DESERT HOT SPRINGS
HOT MINERAL SPRINGS The city of Desert Hot Springs is known for it’s amazing Mineral Waters and there are many spa hotels to choose from. We recommend Miracle Springs Resort and Spa and Desert Hot Springs Spa Hotel.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway constructed in the rugged Chino Canyon on the north edge of Palm Springs did not just happen. It required foresight, planning, financing and most of all vision. As a young electrical engineer, Francis Crocker’s dream began in 1935 while he was on a trip to Banning, California, with newspaper publisher Carl Barkow. Mopping his brow in the heat of the day, Crocker gazed on longingly at the still snow-capped peak of Mount San Jacinto, 10,834 feet high and longed to “go up there where it’s nice and cool” At that moment, “Crocker’s Folly,” as it was soon dubbed by one newspaper woman, was born – a tramway up the sheer cliffs of Chino Canyon. Construction of the Tramway was an engineering challenge and was soon labeled the “eighth wonder of the world.” The superlative was earned because of the ingenious use of helicopters in erecting four of the five supporting towers. Twenty-years later, the Tramway was designated an historical civil engin eering landmark. In 1998 the Tramway announced that it was embarking on an ambitious modernization program that would see the construction and installation in 2000 of new cars and updating of its facilities. Beginning in September 2000, passengers rode the world’s largest rotating tramcars constructed. Since 1963 nearly 18 million people have traveled the 10-minute, 2.5-mile ride, which begins at the Valley Station – elevation 2,643 feet and ends at the Mountain Station – elevation 8,516 feet. Visit their website
Cabot’s Pueblo Museum is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places! Cabot Yerxa started building his Museum and home in about 1941 at the age of 57, although collecting the materials he needed to build the Pueblo started years before. The Hopi-inspired structure is hand-made, created from reclaimed and found materials Cabot was inspired as a young boy when he first saw a replica of a Southwest Indian pueblo at the Chicago World’s Fair. Much of the material used to build the Pueblo was from abandoned cabins that had housed the men who built the California aqueduct in the 1930’s. Cabot purchased these cabins and deconstructed them to build his Pueblo. The Pueblo is four-stories, 5,000 square feet and includes 35 rooms, 150 windows and 65 doors. Much of the Pueblo is made from adobe-style and sun-dried brick Cabot made himself in the courtyard. Cabot modified his formula and used a cup of cement rather than straw to make his bricks. Take a tour of the interior of this Pueblo and marvel at its construction. Visit their website
HI-DESERT (Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, 29 Palms
The Big Morongo Canyon Preserve
Nestled among the Little San Bernardino Mountains, the desert oasis at Big Morongo Canyon is one of the 10 largest cottonwood and willow riparian (stream) habitats in California. The upstream end of the canyon lies in the Mojave Desert, while its downstream portion opens into the Colorado Desert.
The Morongo fault running through the canyon causes water draining from the surrounding mountains to form Big Morongo Creek and the marsh habitat.
At 31,000 acres with elevations ranging from 600 feet on the canyon floor to 3000 feet at the top of the ridge, this diverse landscape has been an important part of the Morongo Basin’s natural and cultural history for almost two billion years.
In 1980 the Bureau of Land Management designated BMCP as an Area of Critical Environment Concern in recognition of its special values.
The Preserve is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, including 147 acres that are managed under a cooperative agreement with San Bernardino County, to protect rare and endangered wildlife, enhance sensitive riparian zones, promote the growth and restoration of a wide variety of plants, and offer educational opportunities. There are numerous trails to walk and hike, including a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk through the marsh and riparian habitats. Visit the website
Joshua Tree National Park Camping
Desert X is a site-specific art installation. Artists from all over the world were invited to come to the Coachella Valley and create artwork in response to the valley’s unique conditions. The idea was for the desert of Southern California to be a canvas on which contemporary artists, just like many musicians, architects, and writers before them, could project their visions and create experiences and objects from the extraordinary social and natural history around them that’s reflective of the unparalleled surroundings of the barren landscape.
Palm Springs, CA 92262
The Indian Canyons in the Coachella Valley are made up of three different canyons: the Palm Canyon, the Andreas Canyon, and the Murray Canyon. Each one has its own unique features that make them worth a visit for outdoor enthusiasts. Palm Canyon is fifteen miles in length and boasts a great deal of natural beauty. Visitors can stop by the Trading Post for refreshments, map, Indian artifacts, and more. The Andreas Canyon is more of a lush oasis that is home to over 150 plant species. The Murray Canyon offers a chance to see Peninsular Big Horn Sheep and other endangered species.
38500 S. Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92264, Phone: 760-323-6018
There is plenty for visitors to see at the Palm Springs Air Museum and there always seems to be something new where aviation history comes to life. The museum provides guests with an opportunity to get close to several different vintage aircraft from the Vietnam, Korea, and World War II eras. The Palm Springs Air Museum has been named by CNN Travel as one of the world’s top fourteen aviation museums, and features over fifty static and flyable planes on display within four hangars and the tarmac. Each hangar has a theme and includes related exhibits along the walls.
745 North Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, California 92262, Phone: 760-778-6262
The Living Desert Zoo & Botanical Garden
ROCK CLIMBING, GUIDES, HIKING, GEAR
Joshua tree’s uprising adventure guides
Joshua Tree rock climbing school
THEATRE
ART & MUSIC
Shari Elf’s World Famous Crochet Museum
YOGA
VINTAGE, ANTIQUE, & CONSIGNMENT STORES
