5 Reasons to Fall in Love with La Quinta

Every day, from deciding whether or not to hit snooze to choosing to read a few more pages before shutting our eyes, our brains are a blur of choices—approximately 35,000 according to prevailing research. And frankly, it’s exhausting trying to make the right one every time. A vacation reboot would help… but travel planning requires even more decisions, which obviously defeats the purpose. And so the trip gets backburnered again.What if there was a place that made choosing easy—because there’s no possible wrong answer? A land where you could decide to do all the things on the visitor’s bureau checklist, or none of them, and have an equally good time?Enter La Quinta, California, a city of championship golf courses, towering palms, sprawling resorts with pools and spas, Old Hollywood lore, dramatic mountain backdrops, purple skies at dusk, and savory restaurants tucked into a calm corner of the Coachella Valley. It’s a place where you’re encouraged to do only what you love and what makes you feel most alive. Here in this sun-kissed slice of paradise, choose to follow the itinerary that is most Quinta-ssentially you.From yoga to spa services, treating yourself well in La Quinta is easy.WHERE TO PLAYThere are 20 golf courses within the city limits, including the nine at the PGA West, a 2,000-acre luxury golf resort and community. Among those are the Mountain Course and the Stadium Course, which blend stunning natural beauty, manicured landscapes, challenging holes and expert designs by masters Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus, and Greg Norman.You can hit up the pickleball and tennis courts at Fritz Burns Park from dawn until well past dusk. The 12-acre green space also features a skate park, a children’s playground, a pool, and a dedicated area to play fetch with your pup. If you need to brush up on the rules of your chosen game, book some time with the pros at La Quinta Resort & Club, where you can rent equipment or pick up a match.WHERE TO EATWhether you’re craving laid-back brunch bites, like the huckleberry hotcakes or double smashburgers at the farm-to-table eatery Beautiful Day, or a night on the town enjoying minty lamb chops and mai tais exploding with citrusy pucker at DSRT Club, La Quinta’s culinary scene does not disappoint.Greet the day with Mexican delicacies like machaca or chilaquiles on the colorful porch at Casa Mendoza. If you have a hankering for south-of-the-border specialties later in the day, they also make a mean molcajete, seafood enchiladas, or tacos al pastor. Come afternoon, head to La Quinta Cliffhouse for the legendary nightly happy hour and stay for supper at sunset. There, you can put the date in date night by snacking on Medjools with bacon, blue cheese, coconut, and honey. (Pro tip: always order the gooey stone fruit however it’s served, whether as a shake, syrup or side dish—the Coachella Valley grows 95% of the dates in the U.S.) Close out the night with a slice of decadent Toll House Pie, a fixture at The Sandbar for four decades.WHAT TO DISCOVERThose who believe it is just as important to nourish the mind as it is the body can take a walk down memory lane at the free La Quinta Museum, where the newly expanded history and culture exhibit details the people, technologies, and businesses that shaped the city, including the Cahuilla Indians, homesteaders, the railroad, and the celebrity magnet La Quinta Resort, which is celebrating its centennial this year. At the museum, visual learners can study the massive mural and a collection of photographs."Bird Song" mural by Nate Frizzell at the La Quinta Museum.La Quinta itself is a patron of the arts. It’s hard to miss the more than 160 sculptures, murals, and decorated utility boxes installed through the Art In Public Places program. Twice a year, creatives from around the world descend on the civic center campus and turn it into a concert venue and an alfresco art gallery for a four-day festival. After admiring the artwork, head over to Old Town for locally made mementos. The charming retail district—known for its pleasing Spanish colonial architecture and vibrant sprays of bougainvillea—stocks gems at independent boutiques and galleries year-round and hosts the open-air Art on Main Street event on select Saturdays from November to April.HOW TO GET OUTSIDEThe area is a bonanza for outdoor activity. Bike along the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains using the paved, 2.7-mile-long Bear Creek Trail, or fix your attitude by gaining altitude on the miles of trails littered throughout the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountain ranges.One popular route takes hikers a little more than six miles from the La Quinta Cove neighborhood to Lake Cahuilla, which is particularly peaceful at dawn or dusk. (The luckiest trekkers spy bighorn sheep.) Go straight to the lake to picnic, go horseback riding, or fish. Prolong your city escape by pitching a tent and camping at Cahuilla. Sunrise yoga and movie screenings are also offered lakeside.Lucky hikers might spot an endangered bighorn sheep while hiking the Cove Trail.WHERE TO CHILLWhile it’s clear there’s lots to do, know that, in the LQ, doing nothing is always on the table. Downtime happens to be a desert specialty, as there’s always a cold pool, a chaise lounge, and an umbrella drink calling your name. In fact, La Quinta Resort & Club boasts 42 pools across the 45-acre property, including a family-friendly splash zone and a more serene adults-only plunge with private cabanas and movie nights. (Don’t forget the 53 hot tubs for crisp Coachella nights.) Those who enjoy night swimming should post up at the never-closed pool at The Chateau at Lake La Quinta.Finish the evening with stargazing and a glass of something sparkling in front of the fire pits. To really lean into relaxation, melt into a hot stone massage at Coral Spa or happily drift off while indulging in chromotherapy, a steam bath, or a dreamy scalp rub at Spa La Quinta. Or tap into an even deeper state of zen by joining a meditation or breathwork session or Sound Bath Sundays at Gather Yoga in Old Town. Plan your easiest trip ever today.