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palm springs celebrity tour

A Mecca for Hollywood Stars and Mid-Century Modern Architecture

By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life
January 17, 2019


​PALM SPRINGS, Calif._This is a town long known for its rich and famous; a desert oasis where Hollywood's elite lived and played, and still do today.

It's also well known as having the best examples of mid-century architecture in the world. How better to see it all than go full-on tourist and take a tour? So Pam and I signed up for The Best of the Best "Rich and Famous Tour." 

The tour promised we would "travel through the beautiful city of Palm Springs, California, and learn history and facts about the playground of the stars. . . Your guide will add fun and spice with stories and vignettes...and maybe a secret or two along the way. Why did Hedy Lamarr, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, George Reeves and Dorothy Lamour all live on the same street?"

Along with 30 or so fellow tourists, we boarded a mini-bus (it was noted full-size buses are prohibited from many of the residential streets) and were on the way.

Our tour guide was entertaining, and very knowledgeable. We learned about the history of the city ("iIncorporated in 1938, Palm Springs has a rich and colorful history. Once a tent city serving as a sanatorium...Did you know Palm Springs had at least two other names before it was finally dubbed Palm Springs?") But of course seeing the homes and the homes of the stars was the main event.

And see them we did. Dozens and dozens -- Frank Sinatra (Old Blue Eyes is also buried here), Bob Hope, Elvis, Lucille Ball,, and many more that called Palm Springs home. Who could blame anyone from loving this place? Set against the backdrop of the San Jacinto Mountains and endless palm trees, it's like a postcard everywhere you look. Of course, in the summer the temps reach into the 120s, so there's that.

But we fell in love with it, too. In fact, only two things are stopping us from moving here: We aren't "rich" or "famous." Sigh. But we can dream, right?


Photos by North Palm Beach Life
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Behind these gates is the
​one-time home of Bob Hope
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These crazy outdoor sculptures are the work of artist Kenny Irwin Jr. Pretty amazing!
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Can you guess? 'Clark Gable'
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Liberace called this home
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Elvis and Priscilla's honeymoon hideaway
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This was the home of famed movie director Howard Hawks -- Casa de Plata (House of Silver)

Palm Springs Is Home to the Best
Mid-Century Architecture in the Country --

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After the Tour, We Headed to Melvyn's for Lunch ...

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Melvyn's is an institution in Palm Springs. First built in the 1920s for the
​widow of the Pierce-Arrow Automobile president, it was a magnet for Hollywood
celebrities under the later ownership of Ruth Hardy. New Yorker Melvyn Haber
acquired it in 1975 and restored it to its former glory.
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The property combines the restaurant with The Ingleside Inn, and today is one of the most popular gathering spots in Palm Springs.
Picture
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Paying homage to the celebrities
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Keep a light on for us ... we'll be back!

NEXT STOP: THE TRAM TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN 

See All Road Trip Articles

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  • Home
    • Weather >
      • Hurricane Readiness
  • Cruise News
    • Cruise Reviews and Stories
    • Cruise Compete
  • Gigi in the 561
    • Gigi in the 561 Interviews
    • Cora
    • My Father's Tales >
      • My Father's Tales - Photo Album
  • Blogs
    • Gerry Pronounced Gary
    • Rock and Roll Rewind
    • Susan Goldfein -- Blog >
      • Susan Goldfein
  • Video
  • Travel
    • Snaps >
      • Snaps - Page 2
    • Island Destinations
    • October Odyssey >
      • Cartagena, Columbia
      • Panama Canal
      • Antigua, Guatemala
      • Cabo San Lucas
      • Birds and Bees Speakeasy in Los Angeles
      • We Love LA
      • Coast Starlight
      • Napa Wine Tour
      • California Zephyr
      • California Zephyr Part Two
      • Chicago
      • Amtrak Capitol Limited
      • Washington DC
    • Pam - Traveling in Style
    • Road Trip! >
      • Road Trip! -- Tucumcari, New Mexico
      • Road Trip! -- The Painted Desert
      • Road Trip! - Sedona, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - Sedona Wineries
      • Road Trip! Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
      • Road Trip! - Mogollon Rim
      • Road Trip! - Verde Canyon Railroad
      • Road Trip! - Jerome, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - California
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Celebrity Tour
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
      • Road Trip! - Festival in Palm Springs
      • Road Trip! - Willcox, Arizona and Apple Annie's Orchard
      • Road Trip! Willcox Wineries
      • Road Trip! Chiricahua National Monument
      • Road Trip! Tombstone, Arizona
      • Tombstone, Part Two
      • Road Trip! - Epilogue
    • Traveling With Joe >
      • Beartooth Highway
      • North Cascades National Park
      • A Visit to the Philippines
      • Grand Canyon National Park
      • Glacier National Park
      • Yellowstone National Park
      • Hiking in Bear Country
      • Crater Lake National Park
      • Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
      • The Kerrville Folk Festival
      • Building Hope in the Rio Grande Valley
    • Unknown Yellowstone >
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Heart Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Summit Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Shoshone Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Grizzly Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Riddle Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Pelican Cone
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Mt. Washburn
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Specimen Ridge
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Avalanche Peak
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Divide Creek
  • Contact
    • Pamela Barker - Author
    • The Story of StarText
  • Search