
- Every city handles vacation rentals differently, with its own caps, bans or permit rules, and the rules keep changing. Housing costs and new construction are tied up in the same debate.
- Tourism and festivals
- Visitors drive the local economy. Hotel taxes fund a large share of city budgets, and the big festivals and tournaments bring money, jobs, traffic and noise, depending on where you live.
- Heat
- Summers are getting longer and hotter. Coverage to watch includes heat-related deaths, outdoor worker protections, cooling centers, utility shutoff rules and what happens when the power goes out in July.
- Tribal development
- The valley's tribes are major landowners, employers and developers, from casinos and an arena to housing and cultural sites. Their projects and their agreements with cities shape a lot of what gets built.
- Healthcare
- The Desert Healthcare District and Foundation is a public agency with an elected board that funds health programs across the valley. Hospital ownership, access to care in the east valley and provider shortages are recurring stories. dhcd.org
- I-10 and rail
- The valley has one freeway in and out, so a closure on I-10 is a regional event. A proposal for daily passenger rail between Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley has been in planning for years and is worth tracking.
- Energy
- IID's long-standing arrangement to provide power in the east valley is being renegotiated, with real questions about who'll run the system and who gets a vote. Large solar and wind projects are part of the same beat.
- Air quality
- Windblown dust, Salton Sea emissions and wildfire smoke from elsewhere all end up in valley air. East valley communities carry the heaviest burden.
Emergencies
Where to get real-time information when something is happening right now. In immediate danger, call 911.
- Wind and dust
- Check the National Weather Service for wind advisories and the AQMD map for dust. Blowing sand closes the wash crossings into Palm Springs and can drop visibility on I-10 to nothing. If you can't see, pull well off the road and turn your lights off. NWS San Diego
- Flash floods
- Rain in the mountains can send water down a wash under a clear sky. Never drive into a flooded crossing, since the roadbed may be gone. Flash flood warnings come from the National Weather Service.
- Earthquakes
- Drop, cover and hold on. Afterward, expect aftershocks, check for gas leaks, and use text instead of voice calls. The USGS map shows magnitude and location within minutes. USGS Latest Earthquakes
- Wildfires
- Fires in the mountains and the Pass can close highways and fill the valley with smoke. CAL FIRE lists active incidents with size and containment. CAL FIRE incidents
- Evacuations and shelters
- Official evacuation orders, warnings and shelter locations for Riverside County are posted by the county Emergency Management Department and sent through Alert RivCo. emd.rivco.gov
- Power outages
- Go to your own utility's outage page for cause and estimated restoration, SCE or IID depending on where you live. In summer, an extended outage is a health risk, so have a place to go. SCE Outage Center
- Road closures
- Caltrans QuickMap covers freeways and state routes. Cities post local closures on their websites and social accounts, and local TV stations keep running lists during storms. Caltrans QuickMap
- Posting during an emergency
- Share what you personally see, with the location and time, and link official sources for everything else. Don't repost unverified evacuation claims. If you got something wrong, correct it quickly.
Valley Guide
Public Square
The Public Square is the open, valley-wide conversation. Anyone on Frothley can read and join in, so this is where local questions, shout-outs and opinions belong.
What belongs here
If the whole valley might care, this is the place.
- Local questions
- What's going into the empty lot on 111? Why was the freeway backed up this morning? Where do people take visitors for a good date shake? Somebody here knows.
- Shout-outs
- A restaurant that got it right, a mechanic who was honest, a city crew that fixed the thing quickly. Good news about local people travels slower than complaints, so give it a push.
- Photos of the place
- Snow on San Jacinto, a pink sunset over the Santa Rosas, wildflowers after a wet winter, the dust wall rolling in. The valley is photogenic and nobody gets tired of it.
- Local opinions
- Roundabouts, short-term rentals, festival traffic, whether the best tacos are in Indio or Coachella. Have the argument. Just have it like you'll run into the other person at the grocery store, because you will.
- Events and invitations
- A fundraiser, a cleanup day, a youth sports signup, a concert in the park. Say who's hosting, where, and how to find the details.
- What goes somewhere else
- Family updates belong in Family & Friends. A block-level heads-up belongs in Neighbors. A private matter between two people belongs in a direct message.
- What does not belong anywhere
- Scams, harassment, threats, and posting someone's private information. Those get reported, not debated.
Community guidelines in plain words
The short list. It is mostly what your grandmother told you.
