{"id":398,"date":"2008-05-09T10:57:00","date_gmt":"2008-05-09T15:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2008\/05\/palm-springs-aerial-tram-a-view-from-the-top\/"},"modified":"2016-12-17T20:43:41","modified_gmt":"2016-12-18T02:43:41","slug":"palm-springs-aerial-tram-a-view-from-the-top","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2008\/05\/palm-springs-aerial-tram-a-view-from-the-top\/","title":{"rendered":"Palm Springs Aerial Tram: A view from the top"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Palmspringstramway\"<\/a>
\nBy Erin Kregor<\/em><\/p>\n

Last March I visited Palm Springs<\/a><\/strong> on a business trip and found myself having dinner on the top of a mountain one night. Why? The Palm Springs Aerial Tram<\/strong>. This unique experience is one that can’t be found anywhere else in the U.S.; it’s the largest tram in the western hemisphere and travels 8,000 feet high to the top of a mountain.<\/p>\n

It’s about a 20-25 minute drive from most of the Palm Springs hotels<\/a><\/strong> but is an easy enough trip (MapQuest <\/a><\/strong>before you go or get directions from the concierge). Once you get there you can purchase tickets. They’re on the pricey side, $21.95 for adults and $14.95 for children, but it’s worth the price of admission.<\/p>\n

You’ll probably have some time to kill because the tram runs on a schedule, departing every half hour or so. Check out the "mountain gifts" shop in the lobby, full of knick knacks and mountain-related memorabilia. Be sure to pay attention to the announcements about tram departure warnings (we were pretty entertained by some of the novelties in the shop).<\/p>\n

The ride itself is a real experience \u2013- the tram sways when you pass over each tower on the ride up and down, but it’s fun (think roller coaster but super slow). It takes about 8 minutes and provides spectacular views. The gondolas are all glass so you can see 360 degrees, and the floor spins (slowly) to give everyone an equal view. <\/p>\n

Once you reach the top there are several things you can do. You aren’t assigned a specific time to go back down, so spend as much or as little time as you’d like at the top — just be sure to make sure you make it on the last tram (or you’re sleeping on top of the mountain!). Also bring a camera — the views are amazing. You can hike, rent snowshoes in the winter shop, take a guided nature walk or just explore on your own. There will be snow \u2013- and the temperature drops dramatically compared to the desert below so bring a jacket. <\/p>\n

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You can also eat at the top in either of the two restaurants. One is a very family-friendly casual cafeteria called The Pines Caf\u00e9<\/strong>; the other, Peaks Restaurant<\/strong>, is a sit-down restaurant with great food (be sure to make reservations in advance). We ate at Peaks and had a great time. The building is all glass so you can see for miles! It was built into the mountain, and there’s one section with the mountain exposed; rocks and snow right in the middle of the restaurant (encased in glass of course). <\/p>\n

Our tram ride down was a little on the scary side — we were on the last tram of the night (9:45 p.m.) with the employees who weren\u2019t phased by it being pitch black outside…but we were. I at least was found it a little unsettling (you might consider leaving while it’s still light if you have kids or if you want to enjoy the view both ways) but really fun. <\/p>\n

P.S.: Don’t forget to MapQuest return directions from the tram back to your resort. We almost got lost in the desert, which made it feel like more of an adventure!<\/p>\n

Related Orbitz resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n