Things to do / Travel Guide
The California Desert region is the place to go for haunting landscapes, twisted trees, and late-night campfire tales. With a stark natural beauty as the backdrop for a storied history and both outdoor and city attractions, the desert never seemed so enticing! This region is in many ways an inland sea of desert and mountainous landscapes separating California from the greater American Southwest. It's a beautiful, surprising, and enchanting area that has had visitors and residents alike enjoying themselves for centuries.
A paradise for outdoors enthusiasts, the region boasts some of the country's greatest rock climbing at Joshua Tree National Park, excellent mountain biking in Death Valley, and beautiful mountain trails and skiing opportunities in and around Big Bear Lake. Some of the greatest golf courses in the country are in the greater Palm Springs area and they are interspersed with the renowned spas that draw a great number of tourists to the Coachella Valley annually.
Thrill-seekers can get their adrenaline pumping by free-falling into the region on a skydiving adventure. Or fulfill your need for speed a bit closer to earth as you rent a boat and race around the Salton Sea, one of best places in the country to speed in pleasure boats. If it's what lives under the water that you are more interested in, the California Desert region also promises great fishing and large catches of the ubiquitous Tilapia fish.
If skiing and winter sports are your passion, the region doesn't disappoint either. In the winter months, the slopes in and near Big Bear Lake turn snow-white as thousands of avid skiers, snowboarders, and tobogganers careen downhill at breakneck speeds. Indeed, from October-March this area is a true winter wonderland.
For more slow-paced adventures in the region you can take time to marvel at the most ancient living trees on the planet in Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, whose gnarls were formed over thousands of years in the desert. Alternatively, you can roast marshmallows and tell stories over a campfire at Salton Sea Recreation Area before heading off to explore the realm of the supernatural in learning about the region's ghost history.
The incredible scenic beauty of this region also hides an infamous past. The Manzanar National Historic Site, a WWII government internment camp for Japanese Americans, allows visitors to learn about and relive this dark chapter in American history. But not all ghosts of the past are bad, as the Calico Ghost Town demonstrates. This one-time silver mining boomtown offers historical reenactments and after-dark tours that highlight some of the town's more “spirit”ed history.
If the region's attractions and activities aren't enough to whet your appetite, oasis-like city hot spots beckon visitors to experience exotic cuisine from around the world, hot nightlife, and a plethora of shopping opportunities that range from luxury to antique. Nationally-known performance artists and big-theater productions keep the cities of Palm Springs and San Bernardino alive with activity and excitement, while Palm Springs has become on of the country's top Spring Break destinations for college coeds.
Simply put, whatever the season, the wide desert expanses of the region are home to world-class leisure attractions and the potential for thrilling outdoors activities. Around each and every turn on the highways, you'll be treated to amazing wide-open spaces or stunning mountains - undoubtedly beautiful natural scenery. And in the towns and cities, you'll be charmed by the irresistible slow pace of life that is so common among the region's year-round and “out-of-towner” residents.
Time Zone
The California Desert region is on Pacific Time, three hours behind Eastern Time.
Heat Hazards
When traveling in the region during the spring and summer months, the heat can be very intense and potentially dangerous. If you're planning on being outdoors for extended periods of time, be sure to have a good supply of water handy. The heat may also increase the likelihood of your car overheating, so it pays to have some extra coolant and motor oil available and to know the approximate distances between gas stations or rest stops.
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