Desert Do's And Don'ts: The Ace Hotel + 7 Other Palm Springs Musts

Sure, the next two weekends in the desert are all about Coachella’s crazy festival-goers, but another creative event falls on the music fest’s heels whose attendees are just as colorful – the children of L.A.’s creative community!

Crafting Community happens each year in May at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs and draws some of L.A.’s top creatives and their families for a few days of next-level crafts and camp-like activities, all of which keep this crew’s modern aesthetic standards in keen focus.

Creators Karen Kimmel and Stacy Bernstein bring something fresh to each year’s event (this is the sixth) and every year we look forward to an Instagram feed buzzing with rainbows of crafts and vibrant desert pool views from all our favorite L.A. moms! This year brands like SoulCycle and Undefeated are involved for families full of good sports, a slew of L.A. artisans will be leading the arts and crafts, and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is bringing their epic cones to the desert.

We asked the event founders to share their favorite hotspots in Palm Springs for families. Kids in tow or no, we love this list! If you know a cool family in L.A. share this story with them. If you are headed over for Coachella, we suggest hitting up these spots too!

The Ace Hotel + 7 Other Palm Springs Musts

The Cactarium

If you’re a succulent junkie, a visit to the Cactarium at the Moorten Botanical Garden is a must. Plus, we’d go anywhere that was founded by a person named “Cactus Slim.”

Cheeky's

We love Cheeky’s for family breakfasts – the lines are always killer, but it’s worth it. Great farm-to-table food with everything from acai smoothies to the famous flights of bacon.

Salvation Mountain

If you’ve got a bit of time to explore we recommend making the trip out to the oft-Instagrammed Salvation Mountain, a striking, surreal, art installation in the middle of the desert by outsider artist Leonard Knight.

Smoke Tree Stables

Smoke Tree Stables offers a guided horseback ride through the breathtaking streams and canyons of the Agua Caliente Indian reservation. Our favorite time to do this is in the late afternoon/early evening when you can capture the incredible desert light.

Kings Highway

Housed in an old Denny’s restaurant, the delightfully mod Kingshighway diner at the Ace is a huge favorite and everything they make is great. We love their fish tacos!

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

Our kids always love riding The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the world’s largest rotating tramcar. In the winter you can go sledding and in the summer, there are great hikes, and a huge change in temperature!

Palm Springs Art Museum

The Palm Springs Art Museum is a gem, and they’ve added a fabulous Architecture and Design Center – a one-stop shop for all things Palm Springs Modern.

Join Crafting Community 2015!

What:

Your ticket to Crafting Community 2015 includes a two-night stay at The Ace Hotel (accommodations, resort fees + taxes), two days of art workshops (more than 20!) led by renowned artists, recreation activities led by professional instructors, all food and beverage, daily fitness and family activities, and more!