Modernism Week, Palm Springs, CA Runs February 16th - 26th

South Beach has it's Art Deco buildings. Chicago has it's magnificent skyline. San Francisco has their Painted Ladies. And Palm Springs, California is famous for mid-century modern architecture. Nude sunbathers are extremely lucky as they get to stay at one of the most famous Mid-Century Modern designed hotels in the US, The Terra Cotta Inn.

There were many modernist architects in the 1950's and 1960's, but one of the most famous is Albert Frey. He only designed a few hotels in the Palm Springs area, but his most famous is our small resort. Albert Frey is considered the father of desert modernism.

Above is a photo of Mary Clare and Albert Frey in front of our hotel shortly after we bought it in 1994. Mr. Frey called us as he saw an article about our resort in our local newspaper and he immediately recognized it as the hotel he designed which was originally called The Monkey Tree.

The Monkey Tree was built for celebrities. That's why we have large rooms (300-500 square ft) and why we were built with very high walls to protect the privacy of the celebrities that stayed here. We have learned that Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Desi & Lucy, Spencer Tracy, President Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, and many other famous celebrities used to stay here. To this day, we still get some celebrities from time to time.

What is cool is we chatted with Albert Frey for a few hours where he told us he came up with the slanted roof line design to be in synergy with the slope of the San Jacinto mountains. Another thing he told us is he has always been a nudist at heart, (he was Swiss). When he was young, he used to go to Ile du Levant which is in the Mediterranean and was one of the very first organized nudist destinations in the world. Albert Frey was so proud that one of his hotels became a famous nudist resort.

Starting February 16th and running for 10 days, Palm Springs is celebrating modernism week. Click here for things to do: http://modernismweek.com

Albert Frey would also be very proud to know that Palm Springs Life Magazine in their latest Best of the Best issue, reported we are the Best Boutique hotel in the whole Palm Springs area.

Nude sunbathers are the lucky ones as they get to stay at one of the most famous hotels in all Palm Springs. And since we are the most mainstream nude sunbathing resort in the US, we are perfect for couples trying topless or nude sunbathing for the first time.

So try something fun, unique and romantic. Come on out to The Terra Cotta Inn clothing optional resort and spa, Palm Springs most famous mid-century modern hotel.

Tom Mulhall
Terra Cotta Inn Clothing Optional Resort and Spa, Palm Springs, CA
Call 800-786-6938 for info or reservations
Visit our website: http://sunnyfun.com
Visit our facebook page: http://bit.ly/TerraCottaInnFBPage

Hope to see you soon in sunny Palm Springs!

Labels: Albert Frey, art deco, hotel, mid-century modern, painted ladies, palm springs, san francisco, South beach, nudist, nude sunbathers, modernism week, Monkey Tree, celebrities, mid-century modern hotels

Modernism Week is almost over - However, nudists can stay anytime at the Terra Cotta Inn

South Beach has it's Art Deco. San Francisco has Painted Ladies. Palm Springs, California is famous for mid-century modern architecture.

There were many modernist architects in the 1950's and 1960's, but one of the most famous is Albert Frey. He only designed a few hotels in the Palm Springs area, but his most famous or infamous (if you have a closed mind) small resort is The Terra Cotta Inn clothing optional resort and spa, our resort. He is considered the father of desert modernism.

Above is a photo of Mary Clare and Albert Frey in front of our hotel shortly after we bought it in 1994. Mr. Frey called us as he saw an article about our resort in our local newspaper and he immediately recognized it as the hotel he designed which was originally called The Monkey Tree.

The Monkey Tree was built for celebrities. That's why we have large rooms (300-500 square ft) and why we were built with very high walls to protect the privacy of the celebrities that stayed here. We have learned that Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Desi & Lucy, Spencer Tracy, President Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, and many other famous celebrities used to stay here. To this day, we still get some celebrities. Those that want a fun nude experience where they can meet lots of other nice people, come. Those that want privacy and want to go to places where hardly anyone else is around or talks to each other stay at other nude places in town.

What is cool is we chatted with Albert Frey for a few hours where he told us he came up with the slanted roof line to be in synergy with the slope of the San Jacinto mountains. Another thing he told us is he has always been a nudist at heart, (he was Swiss). When he was young, he used to go to Ile du Levant which is in the Mediterranean and was one of the very first organized nudist destinations in the world. Albert thought it was so cool that his hotel became a nudist resort.

All week long Palm Springs has been celebrating modernism week. http://www.modernismweek.com/ A few years back I went to the Palm Springs Modernism Committee and asked them why they never list The Terra Cotta Inn as one of the famous mid-century modern properties in palm Springs. I got a nose up in the air and a committee member very condescendingly said "honey, this is family friendly event, we would N-E-V-E-R mention your place because you are N-U-D-I-S-T-S." When he snidely said nudists, it sounded as if he was going to gag having to say that word.