- Be specific
- Names of places, cross streets, dates, what actually happened. Vague posts start rumors. Specific posts get answers.
- Be kind
- You're talking to neighbors, not an audience. Write the comment you'd say out loud in line at the post office.
- Disagree without contempt
- Go after the idea, not the person. 'I see it differently, and here's why' keeps a conversation going. Name-calling ends it and makes everyone reading a little more tired.
- No doxxing
- Don't post anyone's home address, phone number, workplace, license plate or family details to shame or expose them. That includes screenshots of private messages.
- Check before you share
- If a claim sounds alarming, look for the original source and the date before you repost it. Old stories and half-true rumors spread fastest when everyone assumes someone else checked.
- Say what you know and how
- 'I saw it myself,' 'my neighbor told me,' and 'I read it in the paper' are three different levels of sure. Tell people which one it is.
- Keep business posts honest
- If you own the business or work there, say so. People here are happy to support locals and unhappy to discover an ad dressed up as a neighbor's tip.
- Use the tools
- Reactions are like, love, care, haha, wow and sad. Use them generously. If a post crosses the line, report it and move on. Feeding a fight in the comments never fixed one.
- Kids are reading too
- This is a community space. Keep the language and the photos to what you'd be fine with a twelve-year-old neighbor seeing.
Conversation starters by theme
Stuck on what to post? Pick one.
- Local business shout-outs
- Name the place, the city, and the specific thing they did well. Tag it with a photo of the plate, the repair or the storefront if you have one.
- Valley history
- Ask what used to be at a certain corner, post an old postcard, or share what your street looked like when you moved in. The longtime locals will take it from there.
- What's being built
- Post the cross streets and a photo of the site and ask if anyone knows. City planning agendas usually have the answer, and someone who reads them will often reply.
- Weather and wind
- First 100-degree day, first night cool enough for a jacket, gusts that rearranged the patio. Weather talk is the valley's native language.
- Traffic
- Say where, which direction, and what time. 'I-10 eastbound stopped at Monterey as of 4:30' is useful. 'Traffic is terrible' is a mood.
- Restaurant openings and closings
- Share what opened, where, and what you tried. If a favorite closed, say a few words. Half the valley has a restaurant it still misses.
- Best-of questions
- Best breakfast burrito, best sunset pull-off, best shaded park for a toddler. Ask a narrow question and you'll get a week's worth of answers.
- Seasonal rituals
- When do you turn off the heater? When do the snowbirds on your street arrive? What's the first thing you do when it finally cools off? Everybody has an answer.
- Volunteer and nonprofit news
- Food drives, shelter needs, park cleanups, mentoring programs. Say what's needed and how to sign up, and repost it once closer to the date.
Know your valley
Quick facts for newcomers and for settling arguments.
- Nine cities
- From roughly northwest to southeast: Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio and Coachella. Unincorporated communities such as Thousand Palms, Bermuda Dunes, Thermal and Mecca fill in around them.
- West valley and east valley
- Locals split the place in two. The west valley generally means Palm Springs through Rancho Mirage, the east valley means La Quinta, Indio, Coachella and the farm country beyond, and Palm Desert sits in the middle and gets claimed by both.
- The size of it
- The valley runs about 45 miles from the San Gorgonio Pass to the north shore of the Salton Sea and is roughly 15 miles wide. The floor drops below sea level by the time you reach the Mecca area.
- The mountains
- San Jacinto Peak, on the west, tops out at 10,834 feet. San Gorgonio Mountain, to the north, is 11,503 feet and the highest peak in Southern California. The Santa Rosa Mountains run along the south side and the Little San Bernardinos along the north.
- The San Andreas Fault
- The fault runs along the northeast side of the valley. It's the reason for the hot mineral springs around Desert Hot Springs and for the lines of palm oases in the hills near Thousand Palms. It's also why every household should have an earthquake plan.
- The first people here
- The Cahuilla people have lived in this valley for thousands of years and still do. Tribal nations here include the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Cabazon Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, the Augustine Band of Cahuilla Indians and the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians.
- The checkerboard
- The Agua Caliente Indian Reservation was laid out in the 1870s on alternating square-mile sections, which is why tribal and non-tribal land alternate like a checkerboard across Palm Springs and into Cathedral City and Rancho Mirage. The tribe is the largest collective landowner in Palm Springs.
- Dates
- Date palms were brought here from the Middle East and North Africa in the early 1900s, and the east valley now grows the large majority of the dates produced in the United States. Indio has held a date festival since 1921.
