Palm Springs – the great starting point.

Terrific, excellent, adventures, await you – all within a few hours driving.

It takes about one hour from Palm Springs to Joshua Tree National Park.

The park is named after the Joshua trees, native to the park.

Joshua Tree National Park

It encompasses 790,636 acres acres covering 1,235 square miles or 3,199 square kilometres.

In 1936 the the area was declared a national monument, later in 1994 it was changed and designated a national park.

The park is stepping back into the past (mining and cattle ranching once was a big business) and all are there in their original state.

The dessert itself, a never-ending tableau of different vistas and scenery ranging from endless Joshua trees, stark rock formations, fields covered with flowers, and some wildlife.

Camping is an option with various available sites.

The diversity of the landscape makes it a favourite for shooting TV commercials and movies.

Pioneertown.

And talking about television and movies, on your way back to Palm Springs, pay a visit to Pioneertown – a step back into history – more than 50 television shows and movies were filmed here.

Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and other investors developed Pioneertown as a movie set but also as a place where people could step back into another era.

Stepping back into time – Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace awaits you.

Saddle up to the bar, enjoy a great drink, have a great meal, and listen to terrific music.

Many well-known rockers performed here – including Paul McCartney.

At the end of the night you can sleep the miles away at the hip Pioneertown Motel.

Be careful, though, you never know who might cross your path in Pioneertown.

Want to get away from the desert?

Visit Idyllwild

It’s a charming, laid-back, Alpine village, less than an hour from Palm Springs.

It has great shopping, restaurants, lovely lakes, and its mayors have been and still are dogs, three of them, all named Max.

Each day – in the afternoon – the mayor, his name is Max III, meets his constituents for a meet and greet in downtown Idyllwild. Even though still young the good citizens who voted for him believe he will carry on in the tradition of Max II and Max I and do an admirable job.

The Salton Sea

Once it was a holiday paradise. Celebrities and people making it a holiday, and weekend destination.

Then gradually this prime resort turned into Armageddon.

The reason?

Nearby large farms were allowed to dump their contaminated water outflow – full of pesticides, chemicals, animal manure, into the Salton Sea – turning it into the cesspool it is today, devoid of fish and vegetation.

Today the Salton Sea is eerie, creepy – a desolate wasteland.