Welcome to Palm Springs. Your sunny Seattle get-away. Great weather, great people and exciting events. All in a mid century wonderland of creative design.

Ever woken up in November, January, or March, to the 18th day in a row of gray skies? There is just something about bright light that lightens the spirit. There is a specific sunny day smile. That’s what the desert get-away home offers. A place to go to that is your own. Just drop your phone on the bed and jump in the pool. Who cares if it’s February.

Designers, artists, musicians and actors have been flocking here for decades. Is it the light or the air that makes people create here? Perhaps it’s simply an inspiring place to be. To let your mind open to new experiences and ideas.

Golf has been part of the development of the desert communities. Palm Springs is home to five of the top 30 courses in California as rated by Golf.com

Here are the top 10:

Classic Club
Among the desert’s most impressive expanses of golf, the Arnold Palmer design and former Hope host is a true championship course. The grandeur of the Audubon-certified grounds present ample distance for the scratch player, while mid-to-high handicappers will be assuaged by taking in the wealth of plantings and water features. 75200 Classic Club Blvd., Palm Desert. 760-601-3600; www.classicclubgolf.com

Desert Willow Golf Resort
With exceptional desert routing, both the Mountain View and Firecliff courses count among the most beatified tracks in the entire state. Start with the more forgiving Mountain View before graduating to the ample demands of forced carry and cagey greens of the Firecliff. 38995 Desert Willow Dr., Palm Desert. 760-346-7060; desertwillow.com

Eagle Falls Golf Course
It’s no gamble that the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino course proves among the top plays on the east end of the valley. With engaging undulation and game elevation, the Clive Clark design is the area’s newest course and has earned deserved turf cred in short time. 84245 Indio Springs Dr., Indio. 760-238-5633; www.eaglefallsgolf.com

Escena Golf Club
The area’s most alluring clubhouse extends to a track from Jack Nicklaus Design that sports a host of burly par-3s and manageable par-5s to match with wide landing areas and sizable though well-guarded greens. 1100 Clubhouse View, Palm Springs. 760-778-2737; escenagolf.com

Indian Wells Golf Resort
Both the John Fought–designed Players Course and Clive Clark–crafted Celebrity Course prove can’t-miss plays. With bountiful stimuli extending from clubhouse to course, ensure a steady lid when taking on the taut bunkering and required distance presented by the more demanding Players. 44500 Indian Wells Ln., Indian Wells. 760-346-4653; www.indianwellsgolfresort.com

La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA West
Home to five superb public plays, the “Western Home of Golf in America” presents options for all levels of players and pleasure-seekers. The Pete Dye–drawn Mountain Course is ideal for guests pursuing desert awe, while the Greg Norman Course provides some of the area’s sweetest solitude. Low-handicappers aiming to test their games should tee sheet either the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course or Dye’s nuanced TPC Stadium Course, revered among the toughest tracks in the country. La Quinta Resort, 49999 Eisenhower Dr., La Quinta. 760-564-4111; www.laquintaresort.com. PGA West, 56150 PGA Blvd., La Quinta. 760-564-7101; www.pgawest.com

Marriott’s Shadow Ridge
Nick Faldo’s first domestic course design is complemented by one of the valley’s premier practice facilities, along with the aptly lauded on-site Marriott Golf Academy and Golf Fitting Studio. 9002 Shadow Ridge Rd., Palm Desert. 760-674-2700; www.golfshadowridge.com

Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa
Twenty-seven holes of Ted Robinson–designed play spread across one of the desert’s favorite resort properties, which serves as an excellent desert welcome for visiting players or returning snowbirds. The grounds prove perfect for iron and wedge refinement throughout, while the West Course’s opening stretch is sure to test the entire bag. 41000 Bob Hope Dr., Rancho Mirage. 760-568-2727; www.rancholaspalmas.com

SilverRock Resort
Among the longest tracks in all of Southern California at 7,600 yards from the tips, the onetime Hope host is brilliantly wound along the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains to create a vivid experience, no matter one’s length off the tee. 79179 Ahmanson Ln., La Quinta. 760-777-8884; www.silverrock.org

