Skip to content

Outdoors

Read More ›

Palm Springs Top Destination for Seattleites

Seattle Residents Look South for Vacation Homes

View of palm trees, foliage and distant mountains, Palm Springs, California, USA
Photography by Breanna Coffey

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2023 issue of Seattle magazine.

Heading to Palm Springs during spring break or summer vacation? You’re not alone. The California city known for its natural hot springs, restaurants, golf courses, and nearly year-round sunshine is by far the most popular destination for Seattleites who want to buy a vacation home.

A study by real estate company Pacaso says 16% of residents here ranked the city as their dream vacation spot. Lake Tahoe, Malibu, Napa Valley, and Scottsdale, Ariz., round out the top five.

Seattle is the only major city outside of California with the majority of top 10 destinations within California (anything to escape the rain, right?) The closest vacation destination for Seattleites was Bend, which ranked No. 7.

“Seattle residents don’t seem put off by long distances to second homes” the report says, noting that nationwide, most respondents preferred a vacation home within driving distance.

Palm Springs is also the most sought-after second-home destination nationwide. Five California cities garnered 73% of national second-home interest.

For all the latest on what to do and where to eat in Palm Springs read Travel Destination: Palm Springs

The Northwest’s Gateway to Wine, Culture & Adventure
Sponsored

The Northwest’s Gateway to Wine, Culture & Adventure

Escape the crowds. Slow down. Savor fall in the Lewis Clark Valley. As autumn paints the hillsides in gold, crimson, and amber, the Lewis Clark Valley becomes a picture-perfect place to slow down and savor the season. Where Washington and Idaho meet, fall brings crisp days, colorful landscapes, harvest among the vines, and plenty of…

Meet West Seattle’s “Freelance Beaver Detective”

Meet West Seattle’s “Freelance Beaver Detective”

A group of urban beavers helped Pamela Adams through a tough time. Now she’s returning the favor.

Pamela Adams was living in Port Townsend when her marriage fell apart. Little did she know at the time that she would soon find love again while doggedly pursuing the Five Families—not the ones of Mafia lore, but a four-legged sort living along the Longfellow Creek Watershed. Prior to moving to Washington, Adams resided in…

A Wellness Pilgrimage to the Olympic Peninsula

A Wellness Pilgrimage to the Olympic Peninsula

Two hours from Seattle, a new kind of luxury is taking root—one built on stillness, old-growth forests, and the subtle art of slowing down.

There is a school of thought among the overworked and overscheduled that the most subversive thing a person can do is stop. Put down the phone, close the laptop, and go somewhere that actively resists attempts to stay plugged in. The Olympic Peninsula has always offered this, in its blunt, mossy way. For some city…

Seabrook Is a Little Coastal Utopia

Seabrook Is a Little Coastal Utopia

This walkable beach town gives families room to roam, relax, and leave the car parked.

There’s nothing quite like finding an edible mushroom in the forest with a five-year-old. The excitement and pride my son displayed when we found chicken of the woods were contagious, and after battering and frying the mushrooms, our wonderful day got even better. The dark, wet forests in which our mushrooms grew are part of…