Optional Tours

The Palm Springs area is comprised of eight distinctive cities—Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, Indio, La Quinta (known as “Gem of the Desert”), Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and Rancho Mirage—all of which are remarkably easy to navigate.

La Quinta Resort & Club, our convention hotel, has had its share of notable guests —the last 16 American presidents have stayed there, Ginger Rogers was married by the waterfall, and Frank Capra penned many of his famous scripts there. Golfers flock to the area as well; the valley has 127 golf courses and the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and the Skins Game are played here. And Arnold Palmer’s namesake restaurant, located in Old Town La Quinta, offers diners mouth-watering dishes.

Exchangites and guests attending the national convention have the unique opportunity of getting to know the Palm Springs area better through optional tours. The tours include round-trip transportation, an escort or certified tour guide, and all applicable admissions, including taxes. Listed times below indicate when tours depart from and return to the hotel. Meals are included in tour prices only when noted. Check this page for the latest information on optional tours. Sign up for tours by filling out the Convention Events Package Form (PDF) or online through the Supply website. Tour reservations are due by June 24. Be sure to sign up early! Events may be cancelled if the minimum number of tour guests is not reached.

Celebrity Home Tour

Monday, July 19, 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Join your fellow Exchangites and guests for a tour of celebrity homes. Your guide will share stories of the more than 150 stars and dignitaries who have made their home in Palm Springs, including highlights of the unique architecture in the area.

Do you know why so many Hollywood celebrities chose Palm Springs as their home away from home? Why was Sinatra’s estate named Twin Palms? How many homes did Walt Disney own in the valley? What shape is Liberace’s bathtub? Join the tour and find the answers!

After winding through the many streets that include celebrity homes, Exchange guests will experience a private tour of Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s honeymoon home and stroll through the grounds where “The King” once walked. This one-of-a-kind house, not open to the public, was built as a futuristic party house in the early 1960s by famous Palm Springs developer Robert Alexander for his wife, Helene. It does not contain a single square room, but is built in five octagonal areas, all covered with one elliptical roof. The home features extensive memorabilia, photos and documentation from the Presleys’ happy days. Snacks and refreshments will be served.

Cost per person: $99

Jeep Tour of the Desert

Monday, July 19, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Experience unique geological features, often referred to as “the most tortured landscape on Earth.” Learn how the area’s rich agricultural soil traveled hundreds of miles to get here, allowing the Coachella Valley to grow some unique crops, including date species from around the world, the best white grapefruit in America and the sweetest corn in the west.

See pools filled with water bubbling up from the San Andreas Fault. Learn how the Native Americans lived, hunted and used desert plants for food, clothing, construction, tools, weapons and medicine.

The tour will be led by a private naturalist guide. Includes admission and land fees. Guests will be picked up from and returned to the convention hotel.

Cost per person: $149

The Living Desert and Tennity Wildlife Hospital

Tuesday, July 20, 7:30 – 11:30 a.m.

The desert is a diverse ecosystem filled with unique plant and animal life. For nearly 40 years, The Living Desert has been celebrating and conserving the beauty of the California desert, teaching guests about desert environments around the world. Covering more than 1,000 acres in Palm Desert and Indian Wells, the park is home to more than 450 animals representing more than 152 species, including giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, leopards and meerkats. Additionally, they feature lush botanical gardens representing 10 different desert ecosystems and showcasing more than 1,200 varieties of plants native to desert environments.

This private tram-car tour is only for Exchange convention participants and conducted by the reserve’s highly-trained docents. The educational and informative tour will include a behind-the-scenes tour of the Tennity Wildlife Hospital & Conservation Center. It’s the only animal hospital in the world that offers floor-to-ceiling windows that provide a view into the examination room where park animals are treated. The hospital is open to the public to offer a unique experience for park guests.

When visiting the Tennity Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center, guests experience:

• A tour guide on the history and function of the hospital.

• An opportunity to watch and ask questions about animal exams and procedures.

• Videos of recorded exams, animal management and exhibit construction.

Automated cooling mist systems located throughout the park provide guests with a cool and refreshing experience.

Cost per person: $98

Palm Springs Aerial Tram

Tuesday, July 20, 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.

The Palm Springs Aerial Tram on Mt. Jacinto is a true adventure. It was the dream of a young electrical engineer named Francis F. Crocker to “go up there where it’s nice and cool.” Construction of the Tramway was an engineering challenge and was soon labeled the “eighth wonder of the world.” Some 20 years after construction, the Tramway was designated an historical civil engineering landmark. The tri-level Mountain Station offers stunning views of the valley. The rotating cable cars are the most advanced in the world, and the largest of three rotating aerial trams in the world. The other two are in Cape Town, South Africa, and Titlis, Switzerland.

Enjoy a continuous reel movie about the building of the tram, gift shop, two restaurants and a lounge, and several viewing terraces located at the Mountain Station. This trek to the top of the mountain is truly a singular experience!

Cost per person: $75

Temecula Wine Country

Wednesday, July 21, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Visit the historic Temecula Valley, known as “Sunlight through the Mist,” on a relaxing and fascinating journey. Learn about the lifestyle and daily culture of the valley’s original inhabitants, the Luiseno Indians, the days of rancheros, and the area’s innovative history of cattle ranching. Find out about the valley’s integral involvement in the Mexican-American War, and the development of the area as the premier wine country in Southern California.

Guests on the tour will enjoy a visit to the Ponte Family Estate Winery—one of Temecula’s most appealing wineries. Nestled inside 350 acres of lush vineyards, the winery has a charming and sophisticated atmosphere. The private tour includes a sampling of four to five wines with a wine professional and a keepsake wine glass.

Next on the agenda is a private tour of the Wilson Creek Winery to learn more about the region’s grape harvest. This quaint and charming country-style inn has spacious lawns and a gazebo that provides a picturesque backdrop for any occasion. Wilson Creek is known for its fine champagnes and sparkling chardonnays. Guests will enjoy a sampling of premium wines and champagnes and a souvenir wine glass. Lunch is included in the price of the tour.

Cost per person: $185

Palm Springs Air Museum

Wednesday, July 21, 12:30 – 4:30 p.m.

The Palm Springs Air Museum houses one of the nation’s largest collections of World War II flying aircraft displayed in modern, well-lighted, air-conditioned hangars.

The significance of World War II is unparalleled in all of history, the most costly conflict ever fought and one that took the lives of some 70 million people. Air power altered the outcome of that war and forever changed the lives of every person alive today. This nonprofit institution’s mission is to educate and memorialize World War II combat aircraft and the important role of the pilots and American citizens in achieving victory.

The most important feature of the museum is the living history and eyewitness accounts of the hundreds of docents who volunteer their time to explain the exhibits. Many served in air combat during World War II and are a priceless resource of the institution. In addition to the magnificent aircraft, visitors on this private, docent-led tour will enjoy rare and original combat photography as well as an exquisite antique automobile collection from the 1920s and 1930s. Guests will get a private tour of a B-17 plane.

Cost per person: $70