Even though there are many famous places to visit in California, there are even more hidden gems to enjoy in this big State.
On the eve of the American Civil War, the largest gold rush in Southern California was taking place in Holcomb Valley of the San Bernardino Mountains. Holcomb Valley is a mountain-top valley just north of Bear Valley where the popular resort of Big Bear Lake is located today. A trip into Holcomb Valley offers a […]
Located north of Ballarat in the Panamint Mountains, Jail Canyon is a colorful, scenic drive with a well-preserved mining camp and mill to explore at the end. Jail Canyon itself is multicolored and very pretty but the scenery getting up to the canyon is quite spectacular, too. With panoramic views of the multi-layered, west-facing Panamint […]
There’s a sleepy little town named Lone Pine that offers such a myriad of recreational opportunities for the everyday person to enjoy, it’s amazing that it remains a quaint little town. Even more amazing is that it’s only a 2 to 4 hour drive away from a population of 22 million people – the draw […]
A road trip through the Mojave Desert doesn’t have to be all about looking at the scenery. It can also include visiting places where aviation history was made and is still being made today. We’ll take you on this easy road trip that stretches between Victorville and Palmdale and show you where aviation evolved and […]
We’ve all heard the expression “April showers bring May flowers” but that concept doesn’t usually hold true here in our desert. By May, it’s too hot for wildflowers! One of the many great reasons for exploring our Mojave Desert is to enjoy the dazzling springtime display of wildflowers. Many people have heard of these wildflower […]
In the center of the High Desert’s Victor Valley is one of the largest riparian zones in the Mojave Desert. Known as the Mojave Narrows, it is often overlooked as a place to escape our busy, day-to-day lives and enjoy some of the nearby nature that our region has to offer.By definition, a riparian zone […]
The Mojave National Preserve is one of the newest units of the National Park Service and within its boundaries represents much of the fine qualities of the Mojave Desert. This article, along with our Virtual Tour below, will give you a brief overview of some of the sites to see in the Preserve and where […]
If you are visiting the California Gold Country along Hwy 49 near Angels Camp and would like to enjoy a great hiking experience, then try out this hike down to a very unique geological formation. This unique formation is called Natural Bridge. Inside Calaveras County, this site is within a 20 mile radius of the […]
Oso Flaco Lake is an enchanting nature area located just south of Pismo Beach along the Central Coast of California. The Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area is part of the popular Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area and the lake itself is surrounded by one of the largest coastal dune ecosystems on the west coast […]
A hike up Owl Canyon will take most people by surprise. After crossing the wide open spaces of the Mojave Desert near Barstow, one would not expect a canyon full of odd geologic formations and wild colors. Owl Canyon is located inside what is known as the Rainbow Basin Natural Area. This “Natural Area” is […]
2N33 aka Pilot Rock Road, Riding High Over Silverwood Lake: Where the Mojave Desert meets the San Bernardino Mountains, there are a number of unknown back roads where you can enjoy the transition from the desert vegetation to the mountain shrubbery. One such road is seldom used and offers great scenery while transitioning from desert […]
With the creation of the new Sand to Snow National Monument on Feb 12, 2016, we decided to check out one of its access points near Yucca Valley, California. We choose to hike up Pipes Canyon near the tourist attraction of Pioneertown. This allowed us to enjoy an almost full day of hiking and the […]
Just north of busy San Francisco is a quiet, peaceful seaside region known as the Point Reyes National Seashore. With its many bays, inlets and estuaries, the Point Reyes area offers plenty of scenic places to explore. There are also dozens of sleepy little towns tucked into the rolling, forested hills here. Point Reyes is […]
Located just east of the Anza-Borrego State Park boundary is a unique geologic phenomenon known as the Pumpkin Patch. Here, you’ll find a patch of land, roughly the size of an average city block, covered with spherically-shaped rocks that are all the size of an average pumpkin. The surrounding desert terrain is very consistent, with […]
Situated along one of Southern California’s most well-known highways is one of its least-known botanical gardens – Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden in Claremont. Many people who travel on Route 66 don’t even notice the little sign that marks the entrance to this botanical garden that specializes in plants from its home state of California. […]
Now we’re going to go on a different kind of “road” trip. This trip is going to be on a railroad. Everyone that has been keeping up with our travels on our blog is familiar with the road trips and hikes we usually take you on. This time, we’re going on a nostalgic journey along […]
In its day, Route 66 was a lonely road. There are not too many places close to Los Angeles where you can still experience that same lonely road. However, we know of one place that you can easily get to and feel like you’re the only person on Route 66. This virtual tour covers the […]
The Mother Road. America’s Main Street. It would be a fair guess that everyone in the World has heard of Route 66. People make the trip down Route 66 to see the nostalgic sites and perhaps experience a once forgotten slower-paced lifestyle. Many segments of the original Route 66 were literally erased when the more […]
Before Route 66 reaches the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, it has one last obstacle to negotiate – the Cajon Pass. Other than a small mountain pass east of Albuquerque and the high summits near Flagstaff, the Cajon Pass is the most significant mountain pass along the entire length of Route 66.Our virtual video tour will show the alignment that Route 66 followed […]