Your Guide to Palm Springs for ATA60
Are you planning to attend the 60th annual American Translators Association (ATA) conference this month in Palm Springs? If you’ll be joining language professionals from across the country for ATA60, you’ll want to figure out some transportation and activities ahead of time.
That’s where your connection to ATISDA (Association of Translators and Interpreters in the San Diego Area) comes in handy.
Hoping to drive with other ATISDA members? If you’re interested in carpooling from San Diego to Palm Springs, please contact ATISDA President Yolanda Secos as soon as possible at ysecos@yahoo.com.
Interested in learning more about ATISDA and ATA Affiliated Groups and Chapters? Then check out the convention center lobby, where ATISDA will have its own display space, during the following hours:
Thursday, October 24: 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday, October 25: 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, October 26: 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Looking for someone to join you at conference offerings and on outings in Palm Springs? Check out the ATISDA WhatsApp group just for those ATISDA members who will be in the Palm Springs area for the conference. Please contact Yolanda Secos at ysecos@yahoo.com to be added to the WhatsApp group.
Figuring out what to do during your down time at the conference? We’ve got you covered.
Daniel Salinero, our ATISDA member who lives closest to Palm Springs in nearby Indio, tells us all about the best places to check out in Palm Springs.
Daniel writes:
Palm Springs en breve
Originally, Palm Springs went by the name of “Se-Khi,” which means “boiling water” in Cahuilla, the language used by the Native American people of the inland areas of Southern California. The area that is now Palm Springs became a fashionable resort destination in the early 1900s when health tourists came with conditions that required dry heat. Palm Springs became popular with movie stars beginning in the 1930s and estate building expanded into the Movie Colony neighborhoods. Today, tourism is a major factor in the city’s economy with over 1.5 million visitors strolling Palm Canyon Drive and enjoying fabulous restaurants and vibrant night-life each year. In recent decades, the city has experienced a huge influx of Gay residents and Gay businesses. The LGBTQ population is now estimated at more than 50% of the annual resident population.
What to do in the Golf Capital of the World (besides golf)
Palm Springs has something for everyone, whether your thing is to lounge around the pool sipping strawberry-lemon mojitos, dance the night away in one of the city’s clubs or go after the “big one” in one of the 10 Palm Springs area casinos. Many of the city’s visitors make sure to take a stroll down Palm Canyon Drive during the day to visit the many art galleries, spas, salons, restaurants, coffee shops and boutique stores of every stripe.
To help you plan your stay here in the Coachella Valley, I’ve included some helpful links to get you started. I hope to see you all at ATA60!
Art and culture (Music, museums, architecture, art galleries)
https://www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/play/things-to-do/arts-culture/
Outdoor adventures (Jeep safaris, hiking, biking, off-road rentals, hot-air ballooning)
https://www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/play/things-to-do/tours/
Spas, beauty and wellness
https://www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/spas-beauty-wellness-guide/
The Living Desert (in nearby Palm Desert/Indian Wells)
https://www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/listing/the-living-desert/23341/
Casinos
https://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=casinos&find_loc=Palm+Springs%2C+CA
https://www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/play/things-to-do/casinos-entertainment/
Clubs
https://www.10best.com/destinations/california/palm-springs/nightlife/best-nightlife/
https://www.visitcalifornia.com/attraction/palm-springs-nightlife
LGBTQ (Clubs, lounges, bars)
https://www.gay-palm-springs.info/clubs-lounges-bars-gay-palm-springs/
https://www.gay-palm-springs.info/
Restaurants (18 “essential” restaurants of Palm Springs)
https://la.eater.com/maps/best-palm-springs-restaurants-bars-indio-coachella
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (Ride comfortably in a rotating tram car from Palm Springs to Mountain Station at an elevation of 8,516 feet)
DANIEL SALINERO ― I’m a native of California and have happily called the desert my home since 1971 (except when I taught in international schools in Spain for 3 years and Thailand for 6 years.) I’m a public school teacher by day and a professional Spanish-English translator by night. I’m the owner of TheWriteTranslator.com and a proud long-distance member of ATISDA. My family comes from Macotera, Salamanca, Spain. I’m a single father of two boys who I adopted when they were infants. They are now 17 and 12 years old. My boys and I live in Indio (of Coachella Music Festival fame)… just 23 miles away from Palm Springs. Now that my children are older, I can finally attend my first ATA conference. I hope to see you at the conference!
