Ronald Ahrens, Author at Palm Springs Life https://www.palmspringslife.com/author/ronald-ahrens/ Your Guide to Greater Palm Springs Sat, 29 Nov 2025 20:44:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.palmspringslife.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-favicon-5121-32x32.png Ronald Ahrens, Author at Palm Springs Life https://www.palmspringslife.com/author/ronald-ahrens/ 32 32 Families on Candy Cane Lane in Cathedral City Share Their Holiday Traditions https://www.palmspringslife.com/arts-culture/families-on-candy-cane-lane-in-cathedral-city-share-their-holiday-traditions/ Sun, 30 Nov 2025 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=778282 It's the Saturday after Thanksgiving 2024, and the families of Minerva Road are beginning to pull their holiday decorations from storage. Garage doors roll open. Plastic bins fill driveways. Neighbors come and go, unboxing inflatables, tugging power cords into place, and occasionally helping one another with setup.

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]]> Major Developments and Expansions in the Coachella Valley https://www.palmspringslife.com/vision/major-developments-and-expansions-in-the-coachella-valley/ Sun, 05 Oct 2025 22:25:34 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=774548 Beachfront property, hospital expansions, and ambitious proposals signal what’s next in the Coachella Valley. Here, we survey 16 desert developments to find out what's happening.

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]]> The History and Comeback of Palm Springs’ Plaza Theatre https://www.palmspringslife.com/arts-culture/the-history-and-comeback-of-palm-springs-plaza-theatre/ Sun, 05 Oct 2025 21:47:52 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=773363 “The Last Hurrah!” It was a fitting title for the finale season of The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies. A blur of feathers and sequins and silver hair, the vaudeville-style musical revue at  The Plaza Theatre featured 55-and-older performers — many of whom had enjoyed glittering careers before landing in the Coachella Valley. High-kicking to the top of the desert’s entertainment scene in 1991, the Follies held court for almost a quarter century.

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]]> We Took the 2026 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster for a Test Drive https://www.palmspringslife.com/outdoors/auto/we-took-the-2026-aston-martin-vantage-roadster-for-a-test-drive/ Mon, 28 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=771576 The first time I took an Aston Martin on a road trip out of the Coachella Valley, my co-driver — on assignment for Car and Driver — insisted we stop along the way for time-consuming photos. We missed lunch. I wouldn’t let that happen twice. Not in the 2026 Vantage Roadster. Not on this perfect midspring day of lupines, poppies, and manzanita blossoms. The charcuterie board that awaited in Temecula was top priority.

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]]> Was the IndyCar Thermal Grand Prix a One-Hit Wonder? https://www.palmspringslife.com/arts-culture/was-the-indycar-thermal-grand-prix-a-one-hit-wonder/ Sun, 29 Jun 2025 02:26:33 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=769634 In March 2024, Álex Palou won the $1 Million Challenge, a 20-lap, made-for-TV race at The Thermal Club. The winner was not exactly a surprise, but his postrace comments were. He dedicated the jackpot to buying diapers for his baby, Lucia. Palou then blasted through the season and won the NTT IndyCar Series for the third time in four years.

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]]> Inside The Vault: BIGHORN’s Exclusive Luxury Garage for Car Collectors https://www.palmspringslife.com/arts-culture/inside-the-vault-bighorns-exclusive-luxury-garage-for-car-collectors/ Sun, 11 May 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=764836 Confident the place will blow their minds, Jay Westman welcomes select visitors to The Vault. To describe it as a garage would be a disservice to the impeccably appointed collectors sanctuary on Metate Place in BIGHORN Golf Club. The glitzy entryway could serve as a stage for John Travolta to sweep Olivia Newton-John into his arms and carry her to the humble Dodge Wayfarer from Grease.

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]]> Helen Abernathy’s Lost Legacy Resurfaces at Historic House in Palm Springs https://www.palmspringslife.com/home-design/helen-abernathys-lost-legacy-resurfaces-at-historic-house-in-palm-springs/ Fri, 31 Jan 2025 22:00:00 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=754380 More than a modernist marvel, the Abernathy House reveals the evolving identity — and enduring artistic spirit — of the woman behind its walls.

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]]> IndyCar Practice Hits The Thermal Club Ahead of March Grand Prix https://www.palmspringslife.com/the-guide/sports/indycar-practice-hits-the-thermal-club-ahead-of-march-grand-prix/ Thu, 19 Dec 2024 02:45:07 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=753448 A new integration between the NTT IndyCar Series and The Thermal Club puts young hopeful drivers on track for an off-season test session.

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]]> Raymond Loewy-Designed Truck on Display at Luchador Brewing, Cathedral City https://www.palmspringslife.com/restaurants/raymond-loewy-designed-truck-on-display-at-luchador-brewing-cathedral-city/ Wed, 11 Dec 2024 21:17:35 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=751656 A food truck and a modernist house share a point of origin.

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]]> Making the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Mountain Station https://www.palmspringslife.com/history/making-the-palm-springs-aerial-tramway-mountain-station/ Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=752425 Architect E. Stewart Williams leapfrogged natural and structural obstacles by virtue of 23,000 helicopter trips to create the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Mountain Station.