Thus, visitors to Palm Springs Modernism Week would be sad to know that Albert Frey's most favorite hotel doesn't even exist in the committees small minds.

Now in all fairness, we have been treated extremely well in Palm Springs by almost everyone. I am a past President of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, I work well with Palm Springs tourism, we have had very good stories in our local newspaper and TV, I was on The Palm Springs City Council's Citizen Finance Committee for 2 years, and was a campaign treasurer for one of our city council members. This December in palm Springs Life Magazine's Best of the Best issue we were picked as the BEST boutique hotel in the whole Palm Springs area. I could not ask for a more friendly community. Albert Frey would be proud of us.

But, sadly I have never been able to break into the little Palm Springs Modernism clique. They obviously do not really care about history, or only their version of it!

Nudists are the lucky ones as they get to stay at one of the most famous hotels of all Palm Springs. And since we are the most mainstream nude sunbathing resort in the US, we are perfect for couples trying topless or nude sunbathing for the first time.


Tom Mulhall
Terra Cotta Inn Clothing Optional Resort and Spa, Palm Springs, CA
Call 800-786-6938 for info or reservations
Visit our website by clicking: http://sunnyfun.com
Visit our facebook page by clicking http://bit.ly/TerraCottaInnFBPage

Hope to see you soon in sunny Palm Springs!

A Palm Springs vacation is the destination of the week - They even recommend taking a clothing optional vacation here

Palm Springs is the hot vacation destination of the US this year. Sites all over the internet are telling everyone to take their vacation here. Many sites are even saying one of the reasons to vacation here is because of all the clothing optional resorts in Palm Springs.

Here's the latest recommendation:

"Destination of the Week: Palm Springs, Calif.
Who knew you could indulge your passion for hiking and Mid-Century Modern design all in the same trip? [Tom's note and nude sunbathing].

DESTINATION OF THE WEEK, GREEN TRAVEL

Although Marilyn, Sinatra, Liberace, Dinah and Sonny have long since departed from California’s Coachella Valley, one famous Palm Springs resident is still around and kickin’: Mother Nature.

Palm Springs may be best known for Rat Packers and retirees, architecture and the AARP, golf courses and grannies. However old-school, this sun-drenched — 354 blissful days of sunshine annually — desert oasis isn’t just for older folks (although the patrons of Melvyns may beg to differ). Increasingly, the town has become a hot spot for hedonistic hipsters, Hollywood’s new guard, and those just looking to slow down and soak in truly stunning natural surroundings.

A Mid-Century Modern night’s dream

Whether hiking the Indian Canyons or horseback riding along the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains, many visitors to Palm Springs will find themselves communing with Mother Nature a majority of the time … it’s an outdoor recreation kind of town. However, Palm Springs is also a resort town that takes the art of R&R very seriously, so finding the right retro-chic hotel is imperative...

Antique-till-you-drop
For vintage hounds with an eye for Mid-Century Modern style, Palm Springs offers serious antiquing opportunities. On and off of North Palm Canyon Drive, the downtown “strip,” you’ll find stores like the Palm Canyon Galleria, Dazzles, Retrospect and a la MOD where mod 20th century furniture, decorative accessories and art reign supreme. Imagine the set of Mad Men in a consignment shop and you’ve got a good idea of what’s literally in store during a Palm Springs shopping excursion. For stylish secondhand steals that support a good cause, visit one of five Revivals Resale Marts in the Coachella Valley that support the Desert AIDS Project.

Nature boys and girls
With abundant sunshine, minimal rain and breathtaking scenery, nature lovers won’t have a difficult time acclimating to Palm Springs (neither will naturists considering the amount of clothing-optional accommodations in the area). A top destination is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, a rotating aerial tramway (the largest in the world) that climbs nearly 6,000 feet from the desert climate of Coachella Valley to the alpine wilderness near the top of San Jacinto Peak in eight and a half minutes. Once on the mountain in Mount San Jacinto State Park, visitors can explore a system of hiking trails and other outdoor activities...

Palm Springs also serves as the ideal starting point for trips further afield to destinations such as the Coachella Valley Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Salton Sea, a large saline lake/environmental restoration project known for its avian biodiversity, dead tilapia, trailer parks and abandoned buildings. It’s a curious and haunting place to visit that’s particularly jarring after spending time in lush, lovely Palm Springs. And some of most spectacular sights in the Coachella Valley can be viewed from your car (no, not Bob Hope’s former home): the San Gorgonia Pass Wind Farm, where thousands of massive wind turbines dot the natural landscape as far as the eye can see. Like the Salton Sea, it’s a disorienting sight but also a hopeful one leading to reflection on the future of renewable energy.