PGA WEST PGA West is a set of 6 golf courses located in La Quinta, California. The PGA West Stadium Course was designed by Pete Dye and is viewed as the sequel to the TPC at Sawgrass. It was inspired by the Scottish links-style courses and at one point was considered one of Golf Digest's Top 100 Courses in America. 55-955 Pga Blvd, La Quinta, CA 92253. (760) 564-7111

Westin Mission Hills
Dual Pete Dye and Gary Player designs pair perfectly for weekenders, with the latter, “Black Knight” play proving one of the most underrated courses in all of SoCal. 71333 Dinah Shore Dr., Rancho Mirage. 760-328-3198; www.playmissionhills.com

Palm Springs is an internationally known destination for modern residential architecture. This is where it was happening in the ‘50s and ‘60s. New ideas and ways of thinking about how to live in your home. Open floor plans that invited the outdoors in. Fewer walls and more light. These homes may be opaque from the front but the interior and access to the pool is all glass.

Plus a bit of whimsy and pure fun. Who doesn’t need a bit more fun in life? So what happens when creative people such as architects, artists, designers and musicians all gather in one small town? It creates a culture of free thinking and expression. That is the core of Modernism. Simple, elegant solutions that enhance life experience and endure the test of time.

A town that knows mixology. In fact it’s just part of the late afternoon cool down. Put on something smashing, gather with a few choice compadres, and tell some stories. The evening is just getting started.

We Seattle folk love the water. We sail in it, kayak and fish. We ski on it when it freezes and we are accustom to clouds made of it. But we rarely get to float around in the pool in the sunshine.

Sunlight, shadows, highlights and brilliant colors create a 3-dimensional, sensual world. It’s no wonder people are wearing fushsia, yellow and pink. Morning’s orange glow, mid day blast, and purple sunsets. It’s a colorful world in the desert.

This is a town with design at its very core. Fashion, home furnishings, architecture, car culture, and the arts are all here for the connoisseur. Mid century influences plus that California feel can be found in boutiques as well as seen walking down the street. Nothing here is off limits. Let your freak flag fly. It’s all in good fun.

Many designers such as Trina Turk and Will Styles have shops that are full of creative and colorful options. Plus a wide variety of vintage and consignment stores.

A selection of dining experiences and the best cocktail culture on the west coast. From casual to dark secret bars that may take looking behind the curtain to find. But it’s worth it. Clubs for dancing, live music or just a relaxing piano bar. It’s all here and the people watching is the highlight of the night.

Kick off the shoes and just go barefoot for the weekend. Inside or outside it’s just relaxing and free. Palm Springs has both a casual vibe as well as a fashion scene. So you can leave wet foot prints around the patio, or go out in that designer piece that has been on a hanger too long. It is hard to be over dressed in this fashionable town. But only after a day by the pool.

With modernists flocking to Palm Springs, it’s only natural that they would bring their collections here with them. Sculpture, paintings, jewelry, glass, textiles, pottery can all be found here. There is so much amazing work here, it’s a great idea to buy the largest home you can find. That way there is always room to fit that piece you just can’t live without.

It’s the desert! It’s warm most days. Some days it’s even warmer and then it gets really hot. From November 1st through May 30th it’s called “Season”. That’s when you are going to need a reservation at the best restaurants because ‘everyone is here”. People from all over the world have found that these autumn, winter and spring months are simply heaven in the valley. But once it hits June temperatures get into triple digits for weeks.

Since the humidity is so low it is actually very comfortable for many people up to about 105°. But that depends on your preferences. Temps can climb to a few days in the summer around 120°. Which why sunbirds fly north at the end of May. But you might be surprised by the growing number of full time residents. More people are choosing year-round living here every year.

Reach out the window and grab an orange or lemon. Fresh is the word to describe the food scene in Palm Springs. Any style of food is available and many of the hotels offer specialty restaurants and bars.

It’s good to note that some restaurants take the month of August off so calling ahead is a good idea in summer months.

One great thing about having a second home in Palm Springs is that, when you are stuck in traffic in the drizzle on I-5 during a Seahawks game, just knowing your home in the sun is waiting for you, makes the gray more bearable.

Sun is good for the soul and it’s so easy to get to.