SETTING

La Casa del Zorro
photo courtesy of La Casa del Zorro

La Casa del Zorro has a marvelous setting right in the middle of the over 600,000 acre desert. Views of the towering Santa Rosa Mountains beckon guests to explore the park. A gentle nature trail near the park’s visitor’s center is perfect for small children, who will also enjoy a look at the flora and fauna of the region at the center. Older children will find a variety of hikes suited to the entire family, through canyons and mesas, to petroglyphs view points. Spring is the time of wild flowers; autumn will lure visitors to take a forty minute drive to the community of Julian, renowned for apple orchards and apple pie. The hotel will happily pack up a picnic lunch to go for families who explore the area. Flowering ocotillo cacti, mud caves, steep cliffs, and vistas of the vast, wide desert floor are in many cases viewable from the roadside or from the car. It’s a treat just to take a drive through the park. Bird watching opportunities also abound, older kids will enjoy counting some of the species in the region. Or drive south to the Salton Sea, not much for swimming, but a view of the vast, inland body of water is intriguing for kids. Also a drive-able distance away is Salvation Mountain, the late Leonard Knight’s tribute to spirituality, hand painted and designed with intricate colors and found art.

ACCOMMODATIONS

With nineteen multi-bedroom casitas, each with either a small pool or hot tub of their own, large families can feel right at home. Smaller groups can enjoy the forty-four large, modern, hacienda-style rooms with sitting areas, fireplace, porch or balcony, and walk in showers, grouped around swimming pools, lounging areas, and jacuzzis.

DINING

Dining options include the formal, yet family-friendly Butterfield dining room, the open-air Rose Garden Terrace, which makes a terrific lunch or breakfast spot, and the Cantina, which serves casual meals. From breakfast waffles or oatmeal to delicious grape gazpacho for dinner, the service and menu may be traditional and elegant, but the vibe is homey and comfortable, inviting kids and parents alike to relax. Live music is on tap Friday and Saturday nights, the cozy Fox Den Bar and Cantina charms with an antique mural over the bar that shows the Copley family, the first owners of the resort, depicted as foxes.

ONSITE ACTIVITIES & POOLS

La Casa del Zorro
photo courtesy of La Casa del Zorro

This is family nirvana, forty-three acres of aqua water, gorgeous sculptures created by local artist Ricardo Breceda, a rose garden, shuffle board, a giant chess set, and plenty of swimming pools. The main pool is incredibly child-friendly, offering beach balls, swim “noodles,” a shallow depth, and underwater lighting when it gets dark. There are lemon trees to dart between, a vast swimming pool – 80,000 gallons of water – and exercise room, and more intimate pools within each cluster of rooms, or attached to each private casita. Stroll the grounds to find signs whimsically pointing up to “stars,” a fire pit, natural landscaping.

For parents who want to check out the spa, sip a classic libation at the bar, or just doze in a private cabana undisturbed, the hotel has an option our kids adored: the Kids’ Camp. Designed for children ages five to eleven, snacks and lunch are provided in both a half and full-day experience that includes arts and crafts, swimming, treasure hunts, story-telling, and exploring the grounds. Discounts for siblings, too.

The other must do: looking up at the night sky. La Casa del Zorro is part of a dark-sky community; devoid of city lights, star gazing is stellar year ‘round.Just off Highway 79 north of Julian, you’ll find more of the fine work of metal sculptor Ricardo Breceda whose sculptures dot the La Casa Del Zorro property. His sculpture yard inside the Vail Lake Resort, offers a look at dinosaurs, rearing horses, dragons, and snakes. Kids adore these giant, brilliant pieces, some of which Breceda created for his own children. The personable artist is often on-site and available to speak to visitors. This is a do-not-miss stop going to or from the resort or as an adventure away from it.

Indolence warning: the luxurious yet friendly accommodations, delicious dining, and yes, those swimming pools and hot tubs – make it very hard to leave the property.

For more information visit www.lacasadelzorro.com.

That would be Elmer Long’s amazing art installation – Bottle Tree Ranch. He created this folk art masterpiece from hundreds of empty bottles found in the desert that he inherited from his late father. Not wanting to discard the collection, he began to utilize it, by turning it into the leaves on “trees” created from recycled scrap metal poles, railroad ties and more.

Kids will be enchanted and adults will love the artistry of Bottle Tree Ranch just off Rte. 66 in the Mojave

Usually on site, Elmer is friendly to a fault, and took us on a tour of his forest of folk art, pointing out his most recent pieces and explaining the elements that went into its creation. Along with the bottle trees, you’ll find quirky trinkets and toys and signs throughout; 1950′s era upbeat rock and roll plays on speakers, and Elmer offers water to visitors parched in the desert heat. At two acres plus, Elmer’s ranch includes his workshop, where he’s happy to smooth out pieces of colored glass and give them to kids who request them.

