For all this, in my view the best sight of all lies just on the outskirts of Palm Springs: the steep-sided hulk of the San Jacinto Mountains, which form the western border of the Coachella Valley. Easily reached on a 2.5-mile aerial tramway that whisks passengers up to 8,500ft aboard the world's largest rotating tramcars, the Mt San Jacinto State Park is a lofty sanctuary that offers 54 miles of hiking trails in Alpine scenery. From January to April there's a good chance of snow – with skis and snowshoes for rent – while in summer the woods are a refreshing escape from the desert heat below. Looking down from the numerous viewpoints, it's hard not to think that the true miracle of Palm Springs is that so many pleasurable things have come together in one small place. As Ol' Blue Eyes sang, it all feels as though "I've got the world on a string, sittin' on a rainbow…"