Page 77 - 2022-2023 Travel Guide to California

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 temper-
ature 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 mountains. 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 adventure for
visitors with suitable vehicles.
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
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 over 150
species of animals. With luck you might
even spot bighorn sheep in the wild on a
Desert Adventures eco-tour by Jeep.
Take to the air with Fantasy Balloon
Flights for a bird’s-eye view of the Coachella
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
2022-23 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 75