Underfoot, the Golden Palm Stars run the length of the sidewalk: the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars, a walk of fame set into downtown Palm Springs. The Golden Palm Stars honour notable individuals who have lived in the greater Palm Springs region, and the walk spans sections of several downtown streets. It was established in 1992 by Gerhard G. Frenzel and Barbara Foster-Henderson, with the inaugural ceremony held on February 26, 1992, and Walk of the Stars chairman Johnny Grant among those present.
Modelled after the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the programme has since honoured presidents of the United States, show business personalities, literary figures, pioneers and civic leaders. Read a few of the names and the two-hour rule explains itself. Studio contracts required actors to remain within two hours of Los Angeles, and this was the nearest place that felt like escape, so an implausible number of famous people ended up with a mailing address in a small desert town.
The stars in this pavement are the residue of a clause in an employment contract. Three more names wait under your feet.