California Deserts - Surprising Scenery and Endless Adventure

You may not think of a desert as a place to take it easy and kick up your feet. You probably imagine walking through of the dry sand under the hot sun with your shirt on your neck to stay cool. But that's not the case in the California Deserts. The Mojave Desert is the biggest desert in California, and is spread through different regions of the state. You can actually identify it from the Joshua Trees that generally line it's boundaries; they are considered a beacon of this desert. The desert also contains a number of ghost towns, the most famous of which is an old silver mining town in Calico, California.

    California, in fact, has about 25,000 square miles of desert within its borders, which are broken down into two main parts: the Mojave or High Desert and the Colorado or Low Desert. The deserts house two national parks - Death Valley is the better known, but Joshua Tree has its own charm. Each has its fair share of fun activities and stunning views. California's deserts share weather with over 2,000 plant species, often bringing in visitors who just want to see the unique vegetation of the area.

    There are many desert attractions that will have you coming back year after year.; Pioneertown is one that's sure to become a favorite. It's a jump into the fierce, wild, Old West, and was originally a movie set dating back to  in 1946 where the Cisco Kid , Gene Autry, and Annie Oakley were shot. Kids of all ages are guaranteed to get a thrill from the staged gunfights that happen daily. Gunslingers re-enact gritty scenes before the guns start blazing. The lively festive feeling is always in the air at Pappy and Harriet's Palace too, a place where you can have a hearty helping of Tex-Mex plates and the music is sure to inspire you to swing your partner round and round.

    Death Valley, commercialized in movies, is a very popular destination in California.  This is one of those rare places where you can see the two extremes of hot and cold. Imagine standing in a scorching valley while your eyes move up to rest on the snow-covered mountain peaks - this is an example of the extreme views in Death Valley. The park holds a spectacular, shocking and deep past, which is not surprising since there have been people living here for 10,000 years. All kinds of discoveries are waiting to be seen in this desert wonderland, from a science museum to a grandly furnished castle. Death Valley also has over a billion years of geographical history on display.

    While you're driving on the road near Joshua Tree National Park, the landscape may not hint belie all that makes the land so special. The park has over 813 species of vascular plants, which is probably the main reason it was first proposed for preservation in the 1930's. Staff members go out weekly and compile lists of the flowers that are blooming at any given time in the park, as well as when and where you can find them. Joshua Tree is made up of a massive amount of land - 800,000 acres in total - and you can see a big portion of it too. Within the park you can commission a hot air balloon ride above the wondrous and awe-inspiring stretch.

    If you want you can also stop in Palm Springs and have a nice soak in some of the numerous natural hot springs. The wonders of the California Deserts vary in nature and where you find your special place within its majestic flora is just a lodging reservation away.