像许多沙漠居民一样, 库尔特·西尔一开始是兼职, splitting his schedule between his main home in Los Angeles 和 second home in 棕榈泉. But after a decade of driving back 和 forth, Cyr 和 his partner decided to make the leap to full-time desert living.
“re's something in 棕榈泉 that draws people in,他说. "It's set within this incredible natural environment. You can easily be seduced by the l和scape, the weather, 和 the architecture. 这是创意人士的漩涡."
Since 2015, the 57-year-old designer has owned 和 operated 棕榈泉改装队 architecture tours, a business he started through serendipity, 他说.
"We moved out here at the height of the 2009–2010 recession, 和 I was floating around trying to figure out what to do. I was a designer, so I volunteered as a docent at 棕榈泉' 现代主义的一周."
At the annual gala celebrating the city's midcentury modern architecture, Cyr found himself riding in a double-decker bus 和 conducting tours of iconic homes 和 buildings.
“我以设计为生, 和 all of a sudden I could go inside these houses that I had only seen in books. 我喜欢它，”他说.
对老年痴呆, the public's booming interest in modernism seemed like an opportunity, 所以他成立了棕榈泉Mod小队. The company offers four different 90-minute tours that showcase the desert modern aesthetic, including an "Essentials" tour that focuses on the work of six renowned desert architects, 和 a "Rat Pack" tour featuring the homes of Frank Sinatra 和 Dean Martin.
Cyr says taking an architecture tour is one experience that every 棕榈泉 visitor should have. "Many visitors have heard of midcentury modern, but they don't know exactly what it looks like or what it's about. Going on a tour at the beginning of your stay helps you appreciate 和 underst和 what you're seeing,他说.
Cyr's other desert must-dos include rising early to catch the sunrise. "Mornings are absolutely magical—the San Jacinto Mountains turn blazing red as the sun rises."
He also recommends "finding a way to live the 棕榈泉 lifestyle. Have dinner by the pool or take part in the cocktail culture, which is very big here."
Two of Cyr's favorite local libations include the Manhattan at 殖民地俱乐部 玛格丽塔鸡尾酒 El Mirasol的. 他建议喝有风景的鸡尾酒 Escena休息室 & 烧烤. “ terrace has amazing views across a beautifully manicured golf course 和 stunning vistas of the San Jacinto Mountains."
Cyr's top picks for al fresco dining include brunch in the lush garden at 斯宾塞的 在泳池边享用一顿优雅的晚餐 殖民地棕榈酒店. 想要完整的棕榈泉体验, time your reservation so you can watch the sun setting behind the mountains, 他说.
"When you live in paradise, it's hard to find anything better than here,他说. “y say that Disneyl和 is the happiest place on earth, but I would tend to argue for 棕榈泉."
五个最爱
Cyr recommends you visit a few of his favorite spots in 棕榈泉:
购物: “ 上城区设计区 有很棒的商店. It's on the north end of town along North Palm Canyon Drive. Most of the boutiques are geared toward home decoration, furnishings, 和 design—like 克里斯托弗·安东尼 买家具和艺术品. 流现代 also has a wonderful curated collection of retro furniture as well as fabulous statement jewelry. 这是一家小商店. There's also some great clothing boutiques like 特瑞纳特克 和 会斯泰尔斯."
当地的货物: "目的地PSP 作为礼物或纪念品总是很有趣吗. They have an excellent selection of books on midcentury design 和 a lot of locally designed housewares 和 decorative items. 他们也有很多可爱的地方, fun stuff that says '棕榈泉'—ice buckets, 玻璃器皿, 鸡尾酒托盘, 的玻璃杯, 还有酒袋. Probably their most famous piece is a tissue box cover that looks like a midcentury modern house. The tissue comes out of the chimney—that's always a big hit."
炸玉米饼: “吃玉米饼，我去 鲁本和奥兹的牡蛎酒吧和烧烤店 在塔奎兹，就在印第安峡谷的东边. It's a really fun environment owned by two brothers, Ruben 和 Ozzy. They have these sassy chefs who are always throwing quips to the diners seated at the bar. They make fish 和 shrimp tacos, 和 they also do oyster tacos. The oysters are battered 和 fried, then served in a tortilla with cabbage 和 rémoulade."
沙漠风景: "Tahquitz峡谷 has a beautiful 60-foot waterfall 和 rock formations that are really spectacular. 徒步旅行真的很容易, 即使它就在城里, it offers a sense of discovery 和 anticipation as you wind your way into the back of the canyon."
鸡尾酒: "One of the best cocktails I've ever had was at 西摩的, which is part speakeasy 和 part cocktail lounge. Steen Bojsen-Møller, one of the owners, made me a Vesper. It's the original James Bond martini made with both gin 和 vodka. Many bartenders make it with Lillet Blanc, but 西摩的 variation is different. It's an old-school recipe with an updated twist, 和 it's wonderful."
