Excursions

All excursions are included in the price of the retreat!

We will have a general schedule for the excursions at the beginning of the week. Each evening during dinner, we will confirm the excursions for the next afternoon. Our group from the first retreat appreciated that we kept the schedule a bit flexible so we could change plans depending on the weather. Excursions will be in the afternoons, which is the time block Stacey uses for her 1:1 visits. Stay tuned as I will be updating this page with additional options! 

Hiking Coachella Valley Preserve

The Willis Palms Trailhead leading into the Coachella Valley Preserve is just 4 miles from the estate, leading into a wide canyon that sweeps down from the little San Bernardino Mountains, through a gap in the Indio Hills, and washes onto the wide alluvial fan that borders the north edge of Palm Desert. It is home to a large, rare desert wetland and two palm oases

​​Palm Springs Arial Tramway

We will take a tram up the Palm Springs Arial Tramway for spectacular views of Chino Canyon and Mount San Jacinto State Park.​ Chino Canyon is one of the steepest canyons in North America, dropping from over 8,500 feet at the south rim to less than 2,700 feet on the valley floor in less than a mile. 

Palm Springs Villegefest

Located on Palm Canyon Drive between Baristo Rd. and Amado Rd. the street closes to traffic and opens to pedestrians and over 200 local local vendors. Villagefest is a weekly event health Thursday evenings so we would head over after dinner. 

Desert Stargazing

Boasting some of the darkest nights in Southern California, Joshua Tree National Park, an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), provides an amazing venue to soak in the galaxy. We will head to the desert the second night of the retreat to hit the peak period of the Orionids meteor shower. 

Afternoon (or two) in Palm Springs

Stroll down Palm Canyon Drive to take in a wide variety of art galleries and shops. Visit the Palm Springs Art Museum, Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, or Palm Springs Air Museum.  For those interested in golfing any of the amazing Palm Springs golf courses, I will arrange tee times. 

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree is home to world-famous rock formations, funky Joshua trees, and a rich diversity of plants, animals, and human history. We will take in stunning desert vistas as we hike the park. We will plan which trail to hit as a group and can also plan separate hikes depending on how rigorous or long you want to hike. 

San Bernardino Mountains

For a completely different experience from Joshua Tree, we will drive an hour north to the Morton Peak trail in the San Bernardino Mountains for moderately rated hike to the Morton Peak Lookout.