Desert In A Minute
Nancy Sinatra Reflects on Palm Springs Roots During 85th Anniversary Celebration
Nancy Sinatra celebrated her longtime connection to Palm Springs as grand marshal of the city’s 85th Anniversary Classic Car Parade, receiving the key to the city and sharing memories of her family’s history in the desert.
Sinatra expressed gratitude for the honor and reflected on the place Palm Springs has held in her family’s life for generations.
“The Coachella Valley was my dad’s favorite place on Earth. I could say the same for my mom,” Sinatra said, recalling how her parents spent much of their lives in the area.
Her family first came to Palm Springs in 1939. After moving from New Jersey to California in 1945, Sinatra remembers staying at the Long Palm Motel, where a bellman would wheel her and her baby brother around on a luggage cart.
Palm Springs was a much smaller community in those days. Sinatra recalled Palm Canyon Drive as the town’s only paved road, Jerry’s as its only grocery store, and the Chi Chi as its nightclub. The El Mirador and the Racquet Club were among the community’s best-known landmarks, surrounded by wide-open spaces.
She and her brother explored the town as children, buying penny candy and discovering the desert around them. Sinatra also shared memories of marrying her late husband, Hugh Lambert, at St. Louis Catholic Church in Cathedral City. She credited her father with helping raise the money to build the church, which began as an Army barracks.
Today, Sinatra’s daughters and granddaughters continue to experience the desert that has meant so much to her family.
For Our Desert Past, Steve Sumrall, NBC Palm Springs News First.
By: NBC Palm Springs
October 9, 2026
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