We easily spent over an hour strolling among the bottle trees, sunlight making rainbows through this magical world. Along with the bottles, kids will love playing a game of “I Spy” for a merry-go-round horse, old rifles, even a traffic signal. From sun bleached bones to a model train that was once Elmer’s as a child, Elmer finds castaway objects and creates a home for them. His elaborate creation is reminiscent of the elaborate sculptures of Watts Towers in LA or the whimsical architecture of Nit Wit Ridge in Cambria – hit all three to thoroughly show your child folk art at its finest.

Unlike the itinerant creators of these other artistic finds, Elmer was an aviation engineer and his attention to detail and planning gleaned from his long career shows. He shared his love of the desert with his dad who started his collection by cleaning man made trash from the desert he cherished. Although thousands of visitors a year show up, when we were there about ten others shared the charming space, allowing us plenty of leisure to chat with this awesome artist and let the kids wander the roadside attraction.

Planes in Mojave

On the way back from Bottle Tree, we swung a half hour out of our way to the town of Mojave and the Mojave Airport, to take a van tour of the facility where space rockets are now being built and derelict aircraft are used for film and television shoots before being sold, piece by piece, or destined for the scrap heap. We’ve long seen the planes from the road on our way to Death Valley or Bakersfield, the plane parking lot is sometimes crowded with aircraft, other times less busy.

Tour the planes and watch small craft land at Mojave airport

This trip it was at about medium capacity, and the short tour is well worth the time. It’s sad but wonderful to see some of these planes, with logos and colors long forgotten or faded in the desert sun. Security reasons forbid the taking of photos on this forty minute tour, but the vision of these aircraft stoically awaiting their fate will stay with you nonetheless. The current Mojave Air and Space Port site says tours are only available on “Plane Crazy Saturdays” at present, so be sure and check before you go. When we went this summer, tours were daily except Sunday at 3 pm and the price was a reasonable $8 per person, with small children free.

By now you must be hungry, and the place for a generous breakfast or lunch is right there at the airport, where you can sit in a booth and watch small planes soar in and out of the airport. The Voyager restaurant has great views and a menu that’s flight-inspired. We enjoyed an order of “The Hangar Queen”omelet and “Joudis Crash Landing,” a poached egg take on Huevos Rancheros.

Vasquez Rocks

Cruising on down Highway 14 back into the LA basin, be sure to add in a stop at nature’s own Star Trek set, Vasquez Rocks, just outside of Santa Clarita. These red rocks are easy to access and climb, even for small children – parents, hold their hands – with simple sandy trails to stretch everyone’s legs before hitting the traffic jam back into LA proper. These stunning, other-wordly rock formations were created from San Andreas Fault action, and are named for Tiburcio Vásquez, a California bandits, who hid out among them to avoid capture for his crimes.

Vasquez Rocks are highway close and easy to climb.

We love strolling up the ribbed rock face of an angular horizontal rock offering a gaze across the desert at cacti and Joshua Trees and the highway beyond. Kids feel like they’re climbing a great distance, when actually it’s an easy, long rock ramp up from the sandy parking lot. Nature trails are flat, simple loops which will take you close to those cacti and other desert growth.

Bottle Trees, derelict planes, and a bandit’s outer-space-worthy rock hideout – a pretty cool day trip for everyone in the family.

Desert Springs Marriott Villas 2 along the Valley Golf Course

Palm Desert, California is a very popular destination for snowbirds looking to escape the cold weather during the winter months. With hundreds of golf courses within minutes driving time, a wide range of accommodations from budget motels to five star resorts, plentiful recreational attractions, abundant shopping and dining, and stunning natural beauty, this desert oasis is a great place to visit anytime of the year.

This is the amazing view from our Villa patio looking out towards a lake on the Valley Golf Course

Our family chose the Marriott Vacation Club’s Desert Springs Marriott Villas 2 in Palm Desert for our summer vacation in July of 2012. Conveniently located only 2 hours from the heart of Los Angeles, or 2 hours and 20 minutes from San Diego, it’s no wonder so many Southern California residents make the Desert Springs Marriott Villas in this small town gem their respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. With Palm Springs International Airport a short 10 to 15 minutes driving distance, and the Ontario International Airport one hour away, there is no shortage of travel options for far-away visitors.

