Active Pursuits

The Coachella Valley Desert is a sunny playground, and what follows is but a sampling of outdoor pastimes for visitors. Tip: The abundant sunshine and dry air that are so appealing can also sneak up on you, in the form of sunburn and heat exhaustion. Especially during the summer, but even in milder times, always carry and drink plenty of water, and slather on the sunscreen.

Ballooning -- This may be the most memorable way to see the desert: floating above the landscape in a hot-air balloon. Choose from specialty themes like sunrise, sunset, or romantic champagne flights, from $165 per person. Rides are offered by Dream Flights (tel. 800/933-5628 or 760/346-5330; www.dreamflights.com) and Fantasy Balloon Flights (tel. 800/GO-ABOVE [462-2683] or 760/568-0997; www.fantasyballoonflights.com). Rates range from $170 to $185 per person for a 60- to 90-minute flight (two per day), including champagne and hors d'oeuvres.

Bicycliing -- The clean, dry desert air makes for the ideal conditions for pedaling your way around town or into the desert. Adventure Bike Tours (tel. 760/328-0282) will outfit you with a bike, helmet, water bottle, and certified guide. Three-hour tours, which meet at local hotels, start at about $50, and bike rentals are $10 per hour or $30 for the day. Tri a Bike Rental, 44841 San Pablo Ave., Palm Desert (tel. 760/340-2840), rents road and mountain bikes for the hour ($10), the day ($20), or the week ($65), and offers children's and tandem models and helmets as well.

A Family Water Park -- Knott's Soak City, off I-10 south on Gene Autry Trail between Ramon Road and East Palm Canyon Drive (tel. 760/327-0499; www.knotts.com/soakcity/ps/index.shtml), is a 16-acre water playground with 12 water slides, body- and board surfing, a wave pool, and more. Dressing rooms, lockers, and private beach cabanas (with food service) are available. Admission is $28 for adults, $17 for kids 3 to 11, and free for kids under 3; rates are discounted after 3pm. The park is open Wednesday through Sunday mid-March through August, and weekends through October, from 11am to 5pm. Parking: Car, $8; RV, $16. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Guided All-Terrain Excursions -- Desert Adventures (tel. 888/440-JEEP or 760/340-2345; www.red-jeep.com) 74794 Lennon Place, Palm Desert, 92260, offers four-wheel-drive ecotours led by naturalist guides. Your off-road adventure may take you to a replica of an ancient Cahuilla village, the Santa Rosa Mountain roads overlooking the Coachella Valley, or picturesque ravines on the way to the San Andreas Fault. Tours run from 3 to 5 hours and cost from $129 to $150. Advance reservations are required. The company's red Jeeps depart from Coco's Restaurant at the Washington St. exit of I-10.

Elite Land Tours (tel. 800/514-4866 or 760/318-1200; www.elitelandtours.com) offers a new way to visit the desert region: ecoexploration of the greater Palm Springs backcountry from the air-conditioned comfort of an all-terrain Hummer H2. Tours can include desert and mountain regions, exploration of ancient cultures, wildlife, and geological wonders. A Safari Trax Tour offers an up-close experience with two Siberian tigers, Asian leopards, and a caracal plus a safari lunch. $249 per person. The Night Discovery Tour lets you view the desert wildlife after dark with special night-vision equipment. Tours run from $99 per person.

Horseback Riding -- Novice and advanced equestrians alike can experience the desert's solitude and quiet on horseback, at Smoke Tree Stables (tel. 760/327-1372). South of downtown, at 2500 Toledo Ave., and ideal for exploring the nearby Indian Canyon trails, Smoke Tree offers guided rides for $35 per hour, $70 for 2 hours; the 2-hour tour includes admission to an Agua Caliente Indian reservation. But don't expect your posse leader to spew facts about the natural features you'll encounter; this is strictly a do-it-yourself experience.

Tennis -- Virtually all the larger hotels and resorts have tennis courts. If you're staying at a B&B, you might want to play at the Plaza Racquet Club, 1300 Baristo Rd. (tel. 760/323-8997). It has nine courts and runs day and evening clinics for adults, juniors, and seniors, and ball machines for solo practice. USPTA pros are on hand. Rates are $15 per hour for court rental, $15 for 1 1/2-hour group clinic. The night-lit courts at Palm Springs High School, 2248 E. Ramon Rd., are free, open to the public on weekends, holidays, and in summer. Beautiful Ruth Hardy Park, at Tamarisk and Caballero streets, also has eight free night-lit courts.

Here's the Rub: Two Bunch Palms Desert Spa

Since the Native American Cahuilla learned how great it felt to soak in the Coachella Valley's natural hot springs, this desert has drawn stressed-out masses seeking relaxation. My number-one choice is heavenly Two Bunch Palms. Posh yet intimate, this spiritual sanctuary in Desert Hot Springs (about 20 min. north of Palm Springs) has been drawing weary city dwellers since Chicago mobster Al Capone hid out here in the 1930s. Two Bunch Palms later became a playground for the movie community, but today it's a friendly and informal haven, with 56 acres of renowned spa services, bungalows on lush grounds, and lagoons of steaming mineral water. Service is famously discreet; and legions of return guests will attest that the outstanding spa treatments (nine varieties of massage, mud baths, body wraps, facials, salt rubs, and more) and therapeutic waters are what make the luxury of Two Bunch Palms irresistible. To maintain the relaxed atmosphere, guests are requested to speak softly, just above a whisper. Loud argumentative guests will be asked to leave and denied access in the future. Room rates run from $195 to $355 (including breakfast) in high season, with substantial discounts midweek and off-season. Spa treatments cost between $75 and $120 per hour, and money-saving room/meal/spa packages run from $395 to $425 per person. Don't want to stay over? Then book one of Two Bunch's 6-hour Day Spa packages or a lunch and two treatments package. No one under 18 is allowed. The resort is off Palm Drive (Gene Autry Trail) at 67-425 Two Bunch Palms Trail in Desert Hot Springs (tel. 800/472-4334 or 760/329-8791; www.twobunchpalms.com).