A Retreat Within the Retreat

FOR MILLENNIA, seekers of the spiritual retreated to the desert. There is stark beauty in the landscape, a sense of eternity that demands you pause for a moment and consider the bigger picture.

I don’t know if that’s how Palm Springs got started, but since the 1930s it has been a retreat (though not necessarily a spiritual one) for wealthy Angelenos, both old money and new Hollywood, who wanted to get away from the madding crowd. Then the place briefly became the retreat of the spring-break masses, who turned it into a Fort Lauderdale West——until a certain famous mayor put the kibosh on the fun. Today, Palm Springs is hip, hot and crowded, so now one might ask: How do you retreat from the retreat?

One place is Smoke Tree Ranch, a hideaway of almost 400 acres set against Mount San Jacinto, just off East Palm Canyon Drive. Behind a closed gate sits one of the very first mixed-use resorts, with 85 residences and 57 guest cottages. From the moment I drove down the winding road to the Ranch House, I could feel the concerted effort to keep time at bay.

Lemon and grapefruit trees filled the private yard of my newly renovated cottage, which was one of the Disney houses, built by Walt Disney’s studio so he would have a——you guessed it——retreat during the stress of designing Disneyland. The plan was light and open and, though remodeled, held true to its mid-century origins.

The amenities at Smoke Tree probably won’t entice those looking for an all-in-one package. The golf course has a grand total of three holes. There is croquet, a small basketball court and two horseshoe pits. Spa services are confined to in-room massages and facials or referrals to off-site facilities. However, the lawn bowling green is nicely maintained and, I discovered, quite a popular meeting place. The staff is also happy to help with reservations at the area’s numerous spas or more than 100 golf courses.

Okay, so I could just stay on the ranch, but I wanted to see if there were any other ways to escape in Palm Springs. I discovered there are indeed retreats just off the busiest sections of town. The Corridor on Palm Canyon Drive, for instance, is an alley between art galleries that leads into a lovely courtyard. Tables and chairs are scattered casually over the lawn and are occupied primarily by locals enjoying coffee from the aptly named Koffi. Walk past the 10-foot Don Quixote composed of scrap metal and you’ll find not only more shops but a wonderful wall made of clay figures representing religious and mythological characters from an older Palm Springs.

I usually avoid casinos unless they’re located in Las Vegas. When I hear “Vegas style,” I picture a few dismal slot machines and a lonely poker dealer. But the Spa Resort Casino on Amado offers the sort of timelessness you find at the best on the Strip, with blackjack, poker rooms and an exclusive high-limits area. In the interest of full disclosure, the fact I won a bit probably doesn’t hurt my perspective about the place.

But maybe your idea of retreat has a different feel to it ——two wheels and a 1450cc engine, to be precise. If so, head up to the Kickstand Grille & Bar on Amado and Palm Canyon. “Up” is the operative word——the bar is on the second floor and is accessed by a winding staircase. It’s also instantly recognizable by the line of motorcycles on the street right below it. A brick bar winds along one wall, and the television is tuned to the game of the day. Mementos of motorcycles past make up the décor, and the entire time I was there, the soft rev of engines was a constant background note.

Back at the ranch, it was time for dinner. The genteel traditions of the place are upheld: Men are asked to don jackets and ties, and ladies requested to dress accordingly, a custom that can seem a little incongruous when you are summoned to the dining hall by the ringing of an iron triangle. The menu appears a bit ossified for those accustomed to more modern culinary twists, dominated as it is by chicken marsala and Long Island duck. The atmosphere in the dining room can also feel exclusionary, as many of the older guests have known each other for years and greet returning friends. The staff members——primarily interns from Canada and England——are gracious, however, and the service is impeccable.

Despite the heavy traffic and trendy boutiques, Palm Springs is still the desert, offering up eternity in its many and varied forms. That is, after all, what lured people out here in the first place. Sometimes you just have to look a little harder to find it.

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