The Palmeras Pool pool area – 3 full size pools, children’s wading pool and splash fountains, and 2 large hot tubs

Between two and three weeks prior to your arrival, we recommend contacting the Pre-Arrivals department of the Desert Springs Marriott Villas with any special requests. We were traveling with three families, each with their own villa, so it was very important for us to be in close proximity to each other. We are a high maintenance group, so our requests did not stop there! In addition, we asked to be on the ground floor level, facing the golf course, and walking distance to the Palmeras Pool. Although they offer no guarantee, their friendly staff will do everything possible to accommodate their guests.

Villa Options and Descriptions

Entertaining the family in our villa living room

There are three accommodation options available at the Marriott Villas. The smallest and most economical option is the standard guest room also referred to as a studio villa. These rooms come with either a king size bed, or two double size beds depending on your requirements. A small kitchenette is available with a mini refrigerator, microwave, toaster and coffee maker, as well as a limited number of dishes and silverware. It comes with a full bathroom including shower and separate tub. Each studio villa has an attached private patio with patio furniture. We highly recommend securing one of these villas facing the golf course which will expand your patio into a sprawling scenic landscape of green fairways, palm trees and lakes.

The next step up in accommodations is the one bedroom one bathroom villa. This spacious villa comes with all the conveniences of home, including a full kitchen, living room, laundry room, and separate bedroom. The kitchen is equipped with a full size refrigerator, microwave oven, range oven with stove, toaster, coffee maker, garbage disposal, cabinets with a full set of dishes, glasses, pots and pans, and drawers with a full set of silverware and other basic necessities like spatulas, bottle openers, and a set of sharp knives.

Our kids playing in a small inflatable pool steps from our Villa patio

Book a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom villa like we did, and your family can stretch out and relax in comfort with separate quarters available for your kids during sleep time. Our two kids are both toddlers and still take long naps during the day, so that separate bedroom was a key feature for us. The bedroom walls are very well insulated, and with the blackout drapes, we had no problem entertaining guests in our living room while the kids were sound asleep during the day or night. If you are fortunate enough to have a villa facing the golf course like we did, you can slide open your drapes in the living room and both bedrooms and enjoy marvelous vistas visible through the large windows. My wife and I like our bedroom to be extra cold while we sleep, so the separate air conditioning thermostat in the kids bedroom was a key feature for our maximum comfort.

Our daughter enjoying one of the pools at the Palmeras in her comfortable shaded floaty

The Desert Springs Marriott Villas and the adjacent JW Marriott Desert Springs Hotel have invested millions of dollars in renovations over the past few years. Our three families stayed in villas that were completely remodeled with brand new carpeting, new tile floors, kitchen appliances, flat screen TVs, furniture, cabinets and granite counters throughout. We are a tough family to please, and from the moment we arrived, every one of us was thrilled with the clean, bright and modern upgrades. There was also free and ample covered parking for guests throughout the complex. Guests looking for a cardio or weight lifting work-out have free 24 hour access to the on-site gym located next to the main lobby.  Another bonus that cannot go unmentioned is the free WIFI broadband Internet service accessible from anywhere in your villa or the pool areas.

On-Site Recreation, Shopping and Dining

The one foot deep Palmeras children’s wading pool perfect for toddlers

With 7 enclosed pool areas strategically located throughout the resort grounds, a refreshing swim or soothing hot tub is always walking distance away. The Palmeras pool area is our favorite, with three large pools (one with a volleyball net), a 1 foot deep children’s wading pool, splashing water fountains, two hot tubs, and an outdoor bar and grill called the Water’s Edge just steps away. There are always plenty of lawn chairs available for you and your family to stake your claim. We recommend arriving to the pool before 11am to secure one of the many the umbrellas for shade.

Children running and playing in the water spray fountains at the Palmeras pool

Guests of the Villas can enjoy deep discounts at the two golf courses that meander their way throughout the resort connecting all of the villas and the adjacent JW Marriott Desert Springs Hotel. These two challenging golf courses, the Valley Course and Palms Course, lure golfers of all skill levels with their well maintained verdant greens and fairways, numerous white sand bunkers and picturesque lakes.

Our kids running free on the golf course outside our Villa in 89 degree weather and high humidity. It felt like we were in Hawaii!

Villa guests looking for spa, dining and shopping options within walking or free shuttle distance have full access to the Desert Springs JW Marriott Hotel. Our family favorite is the Mikado Japanese Steakhouse where you can enjoy good steak and seafood dishes prepared table side by skilled and entertaining chefs on their teppan grill. Mikado also has a sushi bar, and fresh sushi is available for order anywhere in the restaurant. Guests of the Villas can also enjoy a discount of up to 20% on dining at the Hotel as well as certain other restaurants in the Palm Desert area. Look for the discount card in your welcome package which also includes a list of the participating restaurants and attractions.