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]]> Keith McCormick Prepares to Host 77th Palm Springs Classic Car Auction https://www.palmspringslife.com/arts-culture/keith-mccormick-prepares-to-host-77th-palm-springs-classic-car-auction/ Sun, 17 Nov 2024 18:23:07 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=751924 Some 20,000 buyers, sellers, and automotive enthusiasts will visit the Palm Springs Convention Center to watch more than 300 classic and exotic cars cross the auction block.

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]]> Brad Dunning Honored for Curating Albert Frey Architecture Retrospective https://www.palmspringslife.com/arts-culture/brad-dunning-honored-for-curating-albert-frey-architecture-retrospective/ Thu, 03 Oct 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=750684 The Palm Springs Modern Committee will recognize Dunning at the 2024 Architectural Preservation Awards at the Palm Springs Art Museum.

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]]> Howard Hughes’ Historic Palm Springs Home Wins Prestigious Preservation Award https://www.palmspringslife.com/home-design/modernism/howard-hughes-historic-palm-springs-home-wins-prestigious-preservation-award/ Thu, 03 Oct 2024 01:00:00 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=750726 The all-consuming makeover of a house Howard Hughes once owned pays off with a Residential Restoration Award from the Palm Springs Modern Committee.

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]]> How Architect E. Stewart Williams Designed Palm Springs Art Museum https://www.palmspringslife.com/arts-culture/how-architect-e-stewart-williams-designed-palm-springs-art-museum/ Thu, 19 Sep 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=750259 Midcentury architect E. Stewart Williams created Palm Springs Art Museum from scratch, with help from a volcano, 300-foot-long bridge cables, and his own resilience.

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]]> Developer Bill Bone Built Many Coachella Valley Communities https://www.palmspringslife.com/home-design/developer-bill-bone-built-many-coachella-valley-communities/ Sat, 27 Apr 2024 18:20:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=746475 The post Developer Bill Bone Built Many Coachella Valley Communities appeared first on Palm Springs Life.

]]> Why Aluminum Was Used in Midcentury Modern Architecture https://www.palmspringslife.com/home-design/why-aluminum-was-used-in-midcentury-modern-architecture/ Fri, 01 Mar 2024 03:03:01 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=727429 Aluminum became a cheap commodity after World War II, encouraging midcentury architects such as Albert Frey to experiment with its strength and surface finishes.

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]]> Look Inside Midcentury Architect Albert Frey’s First Desert Home https://www.palmspringslife.com/home-design/look-inside-midcentury-architect-albert-freys-first-desert-home/ Mon, 29 Jan 2024 16:00:54 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=726727 In Frey House I, his living laboratory, architect Albert Frey exploited exciting contrasts between technical materials, flat shapes, and nature.

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]]> Living Desert Model Train Will Be Restored and Reconstructed https://www.palmspringslife.com/history/living-desert-model-train-will-be-restored-and-reconstructed/ Mon, 11 Dec 2023 16:00:30 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=725669 The Bighorn Railroad, a favorite for decades, is about the get a facelift. Here’s what you need to know.

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]]> The History of Palm Springs Road Races https://www.palmspringslife.com/history/the-history-of-palm-springs-road-races/ Tue, 31 Oct 2023 13:00:12 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=724652 The Coachella Valley’s association with motorsports dates back to the Palm Springs Road Races of the 1950s and includes a bounty of ambition, money, and important names in racing.

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]]> Albert Frey Illustrations Show Brilliance Beyond Architecture https://www.palmspringslife.com/arts-culture/albert-frey-illustrations-show-brilliance-beyond-architecture/ Wed, 20 Sep 2023 22:00:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=746996 The post Albert Frey Illustrations Show Brilliance Beyond Architecture appeared first on Palm Springs Life.

]]> Swimming Pools in Greater Palm Springs, Captured by a Drone Photographer https://www.palmspringslife.com/home-design/swimming-pools-in-greater-palm-springs-captured-by-a-drone-photographer/ Tue, 27 Jun 2023 02:37:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=721080 Inspired by the season, we set out to document the eclectic pool designs that decorate our desert and learn a little history along the way.

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]]> Did This Eccentric Palm Springs House Belong to Howard Hughes? https://www.palmspringslife.com/home-design/did-this-eccentric-palm-springs-house-belong-to-howard-hughes/ Mon, 29 May 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=720163 We endeavor to find out if a homeowner’s assumptions about his part-time residence of 24 years are true.

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]]> NTT IndyCar Series Brings Motorsports to The Thermal Club https://www.palmspringslife.com/the-guide/sports/ntt-indycar-series-brings-motorsports-to-the-thermal-club/ Sun, 28 May 2023 16:42:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=720143 In a first for professional racing and the Coachella Valley, the IndyCar drivers made a practice run at the private residential racetrack.

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]]> Brutalist Designers Plan Off-Grid Concrete Oasis in Joshua Tree https://www.palmspringslife.com/home-design/brutalist-joshua-tree/ Mon, 30 Jan 2023 22:00:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=713550 Designers Omar Nobil and Erika Stahlman imagine a Brutalist and sustainable off-grid desert lifestyle.

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]]> Robson Chambers Restoration Saves Undersung Part of Palm Springs History https://www.palmspringslife.com/history/robson-chambers-house-palm-springs/ Mon, 30 Jan 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=713526 The historic 1946 residence was restored to its former glory by an ambitious Palm Springs couple during the pandemic.

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