Southern California Desert Day Trips

Day Trip to Noah Purifoy Joshua Tree Outdoor Museum Noah Purifoy Outdoor Museum, way out there in the middle of nowhere along a dusty desert road, is an unusual collection of artwork. Artist Noah Purifoy (1917-2004) moved to the desert to escape because Los Angeles was just too expensive to … [Read more...]

Mojave National Preserve is located in the heart of the Mojave Desert and was established in 1994 through the California Desert Protection Act. It is a must for any outdoor enthusiast and a great way for the entire family to spend some time in the great outdoors. Visitors can explore nearly 1.5 … [Read more...]

The Palm Springs Air Museum gives visitors a chance to experience firsthand the sacrifice our flyers made in preserving the freedom we take for granted. It’s a worthwhile stop on your next getaway and the perfect opportunity to pay homage to those heroes. The museum is home to one of the nation's … [Read more...]

Tecopa Hot Springs is located just outside of Death Valley National Park.  This sleepy little desert town is about a 90-minute drive from Furnace Creek Visitor Center or Las Vegas. The main attractions in Tecopa are the natural hot springs, mud baths, a couple of run-down resorts, and the Death … [Read more...]

Scotty's Castle planned reopening date is early 2022. However, walking tours of the Castle Grounds are available. Built-in 1927 by wealthy insurance executive Albert Johnson, smack dab in the middle of Death Valley National Park, is Scotty's Castle. A 32,000-square-foot two-story Spanish Villa in … [Read more...]

Just west of Needles, California, is an all but totally abandoned roadway section called National Trails Highway. For years this roadway served as the main artery for travelers heading west from New Mexico to California. Named for the coast-to-coast highway that predated Route 66, today, the … [Read more...]

What do Ronald Reagan, Queen Elizabeth II, Frank Sinatra, Clark Gable, and Richard Nixon all have in common? They have all stayed behind the pink security walls of Sunnylands, the former winter residence of billionaires Walter and Leonore Annenberg in Rancho Mirage, California. Once only … [Read more...]

Salt Creek Boardwalk is a must-see for visitors to Death Valley National Park. The entire Salt Creek Interpretive Trail is on a raised wooden boardwalk. The entire Salt Creek Interpretive Trail is on a raised wooden boardwalk. This makes for easy hiking and protects this sensitive area of Death … [Read more...]

Dublin Gulch is not your typical ghost town. Most of the city is underground. In the early 1900s, miners and railroad workers carved out living quarters in the cliffs near Shoshone, California. The cave dwellings served two purposes. To escape the searing summer heat and as insulation from the … [Read more...]

The Old Mojave Road takes off-road adventurers from the Colorado River through the Mojave National Preserve to Afton Canyon near Barstow, California. This historic route has been used by native Indians, Spanish explorers, and settlers. Today the Mojave Road is a popular adventure trip for groups of … [Read more...]

There's Mt. Sinai, and then there's Salvation Mountain. On the barren badlands east of San Diego, there is a 30-foot high, 100-foot wide concrete and adobe mountain covered in religious slogans and over an estimated 150,000 gallons of lavish multi-colored acrylic paint. Located near the salty … [Read more...]

Harvey House Railroad Depot also is known as the Casa Del Desierto sits by the railroad tracks in Barstow, California. The Barstow Railroad Depot opened in 1911 as a Santa Fee train station and Harvey House. Before there were dining cars trains would stop at Harvey Houses so passengers could dine … [Read more...]

Death Valley Junction started out as a water stop along the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad which operated from 1907 until 1940. In 1914 a 20-mile side spur was constructed from Death Valley Junction to the mines at Ryan, near Death Valley; the line operated until 1928 and carried Borax to the mill … [Read more...]

Pioneertown was originally built in the 1940s as an old western movie set. Today, locals keep the western tradition alive, holding mock gunfights from April through October on Pioneer Town's Main Street. Pappy and Harriet's Palace offers live music, touring bands and dancing on Thursday, Friday, … [Read more...]