Palm Springs and traveling from Central Coast

ExcitedMama

DIS Veteran
Joined
Aug 29, 2013
My husband has a week long conference in Palm Springs in September and I’m going to tag along with the kids. Any advice on what to do with the kids during the day? We have only been once for a couple of days when my oldest was a baby and my husband was working. We did the gondola thing but because our son was so little not much else. That week will be my youngest’s birthday so I want to make it fun.

According to Google it’s about 7 hours from our house in Monterey. I’m going to price check and see about maybe a one day surprise stop at Disney for her. We’d need something else to break up the trip the other way. We have to check in on a Monday and check out on a Friday so I’m dreading the traffic on the Friday going home with LA traffic. We usually head home on 46 to avoid traffic as much as possible. 101 is obviously prettier but a traffic nightmare. At least most schools are probably back in session so maybe less weekend traveling so soon after summer. Any ideas on a good place to stop if we want to break up the long drive? My kids will 8.5 and newly 6. The youngest needs pit stops every couple of hours so that always adds a lot of time to our road trips.
 
For Palm Springs if you can swing it stay at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort. It's the best for kids - they have a waterpark, lazy river, kids activities, etc. It will still be hot (110+) in September and you are not going to want to be exploring the desert. My kids love the Living Desert too but it is just so hot in that time of year - go at opening and head back to the pool by early afternoon.

I'm no help on the drive, when we go up we just do the long haul on the 5 to get it over with as quick as possible.
 
He has the hotel booked through his work. I just need ideas to entertain the kids while he’s working. Oh, no, I hate the heat! I was hoping in September it would have cooled down! Still really hot then in the second week of September?
 
Sorry, my husband and I do a weekend in early September almost every year and it's almost always over 100. We just lounge by the pool with cold drinks and eat at good restaurants, but that won't work with the kids! Hopefully it will cool down early this year!
 


He has the hotel booked through his work. I just need ideas to entertain the kids while he’s working. Oh, no, I hate the heat! I was hoping in September it would have cooled down! Still really hot then in the second week of September?

Yes. September in the desert is still really hot. It is not going to be cooler until October. So lots of pool time. You could take the kids to The Living Desert in Palm Desert...it's a combo of small zoo and botanical garden. http://www.livingdesert.org/

You could also take the tram in Palm Springs. There are jeep & Hummer tours you can take of the desert.

In terms of getting home, here's what I think you should do...
  • check out of the hotel on Friday. Once you're ready to leave Palm Springs on Friday, drive to Anaheim. It will probably take ~ 2 hr to get to Anaheim.
  • stay at a hotel/motel across the street from Disneyland on Harbor Blvd for Fri & Sat night.
  • go to Disneyland all day on Saturday.
  • go to a character breakfast on Sunday morning at the DLH or PPH.
  • then leave Anaheim to drive home to Monterey.
  • drive home on I-5, cut over to 101 via Hwy 33 and 46.
 
Thanks so much! We are definitely planning on doing the tram again and hoping we can actually enjoy it this time since it was a rookie parenting fail last time with a baby. I had planned on doing the living desert too but now I’m worried about the heat. Is it ok to do early? How long does it take to do? Is there an inside air conditioned mall I can take the kids to wander around during the heat of the day?
 
We avoid almost all of LA area when heading north. Last trip we went through Kramer Junction, Mojave, Techachapi Pass to Bakersfield. 7 miles north of Bakersfield on 99 is 7th Standard road to cut over to I-5. It has little traffic and no lights that I recall. We found this route much faster and more enjoyable than dealing with traffic in LA. Only about 25 miles longer.

In Palm Springs is an air museum with lots of old aircraft.
Wet & Wild water park will let everyone keep cool!
 


We avoid almost all of LA area when heading north. Last trip we went through Kramer Junction, Mojave, Techachapi Pass to Bakersfield. 7 miles north of Bakersfield on 99 is 7th Standard road to cut over to I-5. It has little traffic and no lights that I recall. We found this route much faster and more enjoyable than dealing with traffic in LA. Only about 25 miles longer.

In Palm Springs is an air museum with lots of old aircraft.
Wet & Wild water park will let everyone keep cool!

This is not a good route if you are traveling north on a Friday.

The Living Desert is nice but it would be definitely better to do first thing in the morning. Like a PP said, there is a Wet and Wild water park, an indoor Westfield mall in Palm Desert, a Childrens Discovery museum in Rancho Mirage, as well as an air museum in Palm Springs if your kids are interested in planes.
 
This is not a good route if you are traveling north on a Friday.

Most of our trips that route have been on a Friday morning. Heading west on I-10 just about the time we start to hit bad rush hour traffic we turn to the north. Just a few slow spots here and there and then we're clear the rest of the way. I-15 over cajun pass has never been an issue. Rush hour traffic is mostly the other way in the morning. I've not once hit bad traffic. Afternoons could be a problem as people head home but we're long out of the area by then!
 

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