Located about 15 miles north of Blythe just off US Highway 95, the Blythe Intaglios or Blythe Geoglyphs are large figures found on the ground that were created by scraping away layers of darker rocks to reveal lighter-colored soil. Carbon dating of the figures estimate they were created between 900 BC and 1200 AD. They are best viewed from the air but can be seen from the ground as this pic shows. The largest human figure is 171 feet long.
Links: photo gallery of images
These enormous dinosaurs are located at the Cabazon exit off I10 a little west of Palm Springs. The Brontosaurus is named “Dinny the Dinosaur” while the Tyrannosaurus is “Mr. Rex”. They were created by Knott’s Berry Farm sculptor and portrait artist Claude K. Bell to promote his Wheel Inn Restaurant. The dinosaurs can be seen in several movies including Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and Pixar’s Inside Out.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the world’s largest rotating tram car, takes passengers two and a half miles up Chino Canyon to the wilderness area of Mt. San Jacinto State Park. You board the tram at 2,643 feet and disembark ten minutes later at 8,516 feet. At the top are two restaurants, observation decks, museum, a theater, gift shop and 50+ miles of hiking trails.
Links: PST Mt. San Jacinto SP
The Pines to Palms Scenic Byway is the portion of Hwy 74 from Mountain Center to Palm Desert. This pic was taken just south of the turnoff for Lake Hemet.
This pic shows Lake Morena, which is south of I8 about 45 miles east of San Diego, at 4% of capacity due to the continuing drought in California. This pic was taken in 2014 and the lake is now (May 2016) only 2.8% full!
Font’s Point was named for Father Pedro Font, official chaplain and diarist on Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza’s expeditions of 1775-76, who described the scene as “the sweepings of the earth”. This viewpoint of the Borrego Badlands is located east of Borrego Springs, about 4 miles south of the S22.
Links: DesertUSA
This pic shows hundreds of snow geese taking flight at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, which is located at the southern end of the Salton Sea in the Imperial Valley. The refuge sits at 227 feet below sea level in the Colorado Desert, and is on the Pacific Flyway. The Salton Sea is the only area in the U.S. to see the Yellow-footed Gull.
Links: SBSSNWR
Not a bad view to wake up to!
Titus Canyon is the most popular back-country road in Death Valley National Park. The road into Titus Canyon begins its 27 mile journey not far from the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada and passes by the ghost town of Leadfield. The road is one-way, east to west, except for the last 3 miles on the west end.
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