Spring is on its way, and the perfect time for a little getaway to the desert before things get hot.  And you know how very very hot the Coachella Valley can be.  Most of us may already have visited Joshua Tree National Park and Palm Springs, but there’s also Indian Wells and Palm Desert a little further East.

The lobby of Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa in Indian Wells.

On my recent visit, I was invited to stay at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, which has recently undergone a spiffy multi-million dollar renovation.  It’s a large hotel built around a large central atrium, and surrounded by swimming pools and golfing greens.  Having stayed here about five years ago, I can attest to how everything has been wonderfully freshened up – the atrium and the rooms have been remodeled with a more contemporary sensibility, using a lighter color palette. 

Queen Guestroom at Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa in Indian Wells.

The rooms are particularly spacious, each with its own balcony.  There are updated furnishings and fun elements like wallpaper with a Hollywood theme.  The latter harkens to the studio era when Hollywood stars frequently made jaunts to the desert to get away from Hollywood.  A number even had houses out here, though most of those are in Palm Springs.  Visitors to the hotel can spend a whole weekend on the premises — sunning and swimming and spa-ing at the Esmeralda Spa — but there are also very good restaurants in nearby Palm Desert, and some local sights.

Darrel Eisman or Blackfeather on the Red Jeep Tour.

One of the most interesting is the infamous San Andreas Fault, where two tectonic plates meet and result in our occasional earthquakes.  One way to have a good look at it is with the Red Jeep Tour.  Open-air jeeps take small groups across dirt roads and onto private land, where you traverse canyons and stop in an oasis.  As you bounce along, learn about how the Cahuilla Indians survived in the area by using local plants for medicine and food.   Our guide was the knowledgeable “Blackfeather” — Darrel Eisman who hails from New York, actually. 

International Banana Museum doorway.

An unexpectedly fun and trippy visit was to the International Banana Museum in the North Beach part of the Salton Sea.  Just off the dusty highway is a nondescript building with a small sign, and for the price of admission – a whole $1 – be astonished by more than 25,000 banana-themed items on counters, in showcases, on the walls.  Yes, there are figurines, stuffed toys, dishware, drawings, and even a record player in the shape of a giant banana.  You can also buy souvenirs and a frozen banana treat.  Yours Truly got herself a small banana pin with rhinestones, and did not break the bank.  

International Banana Museum interior.

The collection was originally put together by Ken Bannister, and has managed to win the Guinness Book of World Record’s title of “World’s Largest Collection” devoted to one fruit.  Before you go, be sure to contact the museum in advance, as their hours are variable.