- The Salton Sea
- California's largest lake by surface area formed in 1905 when Colorado River water broke through irrigation works and flooded the basin for about two years. Its surface sits more than 200 feet below sea level, and it has been shrinking, which exposes lakebed and creates dust. State Salton Sea Program
- Mid-century modern
- Palm Springs has one of the country's best-known collections of mid-century modern architecture, from houses and banks to gas stations. Modernism Week, usually in February with a shorter October edition, is the annual celebration. modernismweek.com
Support local
How to give a shout-out that actually helps a business.
- Name the specifics
- Business name, city, what you ordered or what they fixed, and roughly when. A stranger should be able to walk in and get the same thing.
- Name the person if they would want it
- A server, a tech or an owner who went out of the way deserves the credit. First names are plenty.
- Add a photo
- A picture of the dish, the finished job or the front door makes the post far more likely to get read and remembered.
- Remember them in summer
- The slow months are hard on restaurants and shops that stay open for locals. A June or August shout-out does more good than one in March.
- Be fair when it goes wrong
- If you had a bad experience, talk to the business first. If you still post, stick to what happened and leave out the insults. One rough night isn't the whole story of a place.
- Disclose your connection
- If it's your cousin's shop or your own, say so. People don't mind. They mind finding out later.
- Think beyond restaurants
- Shoe repair, a locksmith, a feed store, a tailor, a music teacher. The businesses that never advertise are the ones a good word helps most.
- Follow up
- If someone tries your recommendation, ask how it went. That back-and-forth is what turns a post into a reputation.
Local government 101
Who decides what, and where to read the agenda before the meeting.
- City councils
- Each of the nine cities has an elected council that handles zoning, local roads, parks, short-term rental rules and the city budget. Every city posts its meeting agendas and video on its website, and all of them take public comment.
- County Board of Supervisors
- Five supervisors govern Riverside County. The Fourth District covers all nine valley cities, the unincorporated communities, and stretches east to Blythe. rivco4.org
- County agendas
- Board of Supervisors agendas, the meeting calendar and past proceedings are posted by the Clerk of the Board. rivcocob.org
- CVAG
- The Coachella Valley Association of Governments is where the cities, the county and the tribes work on regional projects such as CV Link, synchronized traffic signals and transportation funding. cvag.org
- Tribal governments
- The valley's tribes are sovereign nations with their own councils, land-use authority and public safety agreements. A good deal of land in the west valley, in particular, falls under tribal jurisdiction or leases.
- Special districts
- Water districts, the healthcare district, school districts, the mosquito and vector control district and others have their own elected boards and budgets. They affect your bills more than most people realize, and their meetings are open.
- How to read an agenda
- Skim the consent calendar for routine items, then look at public hearings and new business for the things that draw a crowd. Staff reports attached to each item explain the proposal in plain terms.
- How to speak up
- Most bodies take comments in person and in writing. Keep it short, say where you live, and say what you want them to do. One clear paragraph is more effective than an angry page.
- Talking politics here
- Share the agenda item, link the source, and say what you think. Leave candidates' and neighbors' personal lives out of it.
Using Frothley well
The features that make the Public Square more useful.
- Search first
- Before asking about a plumber or a road closure, search. There's a decent chance someone asked last week and got a dozen answers.
- Follow people
- Follow neighbors whose posts you find useful, such as the one who reads city agendas or the one who knows every taco truck. Their posts will be easier to find.
- Groups
- Groups gather people around one interest: hiking, pickleball, a neighborhood, a school, a hobby. Join a few, or start one if the thing you care about doesn't have a home yet.
- Explore
- Explore is the place to browse what's out there, including groups and people you don't follow yet. It's a good first stop when you're new.
- Reposts
- Repost something when more people should see it, like a lost pet, a road closure or a fundraiser. Add a line saying why you're sharing it.
- Photos
- Posts with a photo get more attention. Crop out house numbers, license plates and other people's kids before you share.
- Direct messages
- Take the details offline. Exchange addresses, phone numbers and pickup times in a direct message, never in public comments.
- Reporting
- Every post can be reported. Use it for scams, harassment and personal information, and let the moderators handle it instead of piling on.
Valley Guide
Family & Friends
This is your private circle. What you post here goes only to the family and friends you've added, so it's the right place for the everyday stuff that doesn't need an audience.
How this circle works
The short version: it stays between you and the people you added.
