Barstow / Joshua Tree Area: Bustling Barstow, originally a railroad junction and transportation centre, is a good base for exploring the myriad of sights in this High Desert area. From Barstow, visitors can make a tour of nearby Calico Ghost Town, a restored 1800s mining town with campsite, shops, mine tours, train rides, gold panning and a melodrama playhouse. The East Mojave National Scenic Area offers a remote slice of the Old West, featuring spectacular natural landscapes and history. Another eerily remote area is the Joshua Tree National Monument – 220 sq km (850 sq miles) of protected land with many opportunities for hiking and rock climbing. To the south, Providence Mountains State Recreation Area offers dramatic eastern Mojave scenery, hiking trails and the limestone Mitchell Caverns, primitive camping and a visitor centre. Rainbow Basin/Owl Canyon is a colorful natural landmark containing the fossilized remains of numerous animals.

Colorado River / Imperial Valley: River recreations are abundant in Needles and Blythe, resort towns situated along the cool Colorado River, which separates Nevada from California in the southeastern portion of the Deserts Region. Here, water devotees can boat, fish and tube down the lazy river from Lake Havasu, created by Parker Dam. The Colorado River has today transformed the desert lands of Imperial Valley into a fertile farming and recreation area. El Centro, an agricultural market centre, is a good base for exploring the valley’s wealth of attractions. East of El Centro is the Imperial Sand Dunes, popular with off-road vehicle recreationists. To the west are the Coyote, Fish Creek and Superstition mountains, which attract rock hounds and fossil collectors. North of El Centro, anglers and boating enthusiasts are lured to buoyant Salton Sea, a vast inland lake. Boating, saltwater fishing and hunting are popular recreational activities here. It also has 150 developed campsites, 800 primitive sites, 15 sites with hook-ups, a swimming beach, nature trails and an 18,000-acre boating park in the 36,527-acre Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge and Imperial Wildlife Area.

Palm Springs / Coachella Valley: With 330 days of sunshine, the Coachella Valley is a year-round paradise for outdoor lovers of all ages. This 19th-century desert resort area now features no less than 10,000 swimming pools, 600 tennis courts and 85 golf courses. Visitors can watch polo matches, shop until they drop, tour museums and art galleries, attend the theatre or dance the night away. More adventurous travelers can go horseback riding or hiking through the historic Indian Canyons, be whisked from sea level to the top of 3300m (10,800ft) Mount Jacinto via an exciting aerial tramway or hover above the Coachella Valley in a hot-air balloon.

Other attractions include the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve which sustains five plant communities and about 250 bird species and Moorten’s Botanical Garden in Palm Springs which shelters more than 3000 species of desert plant.

Travel: There are excellent direct and non-stop flights and convenient connections for the major airlines serving the Palm Springs Regional Airport, including: Alaska Airlines, American West Express, American Airlines, American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, Sky West Airlines/The Delta Connection, Trans World Express, United Airlines, United Express, USAir Express, Northwest AirLink and Alaska Commuter. Ontario International Airport is a one-hour drive by freeway and Los Angeles International Airport is a two-hour drive. John Wayne Airport in Orange County and San Diego International Airport are, respectively, two hours and half-an-hour away by car. Amtrak provides daily services to the nearby community of Indio. There is a frequent and convenient service with Greyhound to the Palm Springs Bus Depot, 311 N. Indian Canyon Drive.