Steeped in showbiz heritage, feted for its modernist architecture and famed for its indie-music festival, Coachella, I recently had a fling with the sizzling desert retreat of Palm Springs. 100 miles east of the City of Angels and being a desert climate, by day, it’s generally a few degrees warmer than Los Angeles, although it can also be starkly chillier overnight. The Greater Palms Spring area is informally called The Valley, shorthand for the Coachella Valley, whose name has a most unusual backstory. Its founding developers had proposed the name “Conchilla” because of all of the little shells in the area. In 1901, the prospectus of land for sale was sent to the printers, but a major typo by the printers saw it published with Conchilla spelled as Coachella.  Rather than delay the grand unveiling of California’s new real estate development, the developers stuck with the mangled name. Without wishing to tempt fate, curiosity got the better of me, and I made a date with the San Andreas fault line. It’s Southern California’s biggest ticking time-bomb, increasingly overdue to rupture. Visit the Coachella Valley Preserve and the signposting will guide you to the San Andreas Fault, where you can straddle the North American and Pacific Plates, marked by vertical rock uplift and slot canyons. For the extra-curious, the fault line’s path on a 4WD tour from Palm Springs.

Palm Springs is dramatically backdropped by the chiselled peaks of the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains. As you enter The Valley on Highway 10, the elevation is 2600 feet, fast falling to 400 feet in Palm Springs, and further south near the Salton Sea, you’re actually below sea level at -227 feet.  The best way to get a sense of the wildly contrasting terrain is to jump on-board the Aerial Tramway, allegedly the world’s largest rotating cable car, which zips you up Mount San Jacinto. Ascending 6000 feet miles in ten minutes, through five distinct vegetation zones, the 2.5 mile climb represents the equivalent temperature change if you drove from British Colombia to Mexico City.  Alighting from the cable car at 8500 feet, the mountain peaks and surrounding pine forests are often dappled in snow, while the sprawling wilderness is invitingly laced with scenic hiking trails. Fifty years ago, nearly every major American entertainer owned a home in Palm Springs, transforming it into a buzzing winter playground for Hollywood royalty. In more recent years, the region has often been derided as God’s waiting room for moneyed retirees in golf attire. After all, there’s over 100 golf courses in The Valley. But Palm Springs is absolutely back in vogue, with a whole new generation falling in love with its trademark mid-century architecture. I previously had no affinity for modernism, but I was soon slayed by the glamtastic, Jetsonian designs in Palm Springs. Modernism is to Palm Springs what art deco is to Miami Beach. You’ll meet George Jetson at the town entrance, with the local visitors centre now housed in the former Tramway Gas Station, a dramatically angled structure that was rescued from the wrecker’s ball. Grab a map or download the app of over 80 significant landmarks sprinkled throughout the city, many of which line the main artery of Palm Canyon Drive, fittingly fringed by swaying palms. www.psmodcom.org

Prime specimens include the blue-tiled Bank of America building, City Hall, the sensual curves of St. Teresa’s Church and the upside-down arches of Washington Mutal Bank. I had a ball getting lost in the winding streets of the ritzy Las Palmas and Little Tuscany neighbourhoods, at the foot of the mountains. Nicknamed Movie Colony, you’ll notice the streetscapes and grassy frontages are immaculately groomed with Beverly Hills-standard precision. Here you will find dozens of ranch-style modernist mansions and their kidney-shaped pools, faithfully preserved in their space-age glory.  Liberace’s Spanish-style casa in Belardo Road is still adorned with his trademark “L” symbol, while Twin Palms in Alejo Road, the Sinatra House, is where Ol’ Blue Eyes lived and fought with Ava Gardner. Officially described as Desert Modern, the 1947 house set the new standard for Hollywood glamour, serving as a sensational backdrop for celebrity gatherings, passionate romance and the ever-important cocktail hour. You can arrange a private tour of the house. www.sinatrahouse.com  Another superb mid-century gem is the King’s Love Nest, Elvis Presley’s Honeymoon Hideaway. Located in the leafy  cul-de-sac of Ladera Circle, and officially known as the Alexander Estate, this mid-century modern classic with its sprawling butterfly roof was built in 1962. Consisting of four circular rooms built on three floors, glass and stone accents feature throughout the house. Built by Robert Alexander, his entire family were killed in a plane crash in 1965. The King moved in a year later, and in 1967, the famously honeymooned here with Priscilla. The house has been authentically restored and you can book a walkthrough. 

Wellness is big business in The Valley, with many cityslickers weekending here to recharge with all the frills. I stayed at the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort and Spa, a sprawling establishment that prides itself on sweeping up its guests, with a swirl of indulgences. The Spa offers traditional and signature treatments, eucalyptus steam rooms, fitness classes , yoga, tennis and golf clinics. Ever been massaged, wrapped or scrubbed with honey? Their Signature Honey Treatments area major crowd-puller.  On the links, there’s a variety of packages including the highly popular Golf Happy Hour, with a bucket of beer (6 beers) and course fees. For seasonally fresh California cuisine, head to Seasons Grill at The Villas. At Pinzimini Restaurant, the hotel also caters for dogs, with a “Yappy Hour”  on the Fireside Patio offering pooches their own special menu. How very California. Needless to say, the property’s gardens and grounds are immaculately groomed, with blazes of bougainvillea, sublime pools, waterfalls and waterslides – and opportunities to feed the resident fish and tortoises. A landmark resort that makes a big impression. www.westinmissionhills.com