With its distinctive mid-century architecture, celebrity residents and groomed golf courses, Palm Springs in California provides Goddess Julie Miller with incentive for a leisurely retirement.
Elvis buffs will do anything for a memento of the King of Rock and Roll. His memory elicits obsession like no other celebrity, with die-hard fans going to unbelievable lengths to stand where he stood, eat what he ate, sing what he sang.
So to be given free rein to recreate his every movement in a house he lived in is a rare treat. But that’s exactly what you can do at the Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway in Palm Springs, California. Here you can also play The King’s guitar, step out of the shower where he scrubbed, use his porcelain throne (sans shag pile carpet) and lounge beside the pool where he held wild parties. If you have the energy, you can even carry a loved one over the threshold, just as Elvis lugged Priscilla on their wedding night on May 1, 1967.
Elvis and Priscilla lived in this house in suburban Ladera Circle for a year from September 1966, renting it for an exorbitant US$21,000 from the estate of its original owners, architect Robert Alexander and his wife Helen, who died in a light plane crash a year earlier. A masterpiece of mid-20th century design, it features a distinctive triangular roof, semi-circle construction and ‘peanut brittle’ masonry, as well as a 64-foot sofa running the entire length of the living room.
Known as the ‘House of Tomorrow’, it’s one of 2,200 Alexander buildings in Palm Springs largely responsible for transforming the sleepy desert community into a jet-setting town of the future. In fact, Palm Springs today has the largest concentration of mid-century modern architecture in the US, a distinctive style featuring clean lines, natural materials and amalgamated indoor/outdoor spaces known as Desert Modernism.
Remodelled in the taste-challenged 1970s, Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway was restored to its former glory in the late 1980s, with furnishings and decorations replicated from the many photographs taken during Elvis’ stay. During a visit in 2007, Priscilla Presley commented that the house looked exactly as she remembered, testament to the detail of the renovation.
Like many Hollywood celebrities, Elvis and his entourage were regular visitors to Palm Springs during the ‘50s and ‘60s. Contracted to studios, they were not allowed to travel beyond a two-hour radius from Los Angeles in case they were required on set; hence the popularity of this desert oasis. Elvis’ Palm Springs compatriots included Sinatra and the Rat Pack, Bing Crosby, Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe; more recently, it was home to Liberace, Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow and Sonny Bono, who was mayor of the town prior to his tragic death on a ski field in 1998.
The intrigue of the celebrity lifestyle continues to lure visitors to Palm Springs today, attracting over 3.5 million tourists a year. As well as touring Elvis’ home, you can walk down Palm Springs own ‘Walk of Stars’ immortalising over 300 celebrities who visited the desert playground; while a celebrity bus tour promises a peek at more than 50 homes of the rich and famous. For a nostalgic barfly experience, head to Melvyn’s at the Ingleside Inn, where the Rat Pack infamously played; while Copley’s Restaurant is located on Cary Grant’s former estate.
Even without a celebrity sighting, contemporary Palm Springs offers a touch of glamour reminiscent of Beverly Hills, with designer shops, public artworks and cool cafes on palm-lined avenues creating a chic, resort-style ambience. White-clad matrons with big hair, awful sun visors and dripping with jewels waddle along the sidewalks carrying incy-wincy canines; while the town also seems to have its fair share of retirees, zipping along in motorised wheelchairs.
Clearly, this is a great place for the wealthy to retire, with clean desert air, brilliant sunny skies, warm weather and a relaxed vibe. All I need to do now is learn to play golf. And marry a millionaire. At least I know where I can hold my wedding celebrations – after all, if it was good enough for Elvis…
Further Information:
California Tourism, www.visitcalifornia.com.au
Palm Springs CVB, www.PalmSpringsUSA.com
