Things To Do in Desert Hot Springs

Baseball in San Bernardino dates back to 1899. More than a century's worth of history includes such team names as the Kittens and the Pioneers. It also includes a drought from 1950–1987, during which the city lacked enough dirt to build a baseball field. That drought ended when the San Bernardino Spirit began play as part of the California League. In 1996, the Spirit became the Stampede, and in 2003, the Stampede became the 66ers, a name chosen in honor of the historic U.S. Route 66 that is famous for its hitchhiking umpires. Over the years, the 66ers organization has spent time as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Mariners, Dodgers, and most recently, the Angels. The team has brought honor to each of its MLB partners, as it has won five California League championships since 1995.

Though people come to Brickhouse Cardio Club for the heart-pumping workouts, they stay for the irresistible international rhythms. Zumba tends to have that effect, ensnaring exercisers with its Latin choreography and dance-party vibe. The floors at the Oceanside club pulse with 11 Zumba sessions every week, along with energetic Brickhouse Burn toning and sculpting classes and invigorating yoga sessions. The club also hosts Bokwa sessions, embracing the new workout system that finds students tracing the shapes of numbers and letters during dance-like sessions set to booty-shaking beats. Since its inception, Brickhouse has blossomed into a franchise, expanding into 25 locations with new sites recently opened in the United Kingdom, where it hopes to supplant aerobic chimney sweeping. No matter the location, each club hosts its signature workouts in pared-down studios with the franchise’s familiar electric-blue and neon-green walls surrounding a stage.

From the colorful rides to an on-site candy store, Lollipop Park lets visitors of all ages escape into a whimsical wonderland. Go-karts let drivers hone their turns on a winding track, while a carousel taps into the imagination of kids and adults, perfectly encapsulating both the gallop of horse and the aimlessness of one's 20s. Other family-friendly activities include a mini-golf course, a hall of fun mirrors, and train rides along the sparkling waters of Lake Arrowhead.

Tombstone Paintball Park offers outdoor enthusiasts an exciting opportunity to reduce stress and enjoy nature while flinging paint at foes with all-day access to the park ($45, gun and mask included), all-day air ($10), and 100 paint-filled spheroids ($7) that can be customized to leave a splatter pattern that looks exactly like your first name. Twenty acres of terrain gives ample room for a variety of different playing fields with various themes. Storm the Civil War field, which features log revetments and multicolored courage badges, or defend the Siegfried Line—a large network of unmapped trenches, sandbags, and conduits that keep the enemy constantly dizzy, lost, or both.

In the quiet, northern end of San Diego County lies the lush, green gem of Wild Wonders, Inc., a multipurpose facility that celebrates California's natural beauty and maintains artificial habitats for more than 150 exotic animals. The staff calls their charges "animal ambassadors," conditioning and training each of them to serve in close, educational encounters with wildlife enthusiasts of all ages. Through their Zoo Camp program, educators give kids a chance try their hand at zoo keeping, including rare opportunities to help feed, clean, and care for the animal ambassadors during intimate interactions.

The onsite staff obtained the park's residents—many of which were deemed non-releasable native wildlife—from other educational facilities as well as more dangerous reaches, such as lands riddled by the illegal pet trade. Resident wonders include big-eared foxes, armored armadillos, giant centipedes, and talkative african gray parrots.

Bike Palm Springs gives day-trippers the retro-styled cycling essentials they need to tour the neighborhood on two wheels. The shop's tandem and premium bicycles are bedecked with a Fifties flair, as evidenced by their softly curving frames, handlebar tassels, and propensity to threaten inconsiderate drivers with a knuckle sandwich. A tandem bike also allows one half of your Beat poetry quartet to snap in unison as you tear across the level Palm Springs terrain. Celebrity abodes and architectural sites give you plenty to look at during a carefree day of soaking up vitamin D and clearing the cobwebs from your cardiovascular condition. Helmets and locks are included with your rental.

Anytime Fitness's 24-hour workout haven houses a full complement of strength and cardio equipment, including kettlebells and spinning bikes, along with classes, wellness programs, and a helpful team of personal trainers. Though not available around the clock, trainers do staff the gym seven days a week, providing clients ample time for one-on-one training sessions, synchronized muscle flexing, or general fitness advice. Workout tips can also be gleaned from Anytime Fitness's online resource center, Anytime Health, which helps boost members’ well-being with nutritional guidance, activity trackers, and other a variety of other tools.