We opted to go economical this trip, and stayed at the Howard Johnson. It's a no-fuss, no-frills motel, featuring nice, clean rooms, a swimming pool, a friendly front desk and housekeeping staff, and a Denny's restaurant and bar right on the grounds. Summer promotion: Kid's eat free. Score!

Plus it is conveniently located close to downtown shopping, and the rest of the communities in the area. And at an average of $40.00 per night, it's about as cheap as it gets in Palm Springs, even for the off-season.

On Palm Canyon Drive, the main drag through downtown, little boutiques, eateries and bars are the main draw. Everything from steak houses and Mexican, Jamba Juice and Starbucks, to stores specializing in hats and cats, it's a cute, and nicely kept shopping district.

Sonny Bono, the singer turned politician was mayor of Palm Springs from 1988 - 1992, and the city commissioned a bronze statue to commemorate him after his untimely death in 1998.[above]

It's been years since Dianne and I had visited the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, but we knew we wanted to see it again. And even though Megan was initially a bit nervous about going up a huge mountain, this was certainly a highlight of our visit.

Admission is Adults $20.80, Children [ages 3-12] $13.80. We showed our AAA card and receive a 10% discount.

The Aerial Tramway is essentially an 80-passenger tram that is suspended on a cable, and travels two and half miles up to the San Jacinto Mountains.

The tram starts at an elevation of about 2600 feet, and moves up through this mountain range to 8500 feet. The car does a slow 360° spin as it heads up and offers a spectacular view all the way. It's really fun, but a bit scary for those who are afraid of heights.