TOTALLY TRAM-TACULAR: You can be completely forgiven if you've already been pondering the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and wintertime in recent months. After all, the historic attraction, which has been climbing up the side of Mt. San Jacinto since 1963, doesn't shutter when the snow arrives at the top of the way-up-there peak. In fact, a long-running Snow Guessing Contest begins on the first of October each year, and tram fans send postcards in, attempting to guess when the first inch of white stuff'll fall at the tram's Mountain Station. Whether you participated, or won, or hope to guess correctly in the coming years, you definitely know this: December shines at the top of the tram, thanks to the dramatic decorations and to the spirited calendar of events. As for the "dramatic decorations" part? There's that tall and bulb-tastic tree that sits atop...
PEAKS RESTAURANT, overlooking a glimmery swath of the Coachella Valley from its perch at 8,516 feet. And as for the calendar of events? Plan to call upon the tram on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday from Dec. 1 through 15 to enjoy "... a different middle or high school choir perform holiday favorites at Mountain Station." The Jurupa Valley High School Singers open up the 2017 choir nights on Dec. 1 and The Lions' Pride Chamber Singers of Cathedral City High School wrap it all up in a bow on Friday, Dec. 15. There's food service, too, at the Pines Café or Lookout Lounge, so grabbing a bite up the mountain, while you listen to lovely carols, and enjoy the views, is a distinct possibility. A holiday night at the tram is an unusual experience, as seasonal happenings go, but one with some of the beloved hallmarks of the season: a choir, lights, eats, a mountain, and a fa, la, la cheer in the very crisp, bring-a-coat air.
