Grab your camera for this next bit, and preferably a friend to capture you. The Bradbury Building, famous for its atrium, which has appeared most famously in (500) days of Summer, has made this a popular spot. To me, this is magical light, found only here and worth a look in.

Then, get lost in The Last Bookstore. And don’t be alarmed as they will ask you to check any big bags before you go in. This is a shop that will make you think you’ve walked into a set in Harry Potter. Books frozen in flight midair, book tunnels, book windows, all hidden in the stacks and waiting to be discovered as you search for your latest “on the road” read.

Finish your night with dinner and a cocktail on the rooftop of The Proper Hotel or The Hoxton (both also great places to stay while you’re in town). They have amazing al fresco dining options with views that will make you fall even more in love with the sunsets only California can provide with such vivid colours.

Your last day starts back on the road, leaving Palm Springs and putting “Pioneertown” into your GPS. You’re headed for Yucca Valley. As you turn onto Pioneertown Road, stop into the Frontier Café to grab a coffee and a light bite, and also a bottle of water or two for the dusty road ahead.

Just a few moments down the road you’ll pull into Pioneertown, an 1880s western town originally designed as a shoot location for film production and now a well maintained historic district that has become a must visit location in California.

The visit can be as short or long as you wish. There’s even a motel on site, should you wish to stay! And if you do, you must spend an evening in the local club, Pappy & Harriet’s, for a night you will never forget!