it touristfriendly with an infrastructure for room to grow. Water marks on the Santa Rosa Mountains—La Quinta was once under the waters of ancient Lake Cahuilla—can still be seen, with the city planners making sure that no views are obstructed. They have even designated over 600 acres of the mountain for the Coachella’s Valley’s first archeological park.

For a celebrity fix there is dining at Arnold Palmer’s Restaurant—also a part time city resident—which is a virtual museum of golf, with photos and mementos from his career. There’s a putting green just off the courtyard patio, with views of the Santa Rosa Mountains. The menu features Arnie’s own favorite comfort foods like steaks and meatloaf. Just down the road there is also the Arnold Palmer Classic Golf Course at SilverRock Resort, home to the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

Clint—another one-name celebrity—can occasionally be spotted in Old Town La Quinta, the home of his second Hog’s Breath Inn. Dubbed by locals as the “Desert Hog,” it is like the original in Carmel, decorated with posters from his career. In the spirit of the Eastwood legacy, I opted for the “Dirty Harry Steak Dinner,” only to read later