Page 105 - 2020 Travel Guide to California

Natural Wonders
Brimming with the glories of nature, the
desert is a paradise for anyone who appre-
ciates stupendous landscapes. The scenery
is far more diverse than you might imagine,
ranging from below sea level to almost
11,000 feet atop Mount San Jacinto.
Abundant rains in winter carpet the
desert with wildflowers—nowhere more
spectacular than the springtime bloom of
Antelope Valley Poppy State Reserve, near
the town of Mojave. Snaking south through
the Coachella Valley, scenic palm-lined
Highway 111 will deliver you to Anza-Borrego
Desert State Park. Capital of desert botanica,
this 500,000-acre park is ablaze with fiery
red poppies and other wildflowers.
A 30-minute drive northeast from Palm
Springs, Joshua Tree National Park spans
1,240 square miles of Mojave and lower Col-
orado deserts and protects one of the most
spectacular desert regions in North
America. Popular with rock climbers, its
dramatic landscapes are made surreal by
the “Joshua tree” species of yucca, with
strange, arm-like branches.
From Joshua Tree, historic Route 66
unfurls past Mojave National Preserve, where
the Kelso Dunes tower almost 1,000 feet
above the desert floor. They’re known as the
“singing dunes” because they emit a buzz or
rumble when sand slides down the dune-
face. Nearby, 32 ancient volcanic cones stud
Cinder Cones National Natural Landmark—a
gateway to the standout draw of the northern
Mojave: Death Valley National Park. The
highest ground temperature ever recorded on
earth was here, at Badwater, a sunken trough
that reaches 282 feet below sea level. Yet
Death Valley is rimmed by 11,000-foot moun-
tains. Winter months are deliciously
temperate, when tourists flock to marvel at
chromatic canyons and sun-bleached salt
pans. Well-paved roads lace the park, while
dirt roads open up a world of extreme adven-
ture for visitors with suitable vehicles.
Family Fun
Kids love the desert, which offers heaps of
family fun, including old ghost towns such
as Pioneertown, an old movie set where
shoot-out recreations bring old Westerns
back to life. Another favorite is the Living
Desert Zoo & Gardens, exhibiting nearly
400 species of animals, from aardvark to
zebra. With luck you might even spot
bighorn sheep in the wild on a Desert
Adventures eco-tour by Jeep. Even camels
add to the fun at Indio’s Riverside County
Fair & National Date Festival in February.
In summer, beat the heat splashing about
at Wet’N’Wild water park. Or take to the air
with Fantasy Balloon Flights for a bird’s-eye
view of the Coachella Valley. Then delight the
kids, and yourself, with a ten-minute jaunt
to Alaska (at least metaphorically) aboard the
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. It ascends
through four life zones to the mountaintop
station, where the air is 30 degrees cooler
than it is in the desert below.
DRIVE
»
TOUR
Start in downtown PALM SPRINGS
and follow Highway 111 southeast to
PALM DESERT, then head into the
San Jacinto Mountains along steep,
twisting Highway 74 to the
COACHELLA VALLEY VISTA POINT
for a sensational view. Retrace your
route to Highway 111 and continue
east. Turn south onto Highway 86
past date palms and vineyards and
the Salton Sea to SALTON CITY, then
head west along Highway 522
through the BORREGO BADLANDS
to the artists’ community of BOR-
REGO SPRINGS. Explore the
fantastical metal sculptures in GAL-
LETA MEADOWS, then lace up your
hiking boots to explore cactus-
studded ANZA-BORREGO DESERT
STATE PARK.
PALM SPRINGS
PALM
DESERT
COACHELLA VALLEY
VISTA POINT
BORREGO
BADLANDS
GALLETA
MEADOWS
ANZA-BORREGO
DESERT STATE PARK
VISITOR CENTER
SALTON CITY
BORREGO
SPRINGS
2020 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 103