Best of the Valley

Best High School

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:30:55 +0000

Desert Hot Springs High School, Desert Hot Springs
The Golden Eagles showed off their soaring school spirit in this year’s Best of the Valley contest. Desert Hot Springs High boasts climbing academic marks and a record playoff run in soccer. The school, which opened in 1999, offers specialized programs in public safety and renewable energy and received an Energy Star award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for efficiency. 65-850 Pierson Blvd., Desert Hot Springs, (760) 288-7000; schools.psusd.us/dh.
2nd: Indio High School, Indio
3rd: Palm Springs High School, Palm Springs

Best Private School

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:29:56 +0000

King’s Schools of the Desert, Palm Springs
King’s Schools of the Desert nabbed its third Best of the Valley win in four years. The Palm Springs school incorporates a Christian education but opens its doors to preschoolers through eighth graders of all faiths. King’s schools features small academic classes and programs in art, music and physical education with a mission to prepare students academically, physically, emotionally and spiritually. 67-675 Bolero Rd., Palm Springs, (760) 324-5464; kingsschools.com.
2nd: St. Theresa School, Palm Springs
3rd: Xavier College Preparatory High School, Palm Desert

Best Dog Park

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:29:12 +0000

Civic Center Park, Palm Desert
The three-quarter-acre dog park is in one of the city’s social hubs, making it a hotspot for people- and dog-watching. Open from dawn to 11 p.m., it has two fenced areas to separate little dogs from the big ones, plus benches, trees and misters for summer jaunts. The city holds regular meetings for users. “They don’t hesitate to tell us what they think, and we respond back,” says city landscape manager Spencer Knight. Northeast corner of Fred Waring Drive and San Pablo Avenue, Palm Desert, (760) 346-0611; cityofpalmdesert.org.

2nd: Palm Springs Dog Park, Palm Springs

3rd: Freedom Park, Palm Desert

Best Fitness Center

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:28:17 +0000

Balanced Training Boot Camp, valleywide

For the second year in a row, this winning fitness “club without walls,” that aims to transform your lifestyle, takes first place with our readers. Its no-nonsense approachhighly structured, high-intensity workouts which keep you moving nonstop from one exercise to anotherall takes place outdoors in Desert Recreation District parks under the direction of owner Cathy Serif. The four-week conditioning programs include cardio, strength-training, obstacle course park circuits, flexibility building and focused core conditioning. cathyserif.com.

2nd: La Quinta Community Fitness Center, La Quinta

3rd: World Gym, valleywide

Best Hike

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:27:29 +0000

Bump and Grind Trail, Palm Desert
Back in 1994, R&B hitmaker R. Kelly sang about there being nothin’ wrong with a little bump n’ grind. Nearly two decades later, Coachella Valley hikers still agree. For the umpteenth straight year, readers voted the Bump and Grind Trail in Palm Desert the best hike in the valley. Centrally located, it offers an abundance of scenic views, wide trails and plentiful opportunities to burn off those pesky calories consumed at restaurants featured in this very edition. But beware: The Bump and Grind ain’t exactly a walk in the park. As with all ventures into the desert, be sure to bring plenty of water and also dress appropriately. Find the trailhead behind the Desert Crossings shopping center on painters Path, south of Fred Waring Drive; cityofpalmdesert.org.

Best Place to Take the Kids

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:26:43 +0000

The Living Desert, Palm Desert
Forget everything you’ve ever thought about zoos. The Living Desert is none of those things. Enchanting, whimsical and witty, the 1,800-acre park has something for the tiniest tyke and the hardest-core outbackers. Feed a giraffe, get up close to the reptile collection or marvel at the expansive model train display that winds around tiny villages. The programs change with the seasons. During the spring, visit the butterfly pavilion where, if you stand very still, a monarch might alight on your shoulder. 47-900 Portola Ave., Palm Desert, (760) 346-5694; livingdesert.org.
2nd: Gymnastics Jamboree at Indio Community Center, Indio
3rd: Action All Star Cheer, Thousand Palms

Best Public Golf Course

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:26:02 +0000

Indian Canyons Golf Resort, Palm Springs
One of the appeals of Indian Canyons Golf Resort, located in the southern foothills of Palm Springs, is the variety golfers can find at the resort’s two 18-hole courses. The North Course, a traditional-style course from the 1960s, with large greens, mature trees and wide fairways lined by palm trees and homes, is a throwback to the era when Hope and Sinatra were roaming the fairways. By contrast, the South Course is a renovated and revamped layout from the same era. With the renovations, golfers now find a blend of the old course and completely new and sporty holes with modern green complexes, lakes and hole situations to take advantage of the views of the nearby San Jacinto Mountains. Each course can provide its own challenges to the recreational player and both courses offer modern facilities and the promise of an enjoyable day. 1097 E. Murray Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, (760) 327-6550; indiancanyonsgolf.com.
2nd: Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort, Palm Springs
3rd: Desert Willow Golf Resort, Palm Desert

Best Public Park

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:25:17 +0000

Palm Desert Civic Center Park, Palm Desert
The showpiece park in not only Palm Desert, but the Coachella Valley, this 70-acre, tree-shaded greenbelt has everything you could ask for in a family- and sports-oriented park: four baseball fields, six tennis courts, two pickleball courts, four volleyball courts, three basketball courts, five picnic pavilions, an amphitheater, skate park, tot lot and a dog park. There’s also a rose garden, ponds and public art sculptures. The new Palm Desert Aquatic Center with its stunning Olympic-size pool sits at the north end of the complex, and to top it off, the picnic pavilions have misters. 73-510 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert; (760) 346-0611; cityofpalmdesert.org.
2nd: Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms
3rd: Freedom Park, Palm Desert

Best Tennis Court

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:24:31 +0000

Palm Springs Tennis Club, Palm Springs
Tucked against the foot of the Santa Rosa Mountains, this private club boasts compact, well-manicured grounds with 11 courts (nine lighted) to hone your skills in a quiet and convenient location close to downtown. The club desk is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for members and timeshare owners, with reservations suggested. After a match, players are often seen at a power lunch or Sunday brunch next door at Spencer’s Restaurant. No racket required. 701 W. Baristo Rd., Palm Springs, (760) 325-1441; palmspringstennisclub.com.
2nd: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Indian Wells
3rd: Palm Desert Civic Center Park, Palm Desert

Best Art Gallery

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:23:36 +0000

Images by Gideon Fine Art Gallery, Palm Springs
The creative energy that flows through this spacious gallery is palpable. Here, art isn’t something you stick on a wall or place on a table, it is alive, vibrant, interactive. Artist Gideon Cohn and his wide circle of friends hold frequent artist receptions, workshops and the popular “Art Walk” on the first Wednesday of the month where you can cruise in and talk to artists while they work. Backstreet Art District, 2682 Cherokee Way, Palm Springs, (760) 250-1521; imagesbygideon.com.
2nd: Savage Contemporary Art Gallery, Palm Springs
3rd: D & R Photography and Art Gallery, Rancho Mirage