Taste of Palm Springs We will visit some of Palm Spring's most interesting food hangouts in terms of their celebrity history, atmosphere as well as their current reputation for scrumptious and unique food offerings. Also experience unique shopping, insider tours and food sampling, which will leave you wanting for more of this culinary paradise in the desert! Depart San Diego this morning and arrive Palm Springs late morning just in time for lunch at the incomparable Melvyn's Restaurant, located on the premises of the legendary Ingleside Inn. With it's numerous antiques, waiters in linen jackets and photographs from long ago, dining at Melvyn's is truly a unique experience. Restaurant writers have praised the food as “beyond comparison!” Another of the most enjoyable aspects of Melvyn's is simply people watching, just to see if some famous celebrity may show up, which they often do! The Ingleside Inn is an official Palm Springs Historic Landmark and was built in 1925 as a private residence and converted in 1935 to an exclusive Inn. It was bought in 1975 by Mel Haber, who completely renovated the property while retaining its old world charm. The Ingleside Inn and Melvyn's have been filled with presidents and Hollywood's brightest stars. The Ingleside Inn has been named one of the top dream resorts in the United States, and Melvyn's was named "One of the Ten Best" by "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" TV show twice and was recently visited by Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel. Next we will enjoy a celebrity-focused tour where you'll learn how Palm Springs became the playground of the rich and famous. You will see celebrity homes and your guide will add fun and spice with stories and maybe a secret or two along the way! Elvis Presley not only honeymooned here but also owned a lovely estate where he could enjoy the warm and dry desert weather. Frank Sinatra built "Twin Palms" and is buried locally as is former mayor, Sonny Bono. Dean Martin, Liz Taylor, Dina Shore, Liberace, Ronald Reagan, Frederick Lowe, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Alan Ladd, Debbie Reynolds, Marilyn Monroe...and dozens more came to bask in the warm sun and soak in the free and easy desert life style. Some of the other sites we will see on our tour include: Viceroy Hotel, Parker Palm Springs (Formerly the Gene Autry Hotel), La Quinta Resort and Club (Greta Garbo House), Indian Wells Tennis Garden and gold courses designed by the famous pro golfer and now local resident Arnold Palmer. Next we visit the unique Shield's Date Farm, a 175-acre working date ranch in Indio, CA, home of the superb Medjool Date and many other interesting and delicious date varieties. Here you will be able to taste test many fine varieties of dates, date cake, cookies, bread and pies baked fresh daily in their kitchen. Above all, you must try their famous date shake. (Everyone will get a sample) There is also a large selection of dried fruits, nuts, honey and unique foods and southwestern gifts here. Floyd and Bess Shields came to the California desert in 1924 and started Shields Date Garden, working long and hard to build up their business and educate their customers about date culture. In the beginning, Mr. Shields would give his lecture in the garden. As the popularity of his lecture grew, Mr. Shields incorporated a slide show, then recorded his presentation in conjunction with the slide show so that the show could be run several times a day. Today, the 15-minute film Romance and Sex Life of the Date shows continuously during store hours, where you can still hear Mr. Shields talking about his favorite subject: the Date. After our tour, we will experience the world famous El Paseo Shopping District features over 300 world-class shops, clothing boutiques, art galleries, jewelers, restaurants and much, more...all lined along a beautifully maintained picture-postcard floral and statue- filled mile! Known as the Rodeo Drive of the Desert, El Paseo boasts a wectide sprum of stores from Sak's 5th Avenue to individually owned boutiques. Enjoy a little time for shopping here along with some light appetizers, refreshments, and fabulous mountain views from atop the second story patio at Tommy Bahama's Cafe. This is one of only a handful of Tommy Bahama Cafes in the United States and there is also a complete Tommy Bahama retail store on the main level. A wonderful way to conclude our day!.