Field Trips with Fido: Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California is a very dog friendly community. With so many restaurants having outdoor seating, most of them accommodate well-behaved dogs, perhaps better than children. Unlike other places we’ve been, many stores also allow dogs on leash and often have water bowls and special treats behind the counter for our pampered pooches.
A few other places surprised us by being dog friendly including the Palm Springs Air Museum and the Moorten’s Botanical Garden.
Palm Springs Air Museum
Palm Springs Air Museum
We took our spoiled pup Good Boy George to the Palm Springs Air Museum and we were greeted at the door by one of the docent’s dogs. There were no water bowls or treats but there was plenty of space to wander the exhibits both inside and out. Do keep in mind that the tarmac outdoors can get very hot in the desert heat and may be too much for your pup’s paws.
Moorten Botanical Garden
Moorten Botanical Garden
The sign at the entry states that dogs on leash are allowed with permission and we were asked to keep the leash short as we wandered through the garden. The paths are narrow and there are some very prickly plants as one would expect of a desert botanical garden which may be dangerous to your precious pup (which is why the short leash is very helpful). George got very excited when we encountered a small rabbit on the path, and he spent the rest of the time searching for it.
Thursday night street fair, downtown Palm Springs
Every Thursday night, Palm Springs closes off S. Palm Canyon for a street fair of sorts. There’s food, art, crafts, music, activities, a guy with a typewriter writing quick poetry, and even a rabbi answering questions from passersby. While dogs are allowed, I wouldn’t say that it’s dog-friendly. On a Thursday night in February during Modernism Week, the street was packed. Fortunately, our dog George is good in crowds, but if yours isn’t, I would avoid this area between 6 and 9 PM on Thursday nights.
City Hall Dog Park, Palm Springs
There is a fantastic dog park behind City Hall at 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way. It is split into two with one part for small dogs and the other, larger area, for large dogs. There are shaded areas with seating for dog-owners to chat while their dogs are off playing, and a 1/8 mile paved loop around the park if you want to get some exercise while your dog plays. If you forget to bring a poop bag, you are in luck. There are pooper scoopers and spare poop bags that have been fully stocked each time we’ve been. Be a good dog parent and keep an eye on your dog and don’t let your dog dig! We wish we had something like this at home in the Bay Area.