Idyllwild Village

At 5,400 feet, Idyllwild runs twenty to thirty degrees cooler than the desert floor, which makes the hour-long drive up Highway 243 one of the best summer escapes from Palm Springs. The village clusters around North Circle Drive: independent bookstores, a great coffee roaster, live music at a couple of small rooms, and Mayor Max, the golden retriever who holds the town's ceremonial office. Trailheads for Deer Springs, Devil's Slide and the Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail are minutes away, and the Idyllwild Arts Academy campus keeps a steady calendar of student and visiting-artist performances.