Palm Springs – Smoke Tree Ranch is one of those neighborhoods that stands out like no other in the desert. It is considered by many to be the ultimate example of exclusivity, notoriety and prestige, dating back to the 1930s. A relaxed, casual and rustic lifestyle can be found here at Smoke Tree Ranch.
Smoke Tree Ranch’s pristine landscape
Smoke Tree is so private and tucked away from view that many Valley residents don’t even know it is there or have never ventured behind its guarded entrance gate. Encompassing approximately 300 pristine acres of desert, Smoke Tree boasts an amazing array of 93 luxury residences and the 20 acre Smoke Tree Guest Ranch, which is located at its center. The homes are represented by a variety of architectural styles, all blending harmoniously in with their natural setting.
Buying opportunities in Smoke Tree Ranch do not come along often . . . and there are new homes currently under construction. Owning in Smoke Tree affords you the opportunity to join the Ranch Club and enjoy it’s recently renovated clubhouse, restaurant, swimming pool, tennis club, on-site hotel/bungalows for guests and access to Smoke Tree Stables.
This historic neighborhood offers an unmatched lifestyle enjoyed by many celebrities of the past, including Walt Disney. It is conveniently located ten minutes away from downtown Palm Springs and the Palm Springs International Airport and Interstate 10 are an easy 20 minutes from Smoke Tree – making travel outside of the desert easy and accessible.
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Palm Springs – There are many wonderful communities in Palm Springs with charm and history, harkening back to the glamorous Old Hollywood days. Alta is not one of those communities . . . instead, it is a master planned community of 67 semi-custom Contemporary homes in the scenic and serene area of South Palm Canyon.
Alta was designed by award winning architect Narendra Patel in the mid 2000s with a goal to “design homes that promote a three-dimensional reflection of the inner landscape of a settled mind.” Patel’s end result was an array of floor plans offering state-of-the-art amenities and the Ultimate in Contemporary desert living.
The homes found in Alta are for the discriminating buyer and architectural enthusiast. These homes feature walls of glass which disappear into their adjacent walls, revealing the seamless indoor/outdoor lifestyle Southern California is so well known for. Other luxury amenities include built in sound systems, water features, solar panels and more.
The views from Alta are breath-taking, as it is nestled in the shade of the towering San Jacinto Mountains with Indian Canyons to the South. “Old Town” Palm Springs is minutes away by car and Interstate 10 and the Palm Springs Airport are a quick 20 minute drive.
Alta homes offer three flexible floor plans ranging from 2,875sf to 4,783sf with plenty of options such as guest casitas, gym, butler’s pantry, pool and hardscape packages, etc. Alta’s professional Design Center staff will work with you in choosing fixtures and finishes that are of highest quality and style.
Is your interest piqued? Then you will want to contact Kim Kelly with HK Lane Real Estate to tour you around Alta and show you the unique and one-of-a-kind homes for sale there. 760-285-3578.
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Palm Springs – There is a new small boutique hotel being planned for construction on North Palm Canyon Drive being planned by Ezra Callahan – a young early employee of Facebook. It’s being touted as a potential clubhouse of sorts, a la Ace Hotel, for those who love style and green construction.
Arrive Palm Springs – may be soon to arrive
The 32-room hotel will be called Arrive Palm Springs. There are other partners in this exciting project – a Seattle architect, a Denver-based restauranteur, and two men working in redevelopment in Los Angeles. Once the plans get approved through the city, these developers are saying they want to break ground early in the new year and be open by the 1st of July.
The project’s architect has said that “Arrive will cater to the next generation of global travelers influenced by culture, fashion, design and sustainability.” He also says that Palm Springs was targeted for this project because of “its appreciation and affinity for modern architecture, design-oriented population and geographic positioning as a world class vacation destination.”
That pretty much says it all. And it’s likely that Arrive Palm Springs will stay in the same genre as Palm Springs’ modernist architectural traditions. In addition, the hotel will be built so as to receive LEED Gold label certification, with its 32 pre-fabricated guest rooms. There will also be a restaurant and two additional retail buildings to encourage more pedestrian traffic on North Palm Canyon Dr.
Exciting things on tap for our Valley indeed !!!
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Yesterday morning, fourteen dogs from the Palm Springs Animal Shelter were flown to Oregon where shelters are less crowded and there’s a greater chance for adoption, according to local animal volunteers. Otherwise, they may have been euthanized.
