A City Unto Itself
Greta Garbo, Ginger Rogers, Bette Davis, Clark Gable … even before the Rat Pack turned Palm Springs into the hippest Hollywood hangout, movie stars made the trek to what director Frank Capra called, “a wonderful green oasis in the middle of the desert.”
Indeed, at the time of its construction in 1926, the LAQUINTA RESORT AND CLUB (800-598-3828, www.laquintaresort.com) was in the middle of the desert, 20 miles east of Palm Springs with little but flora and fauna between the resort and the valley’s working hub. That privacy made it the most exclusive of exclusive Hollywood getaways, inaccessible to all but those who could afford a good car and a knowledgeable (and discreet) local driver who could navigate the dirt tracks and rutted country roads.
Capra was particularly fond of the La Quinta, where he is said to have penned the scripts for “You Can’t Take It With You,” “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” and others. Garbo leased a home on the property, while Davis journeyed to and from the resort daily while in Palm Springs to shoot “Jezebel,” for which she would win an Academy Award.
Today, the La Quinta is the pulsing heart of the community that bears its name — a community that is (not surprisingly, given its origins) dedicated almost entirely to the pursuit of a world-class resort experience.
Much of that experience centers around golf, and much of that golf is located within the property lines of the La Quinta itself, which boasts five of the world’s most famous resorts, including the PGA West Stadium, PGA West Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course and PGA West Greg Norman Course, plus La Quinta Resort Mountain Course and La Quinta Resort Dunes Course.
The Stadium course, in particular, needs no introduction (remember Trevino’s ace on the island-green 17th at the 1987 Skins Game?). Its wealth of hazards — both of the sandy and wet variety — always seem to pop up wherever you’re aiming, making for one of the most enjoyable shotmaking challenges in the desert.
While individual rounds will set you back a pretty penny, savings can be had by bundling golf with a stay in one of the resort’s thousands of rooms, ranging from budget-friendly casitas to the swanky legacy villas, located in a gated community adjacent to the resort itself. Forty-one pools, 53 whirlpools, dozens of restaurants, premium shopping, a full-service spa, polo, tennis, bicycling, horseback riding … the resort is a city unto itself, one where every resident is either having the vacation of their lives, or dedicated to making sure that you have yours.
That said, more and more vacationers are following in Greta Garbo’s footseteps and taking their relationship with La Quinta to the next level. LAQUINTA RESORT LEASING (760-777-4880, www.laquintaresortleasing.com) manages thousands of vacation rentals on both the La Quinta and PGA West sides of Calle Mazatlan, mostly ranging from two to four bedrooms, plus bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and, in many, private garages. The vacation rentals are ideal for families and larger groups who wish to stay together but retain private sleeping arrangements. With such a wide range of options, homes can be found to match just about any family budget — meaning you don’t have to be paid like Garbo to live like her.
A TOUCH OF CLASS
The drive down Palm Canyon Drive today might look different than it did 50 or even 25 years ago, but has that much really changed? Sure, the cars don’t have fins anymore and the Hollywood stars that frequent the area are more apt to hole up in their exclusive hillside homes than hang out in the bar at the El Mirador.
But from the Cahuilla Indians, to Hollywood royalty, to today’s snowbirds, people have come to the Coachella Valley for more than 2,000 years for the same purpose — to renew their spirits, escape the social and economic pressures of the day, and let their stresses slip away in a revitalizing commune with the land.
In the words of Old Blue Eyes himself, “Start spreading the news … I’m leaving today.”