The World Famous Crochet Museum is a fascinating roadside attraction behind the Joshua Tree Saloon. The Crochet Museum is in a small artist colony, including Soul Connection, Art Queen Gallery, Space Cowboy Books, a ceramic shop, and a glass blower. If you visit Joshua Tree National Park, it's worth … [Read more...]
Southern California Desert Day Trips
Explore California's Desert Regions
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest Day Trip From Bishop
The Bristlecone Pine Forest is a day trip destination from Bishop, California, located in the White Mountains within the Inyo National Forest, about an hour's drive uphill. At an elevation between 10,000 and 11,000 feet, the forest boasts incredible views of the Sierra Nevada and the surrounding … [Read more...]
Goffs Schoolhouse Museum Historic Route 66.
The Mojave Desert Heritage Association is a fascinating museum that showcases the rich history of the Mojave Desert. It features an extensive collection of mining and railroad memorabilia, old automobiles, Route 66 memorabilia, and military exhibits. The two main buildings are Goffs Schoolhouse and … [Read more...]
Tahquitz Canyon Palm Springs Day Trip
Tahquitz Canyon is a must-visit destination for those seeking a tranquil retreat close to home. It is considered one of the crown jewels of Southern California's early history. Situated west of Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, Tahquitz Canyon is a serene desert oasis near the city. Owned … [Read more...]
China Ranch Date Farm Death Valley Side Trip
An oasis is hidden in a desert valley; the China Ranch Date Farm is off the beaten path and worth a side trip on your next journey across the Mojave Desert. As you wander down into this little palm-lined haven between Death Valley and the Dumont Dunes, you will discover a gorgeous little river … [Read more...]
Salt Creek Boardwalk Death Valley
The Salt Creek Interpretive Trail in Death Valley National Park features a raised wooden boardwalk, a visitor must-see. The entire Salt Creek Interpretive Trail is on a raised wooden boardwalk. This makes for easy hiking and protects this sensitive area of Death Valley from damage from the hordes … [Read more...]
Randsburg California Ghost Town Day Trip
Randsburg is located just off Highway 395 in eastern Kern County, known as the Rand Area. Travelers will be transported back in time to the early gold mining days of California when they visit the Living Ghost Town of Randsburg at an elevation of 3,500 feet, Randsburg was at one time home to … [Read more...]
Palm Springs Tramway Desert To Mountains
Experience the breathtaking San Jacinto mountains by riding on the Palm Springs Tramway. This thrilling journey will transport you from the scorching desert floor to the incredible mountain peak via the world's largest rotating tramcars, accommodating up to eighty passengers. As you make your way … [Read more...]
Old Plank Road Imperial Sand Dunes Monument
Before the Phoenix to San Diego highway was constructed, the Old Plank Road - a seven-mile stretch of roadway built over the Algodones Dunes in Yuma, Arizona. In 1914, the first plank road was constructed. It looked like a railroad track, except it had two parallel tracks made of boards for wagon … [Read more...]
Whitewater Preserve Palm Springs Day Trip
The Whitewater Preserve in Palm Springs, previously a home for the Whitewater Trout Farm, is now a haven for the Southern California Wildlands Conservancy. Abutting the San Gorgonio Wilderness and part of the 33,000-acre Sand to Snow Preserve System, it is a great place to visit and a jump-off … [Read more...]
Harmony Borax Works Death Valley
Harmony Borax Works is a popular attraction in Death Valley National Park. The site contains the remains of the processing plant and a few buildings that made up the mining camp of Harmony. Harmony Borax Works was only used to process Borax between 1882 and 1888. Today the site is listed on the … [Read more...]
Kelso Dunes & Depot Mojave Desert Trip
Kelso Dunes rise almost 700 feet high out of Southern California's East Mojave desert. These spectacular dunes are the remains of mountains long worn away. Winds created the dunes as they blew sand particles across the Mojave River sink resulting in a 45-square mile sandbox. Kelso Dunes are also … [Read more...]
Red Rock Canyon California State Park Day Trip
Red Rock Canyon State Park spans nine square miles of badlands and exposed mudstone strata on both sides of California Highway 14 in the middle of the Mojave Desert, resembling a mysterious landscape of a distant planet. Featuring scenic desert cliffs, buttes, and multi-colored rocky outcrops, … [Read more...]
Dublin Gulch Ghost Town Miners Caves
Dublin Gulch is a unique ghost town with most of its city underground. In the early 1900s, miners and railroad workers created living quarters by carving caves in the cliffs near Shoshone, California. These dwellings had dual purposes - to keep people cool during the scorching summer heat and … [Read more...]
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve Day Trip
Sometimes bigger is better. This is undoubtedly the case at the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. The park spreads over 31,000 acres of the Little San Bernardino Mountain Range. The differing elevations mean that an incredibly diverse number of plants and animals have evolved. Once home to several … [Read more...]