The dogs were shuttled out to the tarmac at the Palm Springs International Airport before 7am, where they were readied for transport by Wings of Rescue – a group of pilots who donate their services and aircraft to transport shelter animals to rescue organizations throughout the western United States.
There were Chihuahuas, Terriers and mixed breeds, all traveling in individual carriers. These dogs were chosen because they’ve been at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter for a long time. They were flown to the Humane Society of Redmond, OR, Hope’s Haven near Salem OR and Oregon Dog Rescue.
It’s hard to believe that the Oregon shelters are running short on dogs available for adoption, when our Palm Springs Valley here has such an overpopulation of dogs needing homes. The Oregon shelters have successful spay and neuter, fostering and adoption programs – and this frees up space for more rescues to come in.
Tanya Petrovna, board member of the Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, says that the number of animals in our local shelters needs to be reduced and that the humane solution is to transfer the animals to a better situation.
The pilot, Yehuda Netanel, says that his canine passengers travel well. The flight to Oregon would take about three hours, and he said that eventually, the dogs lay down and go to sleep.
The volunteers were hoping to transport 17 dogs yesterday, but there just wasn’t enough room on the plane. Three of the dogs had to go back to the shelter in Palm Springs.
Heartbreaking. Hopefully these dogs will find homes soon !!!
Kudos to these wonderful volunteers who give of their time, money and heart to help protect and preserve the lives of animals. Our hats are off to you !!!
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The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway was constructed in rugged Chino Canyon on the north side of Palm Springs as the dream of a young electrical engineer named Francis Crocker. He wanted to “go up there where it’s nice and cool” – what a concept !! This was in 1935, and there were many setbacks over the years which stymied his project, even though enthusiasm was high. Finally, in 1963, Crocker’s dream became a reality and more than 12 million people have been transported up those majestic mountains overlooking the Palm Springs Valley.
If you live full time in the valley here, round about this time of summer, it’s just HOT, plain stinkin’ HOT. And you find yourself wanting some relief from the intense heat (and this summer, the humidity too). Maybe you don’t have the time to drive up to Idyllwild or down to the coast to get your relief fix . . . so just a day trip up the Tram is the perfect Stay-cation.
The temperature differential between the valley floor and the top of the Tram is about 30 degrees. And if there’s a little wind up there, you might even want to bring along a light sweater or jacket since Desert Rats like us have thin blood and get chilled. But what a pleasure to have to put on a wrap on a day when it’s 105 degrees down below, but a chill 75 degrees up above. Yippeeee !!!
Tickets for the day are $23.95 for adults, $16.95 for children (ages 3-12) and $21.95 for seniors (62+). Year passes and Summer passes are also available. It’s a cheap way to rock your world for a day, from desert to alpine in one quick trip up the Tram. Take a picnic, bring a chair and binoculars for birdwatching or a good book to read, take a hike or have a sumptuous meal at the Peaks Restaurant or the Pines Cafe. Make a day of it, or even an evening.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is truly of of the Wonders of the World and certainly one of the Palm Springs Valley’s most popular and sensational attractions.
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Seems that tourists are keeping in step with Global Warming . . . as Palm Springs hotel operators have noted elevated growth for the months of May and June, when tourism typically tapers off. What used to considered “off-season” around here is looking more and more like “on-season.”
The city has worked on creating partnerships with Germany and the UK . . . and it’s paid off, as more and more tourists from those two countries have been visiting Palm Springs during the summer months.
A Viceroy Hotel representative has commented that weekend traffic has been strong at their hotel, especially drive-in traffic. Also, a strong international representation has been noticed, particularly from the UK.
Recent data released from the city of Palm Springs shows that the number of visitors to Palm Springs last summer was up 25% from the previous year 2010. Since last year at this time, tourists have spent $15.1 million in Palm Springs and are projected to spend about $3 million more than that in this next year. And that’s no small potatoes!
These tourism dollars are being spent in the obvious places such as restaurants, resorts and hotels . . . and also at one of Palm Springs’ most iconic destinations – the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which sees a lot of activity from locals trying to escape the heat (at this moment, it’s 80.8 degrees at the top and it’s 113 degrees in Palm Springs).
Besides being popular with Europeans, Palm Springs is also attracting tourists from south of the equator, such as Australia, where it is winter right now.
It’s a beautiful thing, that the summer heat we locals complain about and dread is another man’s paradise. Go figure.
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