Palm Springs, California has been a popular getaway for movies stars since the golden era of Hollywood. And what better way to learn about the desert playground’s glamorous past than by taking a “Gay Icons Tour” led by gay guide Bob Gross in an open red Jeep as part of the Desert Adventures Eco-Tours & Events.
Bob is affable and attentive as he shifts gears and chats on his mike with our party of four. If you want to take a photograph or a brief video, he will let you. Just ask. We were especially fascinated by the former homes of Liberace and Marilyn Monroe, and he pulled over and let us do our thing.
The Liberace house was a mid-century modern classic with a mailbox shaped like a grand piano and white marble statues of humans and lions. Then there was another home which Liberace owned, on the corner of Alejo and Belardo, where the flamboyant entertainer once hosted lavish party for his European boys and where he died.