- Who sees what
- Posts in Family & Friends are visible only to people you've accepted as family or friends. They don't show up in Neighbors or the Public Square, and nobody who isn't in your circle can read them.
- Adding people
- Use the side panel to find someone and send a request. Nothing is shared until they accept, and the same goes the other way when someone adds you.
- Relationship labels
- You can label people as a parent, sibling, cousin, friend and so on. It's mostly for your own sanity when the family is large and three of them are named Mike.
- Birthdays
- Add your birthday to your profile and your circle gets a nudge when it comes around. If you'd rather skip the fuss, leave it blank.
- Memories
- Older posts come back around as memories. It's a good reason to post the ordinary days, since those are the ones you'll want to see again in a few years.
- Reactions and comments
- Like, love, care, haha, wow and sad are all here, along with comments. A 'care' on a rough-day post goes a long way when you can't get there in person.
- When something should be public
- If a post is really for the whole valley, like a yard sale or a lost dog, put it in Neighbors or the Public Square instead. This space is for your people.
- A good habit before posting
- Private doesn't mean secret forever. Anyone in your circle can still show their screen to someone else, so post about other people, kids included, the way you'd want to be posted about.
Keeping far-flung family close
Half the valley has family somewhere else for part of the year.
- Snowbird families
- If part of your family is only here from fall to spring, keep posting through the summer. A photo of the thermometer in July lets them feel smug and connected at the same time.
- Grandparents
- Short and frequent beats long and rare. A daily photo of a grandchild doing nothing special is the best thing on their phone.
- Military families
- Time zones and duty schedules make live calls hard. Posts wait patiently until someone can read them, and a backlog of ordinary family news is a good thing to come back to.
- College kids
- They won't call. They will look at a photo of the dog. Post the dog.
- Help older relatives get set up
- Sit with them once, add the family together, and show them how to react and comment. Ten minutes of setup means they stop hearing everything last.
- A standing weekly check-in
- Pick a day when everybody posts one line about their week. It takes two minutes and keeps cousins from becoming strangers.
- Share the calendar early
- Post visit dates, graduations and reunions as soon as you know them. People with flights to book will thank you.
- Include the quiet ones
- Tag or mention the relative who reads everything and never posts. Ask them a direct question now and then. They usually have the best stories.
Family outings in the valley
Places that work for both a six-year-old and a seventy-six-year-old. Hours change by season, so check before you load the car.
- The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
- A zoo and desert botanical garden in Palm Desert, open all year. In summer it runs a short early-morning schedule, so go at opening and be done before lunch. livingdesert.org
- Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
- Rotating tram cars climb from the desert floor to Mountain Station at about 8,500 feet in Mount San Jacinto State Park. It's much cooler up top, so bring a layer even in July. It usually closes for annual maintenance in September. pstramway.com
- Palm Springs Air Museum
- Vintage military aircraft from World War II onward, in air-conditioned hangars where you can get close to the planes. A good one for grandparents and grandkids to do together. palmspringsairmuseum.org
- Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert
- The hands-on kids' museum in Rancho Mirage reopened in 2024 after a long closure and renovation. It's aimed mostly at children up to about age eight. Confirm current days on its site before you go. cdmod.org
- Sunnylands Center & Gardens
- The public gardens at the Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage are free to walk, calm, and easy for strollers and walkers. It closes for a summer break, usually from early June until mid-September. sunnylands.org
- Shields Date Garden
- An Indio date farm that's been around since 1924, with a cafe and a garden walk out back. The date shake is the traditional reason to stop. shieldsdategarden.com
- Palm Desert Aquatic Center
- A city-owned pool complex run by the Family YMCA of the Desert, with lap lanes plus slides and a splash playground. The water-park features are seasonal, so check what's open. pdpool.com
- Coachella Valley Preserve
- The Thousand Palms Oasis is a real palm oasis with flat, shaded boardwalk trails near the trailhead. No dogs, and public access is limited in the hot months, so check the schedule first. Preserve info
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet. The south entrance at Cottonwood is right off I-10 east of the valley, and big boulders are irresistible to kids. Go in the cool months and carry more water than seems reasonable. nps.gov/jotr
- Whitewater Preserve
- A river canyon north of I-10 with picnic lawns, ponds and easy walking. It's free, leashed dogs are welcome, and it can close for weather or road work, so look at the notice on the site. Whitewater Preserve
Hosting visitors
Everybody wants to visit in February. Nobody wants to visit in August. Plan accordingly.
