King Elvis in Palm Springs

Did you know that the King of Rock and Roll had strong ties to Palm Springs, California? In May of 1967, Elvis and Priscilla Presley were married in Las Vegas, but honeymooned in a spectacular mid-century modern home here in Palm Springs, located at 1350 Ladera Circle in our Vista Las Palmas neighborhood. Exactly nine months later little Lisa Marie was born.

Elvis never owned the home, but leased it from 1967-1970, spending several months a year at this get-away with Priscilla and his new daughter. Palm Springs visitors can drive by and see the well maintained exterior, or arrange for an Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway private tour of the interior as well as the backyard pool area.

For a look at this historic pop-culture treasure, and to get a better sense of that history, see Behind Closed Doors: A glimpse into a Palm Springs mid-century modern home fit for a king – and his bride, from the Summer, 2011 issue of Broughton Quarterly.

Although the Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway may be the most well known Presley residence in Palm Springs, more noteworthy perhaps is what is now known as the Presley Estate. In 1970, Elvis purchased a home located at 845 W. Chino Canyon. At the time of his death in 1977, Elvis owned only two homes, this property and Graceland in Memphis.

From 1970 until he and Priscilla divorced in 1973, they spent about 3 months each year at this home. Elvis even turned the living room into a makeshift recording studio, and it’s rumored that in 1973, songs including "Are You Sincere", "Blue Spanish Eyes", "I Miss You", and "Sweet Angeline" were recorded here.

After his divorce from Priscilla, Elvis turned the home into a ”bachelor pad,” fitted out more for entertaining than family life, and spent many weekends with guests in the evening by the swimming pool. Like more recent Palm Springs residents, he commuted between Las Vegas and Palm Springs by airplane. For more information, check out the Presley Estate.

No matter what your age, if songs like “Hound Dog,” and “Suspicious Minds” let you know that Elvis really was the King of Rock and Roll, then you might be interested in exploring the Elvis legacy when you next visit Palm Springs.

Naked in Palm Springs

On any day in Palm Springs, it would be hard to guess how many people are out in their back yards or sitting around a sparkling swimming pool au natural. Call it nudist, naturist, or just clothing optional, Palm Springs is the perfect place to work on that all-over tan.

My guests and clients often remark on the fact that almost every private home and most boutique resorts are surrounded by tall “privacy walls.” This, and our cityscape characterized by low-rise properties, provides an ideal environment in which to enjoy being naked. Palm Springs is one of the most popular nudist destinations in the world, with over 30 resorts that allow nudity on their grounds.

The American Association for Nude Recreation notes that naturist/nudist travel is now a $440 million industry, up from $200 million in 1992, so if you haven’t stayed at a nudist or clothing optional resort before, it might be time to find out just what it’s all about.

The best-known nudist resort in Palm Springs is, undoubtedly, the six-acre Desert Sun Resort, probably because of its famous “naked bridge” that crosses above Indian Canyon Drive, one of our main downtown streets. This bridge allows guests to walk from one part of the complex to the other without having to put on clothes. The upscale and family-friendly resort has it all; tennis courts, three swimming pools, two hot tubs, a full service restaurant, spa, and offers both villas and condo accommodations (some condos are even available for purchase).

Another favorite nudist resort is the 17-room Terra Cotta Inn which has a heavy repeat visitor clientele due to its friendly atmosphere, outdoor pool, huge Jacuzzi with mountain views, complimentary daily poolside breakfasts, romantic fire pit, and spa services.

Palm Springs also has one of the largest concentrations of gay and lesbian resorts in the world, with nearly all of these being clothing optional.

However, if you’re not quite ready to share your nakedness with strangers, but still want that all over tan, or just to explore what it’s like to wander naked outdoors any time you want, consider renting one of our many Palm Springs vacation rental homes. Vacation Palm Springs offers a variety of private homes you can rent by the day, week, or longer. Many of these have secluded walled yards and pool areas where your privacy is guaranteed.

Bermuda Shorts, Bloody Mary and Duncan Yoyo

Question – What do Bermuda shorts, the Bloody Mary and the famous Duncan yoyo all have in common?

Answer – They were all created by Palm Springs residents.

Bermuda shorts – There are many stories that connect Bermuda shorts to Palm Springs.  The one that makes most sense is that they were “invented” by cowboy Frank Bogart, a former mayor of Palm Springs early in his career when he was in charge of promotion at El Mirador Hotel in the 1930’s. He bought some men’s trousers at the I Magnim store located at El Mirador and cut them off at the knee – then hired men to wear them while pulling rickshaws (with El Mirador signs on the back) around downtown Palm Springs. This was back in the days when photos and newsreels provided major news coverage. Pictures of this “new men’s fashion trend” were shown all over the world, providing free promotion for both Palm Springs and El Mirador Hotel.

The Bloody Mary – The Racquet Club Palm Springs was a private club for Hollywood stars and other celebrities. The club featured bungalows where members would stay while visiting Palm Springs. Because the Racquet Club was private, members could party as late into the evening as they wished, and often would awake the next morning somewhat under the weather. One of the Racquet Club bartenders took a fairly bland cocktail containing vodka and tomato juice, spiced it up and added some veggies – an attempt to provide a “wake-up” for the dulled senses of overindulgent members. This became the Bloody Mary as we know it today!

Duncan yoyo – In 1928, Donald Duncan, owner of the Duncan Toy Company, built what still remains as the largest single estate in the Old Las Palmas area of Palm Springs (15,000 sq. ft. of living space on just over 4 acres of land). In 1930 he started selling the Duncan yoyo, and teamed up with Hearst newspapers to promote yo-yo contests (still in existence today). The newspaper advertised the contests, and players had to sell 3 newspaper subscriptions to compete. A single promotion in Philadelphia sold 3 million yo-yos in 30 days.