The future of Palm Springs itself is looking bright despite a reputation for being more gray than green. There’s something for everyone — kitsch-obsessed lounge lizards, eco-conscious hipsters, antiquers, hikers, bikers, golfers, horseback riders, nature photographers and people who don’t like to wear clothes — in a town where Mother Nature, like Mid-Century Modern architecture, never goes out of style."

To read the full article click here

Now is the perfect time for a fun, romantic, unique vacation experience.

Never been to a clothing optional resort before? No problem. We are the most mainstream nudist resort in the US and are perfect for couples trying topless or nude sunbathing for the first time!

Give us a call at 800-786-6938 (toll free US and Canada) for more information or to make reservations.

Visit our site at http://sunnyfun.com

Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/nudist_resorts

We hope to see you soon in sunny Palm Springs, California

The Los Angeles Times has a travel article about Palm Springs

The Los Angles Times newspaper just came out with an interesting article about Palm Springs. Here it is:

"A visit to 1959 Palm Springs
The year was a seminal one for the desert resort town; 50 years on, it's still a swingin' time.

Dwight Eisenhower, on holiday from the White House, whips a golf club beneath a blue October sky... Meanwhile, other rich and famous folk are partying at the Chi Chi Club or pulling up their Cadillac coupes (nice tailfins!) in front of the Riviera, that vast new mod hotel. All over the Coachella Valley, architects and builders are seducing tourists with butterfly roof lines, space-age appliances, minimalist graphics and backlit starbursts.

Yes, 1959 was a swinging year in Palm Springs. And it's not over yet.

Thanks to legions of preservationists, entrepreneurs, publishers and design-driven travelers, the cult of Desert Modernism gets bigger and bigger, drawing all sorts of retro pilgrims to Palm Springs, including me....

Picture a whole ultramod 'hood of soaring roofs, clerestory windows, carports instead of garages, peek-a-boo screens made of stacked concrete blocks, pebbles and palms in the yard, and living rooms just begging for somebody to slip a little Dean Martin on the hi-fi. New, these houses sold for $19,000...

"Nineteen-fifty-nine was a good year for architecture here," Jade Nelson, the 33-year-old manager of the Orbit In hotel, told me. His place went up in 1957, but "my father and grandfather went to the opening week of the Riviera in 1959. In a white 1960-model Cadillac Coupe de Ville with red leather interior."

The building, designed by Rudy Baumfeld of Victor Gruen Associates, was actually a nod across the Atlantic -- an homage to a tall, curvy, ultramod chapel that modernist pioneer Le Corbusier designed in Ronchamp, France, just a few years before.

Now it's a Bank of America. But it's also a reminder: Before the first management consultant claimed credit for coining the phrase, the builders here were thinking outside the architectural box.

So was architect Albert Frey. In addition to a number of startling private homes and a compound now known as the Movie Colony Hotel, Frey collaborated on the low-slung City Hall and Fire Station No. 1 in the mid-'50s. By 1959, he was working on the city's aerial tram project, which would be completed in 1963.

Later came Frey's enormous pointy-roofed Tramway gas station, near the northern entrance to town. And even though it's a 1965 structure, you should stop there, because it now houses the Palm Springs Visitor Center. Go in and buy a $5 map to 75 local modernist landmarks, including many designed by Frey, William F. Cody and E. Stewart Williams...

Not everybody wants to stay in a big hotel, and by 1959 Palm Springs was already full of tiny ones. In the Tennis Club district, a short stroll from downtown, you had the Town & Desert (built in 1947, designed by Herb Burns). The Village Manor (1957, Burns again) was its younger sidekick a few doors away....

The reborn Parker, Moruzzi writes, is proof "that Palm Springs truly is the face-lift capital of the desert."

Of course, plenty of '50s Palm Springs landmarks have been lost, including the Desert Air (a fly-in hotel) and the Chi Chi Club (closed in the '60s)....

But in a territory that's supposedly so mutable and history-averse, it's a great comfort to lie low in the shade of the rediscovered buildings that endure..."

For the full article Click here

It's great that so many people are fascinated my the mid-century modern homes and hotels. And nude sunbathers are lucky, they get to stay in an Albert Frey building.

Yes, The Terra Cotta Inn clothing optional resort and spa was once the famous Monkey Tree hotel designed by Albert Frey in 1960. We were originally designed as a celebrity resort, so we have very large rooms (300-500 sq ft).

So far this year, the press loves Palm Springs modern properties. The Los Angeles Times, New York Times, CNN, Washington Post and more have praised all the preservation work.

So it's time you should try something new, something fun, and different. We are the most mainstream nudist resort in the US and are perfect for couples trying topless or nude sunbathing for the first time! And you get to stay in a historic hotel.

Give us a call at 800-786-6938 for more information or to make reservations.

Visit our site at http://sunnyfun.com

Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/nudist_resorts

We hope to see you soon in sunny Palm Springs!