RANCHO MIRAGE Magazine - Yellowbook 360 Business Center

8Stay Cool, Rancho Mirage! –Great Ways to Beat the HeatIt may be a dog-day August afternoon, but who says youcan’t stay cucumber cool—without leaving the neighborhood?Flowing water, light and breezy mistercooleddinners, icy drinks and a temperature-dropping resortstay all add up to maximum chill. As tourists from all over theworld will attest, your own backyard paradise is blessed withresorts, restaurants and attractions that offer summertimebargains without sacrificing the luxury. This summer, make aplan to discover the instant cool all around you.1. Make a real splashThe perfect cure to triple digits is immersing your overheatedbody in cool water. Nearby Rancho Las Palmas Resort& Spa is home to the ultra-refreshing “Splashtopia” waterpark, comprised of a 425-foot lazy river and 100-foot-long waterslides.And it isn’t just for kids.Let a soothing current transport you down the refreshinglazy river then indulge in a pampering massage or roundof golf before you prepare for a gourmet feast under the starsat the resort’s bluEmber restaurant. Starting at just $169 pernight, opt for the “Summer Experience” package that includesroom accommodations, $50 in resort food and beverage creditand $28 in daily resort charge credit that you may opt to usefor golf or spa fun. Add to that a special $500 Summer Passportto dining and fun all around. The offer is valid until September3. (41-000 Bob Hope Dr., Rancho Mirage 92270; (760) 568-2727;www.rancholaspalmas.com)Head to the pool at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa for arefreshing dive-in movie. Photo credit: Las Palmas Resort10 August 2012 • Rancho Mirage Magazine2. Scale 8,000 feet in tenminutesAugust is an ideal time to take in anumber-one favorite tourist attractionfor area visitors—the Palm SpringsAerial Tramway. The tram’s colossalrotating cars climb two and one-halfmiles in just 10 minutes to the pristinemountain wilderness of Mt. San JacintoState Park—at a brisk pine-scentedelevation of 8,516 feet that promises toknock nearly 40 degrees off the temperatureon the desert floor. Followany of its 50-plus miles of hiking trailsthen savor a lunch or dinner overlookingthe scorching valley floor below.Summer passes are valid through theend of August with unlimited rides;consider a Ride ‘n’ Dine package thatincludes fine dining at Peaks and theroundtrip tram ride. (Palm SpringsAerial Tramway, One Tram Way,Palm Springs 92262; (888) 515-TRAM;www.pstramway.com)By Kathy StrongCool down 40 degreeson the Palm SpringsAerial Tramway for hikingand dining fun. Photocredit: Palm SpringsAerial Tramway3. Take a 40-minute “cruise” to AlaskaWhen Crab Pot owner Hal Griffith took over the formerDominick’s restaurant in Rancho Mirage for a second valleyCrab Pot location, he pondered ways to utilize a small roomadjacent to the dining area. The space, fueled by Griffith’simagination and love of fishing, became the interior of a fishingboat that takes diners on a “cruise” to Alaska. The Seaventureexperience comes complete with the animatronic-built“Captain Jack” who imparts educational information on theAlaskan area, with a dash of seafaring humor. Air compressor-powered undulating swells also add drama and authenticityto the voyage. Griffith chose to use the Alaskan fishingtown of Petersburg because of its fishing history dating backto 1830 when a Norwegian pioneer arrived and saw the visionfor a fishing village. Griffith hired a local crab boat captain totake him from Petersburg Harbor to Frederick Sound as hegathered video footage of the trip on seven cameras—one foreach of the portholes on the sides of the “boat” and three forthe helm windows in front.The realistic experience for 20 passengers takes about40 minutes. It never costs to ‘ride’ Seaventure; reservedspaces are available daily to diners reserving a table for eitherlunch or dinner. (The Crab Pot, Rancho Mirage, 70-030 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage 92270; (760) 321-7635;www.crabpotranchomirage.com)