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All the United States California Palm Desert

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Palm Desert

2 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Palm Desert, California

Updated July 21, 2017

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Unusual Attractions in Palm Desert

Smiler’s Point

Palm Desert, California

Smiler's Point

This simple highway curve has become a comedic pilgrimage site.
Permanently Closed
A close up view of Curves and Zigzags at a sharp angle

Palm Desert, California

Curves and Zigzags

A black and white painted wall creates an optical illusion in the California desert.
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The Sunnylands visitor center

Rancho Mirage, California

Sunnylands

You don't have to be a diplomat to visit the so-called Camp David of the West.
4 miles from Palm Desert
Museum of Ancient Wonders

Cathedral City, California

Museum of Ancient Wonders

Nestled in Coachella Valley, this museum transports guests from the Mesozoic Era, to the land of Egyptian kings.
6 miles from Palm Desert
Knight of Shields, guiding seekers of dates.

Indio, California

Shields Date Garden

A giant knight, sex education, date shakes, and Jesus coexist happily in this Coachella Valley desert oasis.
6 miles from Palm Desert
The giant metal roadrunner watches traffic from the middle of the rotary.

La Quinta, California

Big Metal Roadrunner

A giant desert bird that once swung music fans at Coachella now has a home in a nearby traffic circle.
7 miles from Palm Desert
Palms flourish around McCallum Pond.

Thousand Palms, California

Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve

Hike amid the palm trees that thrive among Southern California's Indio Hills.
8 miles from Palm Desert
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