The next day, you'll leave well-manicured Palm Springs for the wilds of nature and culture. If you can manage it, get up before dawn for an hour's drive into the Mojave Desert to Joshua Tree National Park. Daybreak is magical amid the world's largest collection of these distinctive towering yucca plants, which Mormons named for the Old Testament prophet Joshua, whose outstretched arms pointed toward the Promised Land (nps.gov/jotr). From there, drive by Andrea Zittel's A-Z West, the dwelling cum conceptual art piece that the formerly Brooklyn-based artist moved into eight years ago. Zittel organizes an annual art fair of experimental installations from artists such as Jack Pierson and Ryan McGinley; swing by and visit the ones that are still standing (highdeserttestsites.com). At noon, take in the Integratron, a dome built over a geomagnetic vortex by a self--described UFO abductee in the 1950s, now the site of daily "healing sound baths" (760-364-3126; $10), before stopping for a midday bite at the Crossroads Cafe & Tavern (61715 Twenty-nine Palms Hwy.; 760-366-5414; entrées, $6–$10). Then tour the Desert Art Studio, where painter Chuck Caplinger exhibits his desert interpretations (74655 Wellock Rd.; 760-361-2305). Finally, walk around outsider artist Noah Purifoy's sculpture garden filled with witty assemblages of trash (63030 Blair Lane; 213-382-7516; noahpurifoy.com). Tired of all the trudging? End your day with a drive to Two Bunch Palms, the former Capone hideaway built on the site of an oasis, where you can reward yourself with a relaxing dip in the mineral springs pool and a reflexology session (760-329-8791; half-hour reflexology session, $75).

Where to Eat: Begin by breakfasting at Norma's, a patio restaurant that serves a mean eggs Benedict and provides a good vantage for appreciating the grounds of the Parker Palm Springs, designed by über-cool L.A. firm Elysian Landscapes (4200 E. Palm Canyon Dr.; 760-321-4630; breakfast, $12–$21). For lunch, go Californian with a plate of tempeh at Native Foods (1775 E. Palm Canyon Dr.; 760-416-0070; entrées, $7–$15). At dinnertime, go throwback mafioso chic at Melvyn's, the 30-plus-year-old restaurant at the Ingleside Inn. Sinatra and U.S. presidents have eaten here, and the veal Ingleside deserves its most-ordered status (200 W. Ramon Rd.; 760-325-0046; entrées, $23–$38). After dinner, hit the 300,000-square-foot Spa Resort Casino, which has 1,000 slot machines and 30 gaming tables. Back at your hotel, count the stars and make new friends over a convivial drink around the fire pit—lots of Palm Springs hotels have them.

And Don't Miss: The Albert Frey–designed Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Valley Station and the iconic "flying wedge" canopy of the Tramway Gas Station (now a visitors center) at the foot of the entrance to the tram, on the northern edge of Palm Springs, are worth a stop (1 Tramway Rd.; 760-325-1391). And on the way out of town, stop for a date-and-banana shake at Hadley's, the retro-styled roadside fruit purveyor (8980 Seminole Dr.; 800-854-5655).