Palm Springs Desert Museum - Palm Springs, California

California Deserts – More Than Just Dry Hot Sun

When we think of deserts we think of a dry, hot sun, but the California Desert area offers much more to visitors. Just to name a few, there are the Palm Springs Desert Museum, National and State Parks, the famous Route 66, and Calico Ghost Town which provide enough activities to keep everyone happy.

The Palm Springs Desert Museum has art exhibits on display and many performing arts shows, as well as special events and programs. There is also a museum store and cafe for you to enjoy. The museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and on Thursdays from noon to 8:00 P.M - closed on Mondays and holidays. The box office, however, is open seven days a week. Museum members enter free, with non-members paying $12.50 for adults, $10.50 for seniors, and $5.00 for students 6 through 17 or military personnel. Admission is free on Thursdays from 4:00 to 8:00 PM.

Another popular attraction you may want to see is the famous Route 66 that has been memorialized in song. Also known as Mother Road, it was one of the first major highways to stretch from one coast to the other. Along with traveling the route yourself, you can also visit the Route 66 Mother Road Museum located inside the Historic Harvey House. Admission is free, but they will gladly accept donations. The museum is open Friday through Sunday 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM for you to “get your kicks.”

Next you might want to take in a little history by learning about one of the silver mining towns in the Old West by visiting Calico Ghost Town. There is still a third of the town that is truly a ghost town, left behind by those that moved on after finding their treasures, but the remaining part of the town has been reconstructed to show you an example of life in that era.

You can walk the streets of Calico Ghost Town, discovering the Old West, and visit with the townspeople, meet Dorsey the Mail Dog, and visit the town’s old cemetery. Camping is available here for $18 for a non-hookup site, $22 for full hookup, or $21 for partial hookup. Camping cabins are available for $28. Bunkhouses are available for up to twelve people for $60, with each additional guest being $5. Tours and group discounts are available upon request.

If you’re into camping, there are camp grounds available at Joshua Tree National Park and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. At these two parks you’ll also find hiking, rock climbing, ranch tours, and more. Anza-Borrego has even joined the high tech age becoming Wi-Fi enabled, with accessibility within 150 feet of the ranger’s office. Camping at Joshua Tree will cost you between $5 and $10 a night for individual sites, and between $20 and $35 for group sites. Anza-Borrego camping charges between $9 and $11 for individual sites and charges for group sites are between $23 and $53.

No tag for this post.