Last month, I took my first ever trip to Palm Springs, California; it was also my first visit to the state in over 20 years.

The city lives up to its name, although I wasn’t entirely expecting the mountain range right up against its Western border.

I was delighted to see bright pink bougainvillea of the type I’ve only previously encountered in Caribbean locales such as Turks and Caicos.

The city’s downtown has two main streets running parallel; this one is Palm Canyon Drive where a majority of the shops and restaurants are.

The central part of Palm Canyon Drive is dotted with giant, skirted palms.

I was happy to see the city’s support for our Northern neighbors.

The main drag features plenty of mid-century modern architecture along with just as many pricey chain boutiques.

It also has its share of public art; I did not get a picture of the Sonny Bono statue (the city’s mayor from 1988 to 1992) but I did snap one of this pride-themed tribute to former resident Lucille Ball (there’s also a statue of her and at least it’s not an abomination like the one that used to be in her hometown.)

Downtown has its own walk of fame; one that reserves a space for this beloved character actor best known for work in 1940s Preston Sturges comedies (and also for playing “Uncle Charley” on My Three Sons) is my kind of walk of fame.

The other main thoroughfare running parallel to Palm Canyon Drive through the city is Indian Canyon Drive.

It’s less flashy than Palm Canyon Drive, consisting of scattered businesses and hotels but still offering expansive mountain views to the West.

We stayed at a hotel near Downtown off of Indian Canyon Drive and even had great views to the East from there.

Downtown after dark is often as gorgeous as it is by day. Built in 1941, the Welwood Murray Memorial Library is currently a research library for the Palm Springs Historical Society and I couldn’t imagine a more appropriate building physically.

One evening, we walked through this public corridor behind Palm Canyon Drive and stumbled across some more striking public art.

One can stroll down Palm Canyon Drive itself and spot the most unexpected passageways between buildings.

Palm Springs at twilight. Stay tuned for more photos focusing on architecture and other hidden delights around the city.