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The sun beats down as I take in the sights and sounds of my new favourite spot on Palm Springs, California’s main drag - Palm Canyon Drive. It’s a popular hang-out for tourists and locals alike. Of course the Starbucks at the corner is the main draw, but it’s also the inviting courtyard with benches and native plants and flowers along with the ideal location for people watching and savouring the warm sun and fresh mountain air. The San Jacinto mountains 2 blocks away are the backdrop of this idyllic setting. Almost daily there is a woman who comes and soothes us with folksy guitar music which only adds to the atmosphere. Conversation comes easily as people enjoy their coffee and snacks and talk about what their day will entail. No one seems to be a stranger. You really can’t tell who the tourist vs. the local is...except for the odd guy in a business suit. Everyday I look forward to my time relaxing in the courtyard. It feels like home away from home. This is my second trip to Palm Springs. My friend, Emily and I enjoyed it so much last year that we decided to come here again this year. We live in the cold north of central Canada, which we try to escape. We have been to other warm destinations but Palm Springs drew us back again. I think it’s because you don’t feel like an outsider. Palm Springs is a small city - only about 48,000 people live here year-round. Although it is a popular tourist destination for ‘Snowbirds’ from Canada and the northern US, it doesn’t have that typical ‘touristy’ feel. Snowbirds normally spend half the year in a warmer, welcoming climate to avoid the cold, frigid temperatures of the northern hemisphere. This may be why many people who vacation here don’t feel like outsiders. They are more a part of the community as they make up a large part of the population during winter months and often own, rent or stay in the same place every year. Despite Emily and I only coming for a few weeks at a time, we still get this same feeling. Tourism makes up a large part of the Palm Springs’ economy and many depend on it for their livelihood, so you wouldn’t think this would be true, but somehow the locals make you feel like you belong and are part of the community no matter how long you stay. You develop relationships with the shopkeepers, servers and bus and taxi drivers where you know them by name and they know yours. Some of our favourite spots become favorites for the people just as much as for the food or merchandise. We make sure we visit a favourite restaurant from our first visit - ‘Billy Reeds’. It’s old school in decor, menu and service with a traditional salad, bun and juice for your starter and a whole page of the menu dedicated to their homemade desserts - which are to die for!! One of the servers remembers us from the previous year and comes over to see us. It feels like family welcoming us home. Palm Springs has a vibrant gay community which seems to make the town more colourful, fun and entertaining. They have many drag queen shows and entertainment where the ‘queens’ are local celebrities who people come back to see every year. One big hit we missed the first time was ‘Bingo Night with BELLA-DA-BALL’ This is a hugely popular weekly event at a local hotel. You need to arrive early to get a seat or you may not get one! This year we couldn’t miss it! So, Emily, my sister (who joined us this year) and I make sure to arrive early, and get our coveted seats. There are regulars who come all the time who are well known to Bella for their antics and shenanigans, but Bella can give it right back which makes it that much more fun! Palm Springs’ hometown feel makes it a destination you want to return to again and again. As our driver said ‘Everyone is happy here because they want to be here’.