A vacuum of vast desert sprinkled with unique geological features and formations, the appropriately named Death Valley National Park is both enormous and ✨somewhat✨ interesting. While not the most eye-catching or “oohhh, ahhh” inducing National Park, it’s still worth a visit. Not only is Death Valley NP the hottest place ever recorded on Earth, it’s …
Hands down my favorite part of Death Valley National Park, the Badwater Basin Salt Flat is a must-see for anyone visiting the park. Officially the lowest point in North America, at 282 feet (86 m) below sea level, it was once considered to be the lowest elevation in the entire Western Hemisphere. It is now …
Continue reading Badwater Basin Salt Flat: The Lowest Place in North America.
Found within the North Etiwanda Preserve in Southern California, near the cities of Fontana, Upland, and Rancho Cucamonga, the preserve is a fantastic place for a day hike. Located at the very tip-top of Etiwanda Avenue, in Rancho Cucamonga, it’s not hard to find (just get on Etiwanda Avenue and follow it up until it …
Given that California is the most populated state in the nation (and has been for quite some time), it’s rather surprising that only ONE president out of 46 was born and raised in California… and it wasn’t even Ronald Reagan. Nope, that honor goes to Richard Nixon. However, Reagan did hail from California when he …
Continue reading The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (Simi Valley, CA).
If you’ve ever driven to Palm Springs, whether coming from the west - or from Blythe and Arizona to the east - you cannot miss the magnificent, looming mountains that contain the peak of Mount San Jacinto. It’s the first range of mountains you see when driving in from the barren Sonoran Desert, coming from …
Continue reading Mount San Jacinto State Park: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
On Victoria Beach, in the famous city of Laguna Beach, and right off the equally famous PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), stands a lone "pirate tower". Pushed up against the cliff and directly below homes costing an average of $4 million, it’s an interesting sight to behold. It’s obviously not a real pirate’s tower, but one …
Mr. Rex. The overlords of the Dinos routinely paint them to match the season. For example, right now Mr. Rex is painted to look like the Easter bunny. Here he is all painted up for Valentine’s Day. On the edge of the Colorado Desert, mere feet away from I-40, sit two mammoth plastic dinosaurs named …
Continue reading Dinny & Mr. Rex: The World’s Biggest Dinos (Allegedly).
Nestled in a back corner of the Mojave Desert in Southern California, sits the eccentric and creative Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch. Only mere feet from the iconic Route 66, it’s an interesting place. The closest “town” is Oro Grande approximately 10 minutes away, which is technically an “unincorporated territory” within San Bernardino County. The closest …
Continue reading Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch: A California Desert Adventure.
In the Sierra Pelona Mountains in northern Los Angeles County, near the small town of Agua Dulce, California, sits a collection of rocks that are really cool, and really famous. Formally known as Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park, many call it simply the Vasquez Rocks, so I will refer to it as such. This 932-acre …
Located within the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, Joshua Tree National Park is a must visit, at least once. While located practically inside the city of Joshua Tree, the park is not named after the city, but rather for the actual Joshua Trees that grow here. It sits about one hour from Palm Springs, 1.5 hours …