- Flying into PSP
- Palm Springs International is small and partly open-air, which visitors love. It's been under construction lately, so tell guests to check the airport site for anything that affects getting around the terminal. flypsp.com
- Seasonal flights
- A lot of routes into PSP only run during the cool season. If a guest can't find a direct flight in summer, that's why. Ontario and the LA airports are the usual backups, with a drive on I-10.
- When to visit
- October through April is the comfortable stretch. Winter days are mild and nights get cold. Spring is lovely and windy. Summer is for people who like pools and don't mind staying indoors from noon to six.
- Festival weekends
- April's music festivals, March tennis, and a few winter events fill up hotels and roads across the whole valley. Warn guests before they pick dates, and expect longer drives around Indio and Indian Wells.
- What to pack
- Sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and a refillable water bottle in every season. Add a real jacket from November to March, since the desert drops fast after sunset, and something warmer still for the Tram.
- The wind
- The west end of the valley gets strong wind, especially in spring. Tell visitors it's normal, that blowing sand can close a few roads into Palm Springs, and that the east valley is usually calmer.
- Getting around
- The valley is a long strip of nine cities and most visitors want a car. Highway 111 is the scenic local route and I-10 is the fast one. Palm Springs to Indio is a longer drive than people expect.
- A first-day plan
- Keep day one easy: breakfast, a walk somewhere flat, pool time, an early dinner. People arriving from sea level or a cold climate need a day to adjust to the dry air and sun.
- Post the itinerary
- Put the visit plan in your circle so local family can join for a dinner or a hike. It also keeps you from answering 'what are we doing tomorrow' eleven times.
Preserving family history
The stories go when the people do. Get them down now.
- Scan the shoebox
- Your phone's camera or a free scanning app is good enough. Do ten photos at a sitting and post the best one. Waiting until you have time to do all of them means never doing any.
- Write on the back, digitally
- When you post an old photo, add who's in it, where, and roughly when. In twenty years that caption will be the only record of who the man in the hat was.
- Record the stories
- Use the voice memo app on your phone and ask one question at a time. Fifteen minutes of a grandparent talking is worth more than a perfect interview you never schedule.
- Questions that get people talking
- What was your street like when you were ten? What did your mother cook when money was tight? How did you two meet? What was your first job, and what did it pay?
- Valley questions
- When did the family first come to the desert, and why? What was here then? Where did everybody shop, swim, go to church, go dancing? Old-timers remember a very different Highway 111.
- Ask the circle to identify people
- Post a mystery photo and ask who knows the faces. Somebody's aunt always does, and you'll get three corrections and a story in the comments.
- Keep the recipes
- Photograph the handwritten card, stains and all, then type it out underneath. Note the things the card leaves out, because the cook always left something out.
- Keep a copy elsewhere
- Posting is for sharing, not storage. Keep the original scans and recordings backed up in at least one other place, and give a copy to a relative in another household.
Staying safe together
Common-sense habits for a place with serious heat and the occasional earthquake.
- Summer heat check-ins
- When it's over 110, check on older relatives and anyone living alone every day. Ask a specific question: is the AC running, and what does the thermostat say? 'I'm fine' is not an answer.
- Know the signs of heat illness
- Confusion, fainting, hot dry skin or a person who stops sweating is an emergency. Call 911, get them somewhere cool, and don't wait to see if it passes.
- If the AC goes out
- Have a plan before it happens: a relative's house, a library, a mall, or a county cool center. Older people and small children shouldn't ride out a summer afternoon in a house without cooling. Riverside County cool centers
- One emergency contact list
- Agree on a single list with everybody's cell number, an out-of-area relative to call, and any medical details responders would need. Make sure the grandparents have it on paper too.
- Earthquake meetup plan
- Pick two meeting spots: one right outside the house and one outside the neighborhood. Decide who picks up which kid from which school. After a big one, text instead of calling, since texts get through more often.
- Early warning on your phone
- The MyShake app from UC Berkeley and the state can give you a few seconds of warning before shaking arrives. Have everyone in the family install it. MyShake
- County alerts
- Sign the household up for Alert RivCo, the county's emergency notification system, so evacuation and shelter notices reach every phone in the family. Riverside County Emergency Management
- Cars and heat
- Never leave a child, an older adult or a pet in a parked car here, not even for a minute with the windows down. Interior temperatures climb dangerously fast in the desert sun.
- Use the circle in an emergency
- After a quake or during an outage, one post saying 'we're all okay, power's out, phones are charged' covers the whole family at once and keeps the lines clear.