Escape the coast in the California Desert

Comprising the western tip of the extensive Mojave Desert, Antelope Valley is a natural paradise. It’s best known for its massive, colorful, and sweet-scented poppy fields, but this valley is home to a wide variety of wild plants and animals.

Antelope Valley is replete with hundreds of acres of state parks, carefully maintained to protect and preserve California’s wildlife. Take your time on the road and make sure to enjoy the fantastic landscapes of the poppy valley.

Mojave National Preserve is one of the largest national preserves within the continental U.S. It’s packed with natural attractions and unique experiences a camper can expect from a desert road trip. 

From canyons to cinder cones to the astounding sound of the Kelso Dunes “singing”, this 1.6 million acres national preserve is sure to be a high point in your road trip.

On your way from the Antelope Valley, about half an hour before reaching the National Preserve, take a small detour to visit the Afton Canyon, on Afton Road, known locally as the Grand Canyon of the Mojave. 

End your stay at the Mojave Natural Preserve with a quick stop at the Amboy Crater, an extinct cinder cone volcano, located right outside the preserve.

Pioneertown is an Old Western permanent movie set. Building sets for movies was a costly and complex process, making it difficult to stay within a film’s budget. The actor Dick Curtis came up with the idea of building a permanent set for Old Westerns to avoid set expenditures. The idea was to establish businesses restaurants, motels, grocery and hardware stores, feed stores for horses, and saddle makers for the crew members during filming and the population of the city, who would play the role of extras.

Although its current inactivity as a movie set, the Old Western spirit and infrastructures remain.

Palm Desert has the best of both worlds, able to provide a full movie-like shopping experience in the El Paseo Shopping District, a tree-lined boulevard boasting public art pieces, upscale stores, and restaurants, Palm Desert is also the perfect place for hiding away in natural landscapes for a day.

The Indian Canyons and the San Jacinto Mountains are just two of the several attractions that make Palm Desert so inviting.

Borrego Springs is a Californian natural wonder. Located 78 miles from San Diego, this desert area is packed with places of interest that can’t be left out.

About halfway into the drive between Palm Desert and Borrego Springs, you can see the Salton Sea, a saltwater lake that used to be flocked with celebrities, such as Jerry Lewis and Frank Sinatra. Unfortunately, nowadays, it’s one of the most polluted and toxic lakes in the state.

Spending the night in Borrego Springs is an out-of-this-world experience. Thanks to the minimal light pollution, the sky above you is covered in flickering stars that seem to fall off the sky.