Issue link: http://globelitetravelmarketing.uberflip.com/i/149736
DESERTS Expansive beauty, where pioneers feared to tread DEATH VALLEY has a profound, desolate beauty. TOP CITIES Palm Springs, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Barstow, Indian Wells, Needles, Salton Sea, Mojave SIPA PHOTO; OPPOSITE: TEMESCULA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), 10 minutes from downtown Palm Springs, 44 miles (71 km) from Anza-Borrego State Park TOURISM WEBSITES ci.palm-springs.ca.us palm-desert.org la-quinta.org barstowca.org indio.org Anza-Borrego SP: parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638 Death Valley NP: nps.gov/deva Joshua Tree NP: nps.gov/jotr AREA 25,000 square miles DESERTS by jan rodricks of Gold Rush hopefuls to face off with the desert arrived on Christmas Day, 1849. Eager to avoid the fate of the Donner Party— a luckless band of settlers who'd gotten marooned in the Sierra Nevada snows, and were forced into cannibalism—these 49ers had traveled southwest, along the Old Spanish Trail. Having inched across Nevada's Great Basin, they abruptly encountered a wasteland that practically named itself: Death Valley. The cherished myth about these pioneers portrays them crawling along the desert sands, dying of thirst. In fact, Death Valley had the best weather the "Death Valley 49ers" encountered on their journey; it was the Panamint mountains that gave them grief. Though forced to eat their oxen, drink melted snow and burn their wagons for fuel, the intrepid teams ultimately made it through. Only one person, an elderly man, actually died. An impressive blend of strength and pragmatism still defines the denizens of the California desert, human and otherwise. But while it's an area of extreme hardship, it's also a place of great rewards. From the crystal clarity of the night sky to the miracle of the spring bloom, the desert offers sights of grandeur that linger in the mind for a lifetime, like unforgettable dreams. Not every corner of the region is dry or inhospitable. More than 400 species of birds wet their wings in the waters of the Salton Sea, some coming from as far away as the Arctic Circle. The oasis city of Palm Springs has long been a haunt for Hollywood stars, and architectural tours offer a look at some of their amazing homes (and pools). Palm Desert, also in the Coachella Valley, is another popular resort for snowbirds and golfers. Motorists in search of an epic road trip can explore vast tracts of the desert along Historic Route 66—the legendary "Main Street of America"— which once connected Chicago with Los Angeles. There are also spectacular THE FIRST BAND 2 0 1 3 t r av e l gu i d e to c a l i fo rnia 1 81