Nearby Shopping, Dining and Attractions

The Market Place shopping center with a Ralph’s supermarket, Rite-Aid, and several restaurants and other small shops are located less than 5 minutes drive from the Desert Springs Marriott Villas. Drive 10 minutes away to The River at Rancho Mirage, a fashionable center with a wide variety of food choices like P.F. Changs, Flemings and Babe’s Bar-B-Que, and plentiful boutique shopping outfits and entertainment including the Century Theaters at The River with over a dozen movie theaters.

Palm Springs Tramway rising 8,500 feet

For families with kids, we recommend a visit to the Children’s Discovery Museum Rancho Mirage less than 10 minutes drive from the resort. The Living Desert Zoo & Botanical Garden Palm Desert is also a great family attraction minutes from the resort with 1,200 acres of natural desert beauty, plants, and animals from all over the world. Another family favorite is the rotating Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, climbing 8,500 feet to the San Jacinto Peak. This scenic and unforgettable ride up the mountain is just the beginning. There are both Winter and Summer activities including hiking, camping, guided nature walks and even cross country skiing! Nourish both your body and soul at the Peaks Restaurant, with a good variety of food choices and breathtaking views of the valley below.

Family Tips

Celebrity Sitters is a wonderful on call babysitting service for in-room childcare in Palm Desert and other nearby cities. They are CPR and First Aid certified, but best of all, they are all very reliable, friendly, loving and experienced child care specialists. For reservations call (760)251-4567.

Families traveling with very young children and staying in a 2 bedroom 2 bath villa should bring along a baby monitor for the spare bedroom so parents can hear/see the kids when they wake.

Although there are high chairs and pack and plays available free at the resort, it’s always a good idea to request these items ahead of time to insure availability. Families with toddlers too big for a pack-and-play can request a villa with a trundle pull-out bed. Not all villas are equipped with one, so make sure to arrange this in advance. The Pre-Arrivals department is very accommodating and can handle this along with all of your other requests.

It’s not uncommon for Summer temperatures in Palm Desert to rise above 110 degrees. Make sure to bring sunscreen, hats and mosquito repellant. Mosquitoes are not usually a problem throughout the day, but they do come out for a short time around dusk and can be a nuisance. A convenience store is also available on-site next to the lobby.

There are no screen doors at the villas, so we recommend always closing the patio door immediately after use to avoid attracting crickets, flies, mosquitoes and other unwanted desert creatures.

The Marriott’s Desert Springs Villas 1 and the Marriott Desert Springs Villas 2 are located at 1092 Pinehurst Lane, Palm Desert, California 92260.  Their phone number for reservations, or to reach the Pre-Arrivals department is: (760)779-1200.

The Road Untraveled – Mojave National Preserve

One place we’d always passed through was the Mojave National Preserve. You drive past it heading to Las Vegas on Highway 15; you stop at its edge for a slice of strawberry short cake at Bun Boy, reputedly home to the world’s largest thermometer in Baker, or go for some hummus or tabbouleh at Mad Greek in the same town. At the other end of the preserve, Highway 40 heads east out of Barstow.

The Preserve is little visited, at least compared to other desert parks and preserves, from Joshua Tree to Death Valley. And yet, it’s the third largest park land in the U.S. And it’s close enough to Los Angeles that you could explore briefly as a day trip, or as a stop on that Vegas drive. But the lure of its vast emptiness drew us to actually explore the preserve itself, and spend the night there, not as a way station, but as a destination in itself.

We were rewarded by grand views of mountains, empty desert dunes, possibly as many Joshua Trees supplicating skyward as those within the national park.

If you enter through Barstow, from the west, you’ll find the visitor center, with maps and information about the vast preserve. It’s a good place to gas up and grab some grocery store snacks or some of the fast food ubiquitously offered from every Barstow highway exit. Road food from another era is available in tiny nearby Ludlow, at the Ludlow Café. The diner offers up a nice slice of pie, and thick grilled cheese sandwiches.

Dunes and Depot

The Kelso Dunes

Less than a half hour away is Kelbaker Road, your entrance to the preserve. Another twenty minutes will take you to the Kelso Dunes. Strikingly tall and beautifully vast, you can climb them, photograph them, roll down them, or listen to the wind create a musical hum from the crests of these dunes, some of which tower up to six hundred feet. Vaster and taller than the dunes in Death Valley, come in the morning or late in the day to avoid the harshest reflection of the sun off the shiny golden sands.

We spent a very long time with the cardboard from a couple of flats of water, sledding down the sides, and then we consumed most of the water we’d displaced, too. The usual caveat applies even more dramatically here – stock up on water and keep it in your car at all times – you won’t find a convenience store this side of Baker.

There’s really only one lunch stop in the park, and it’s near the dunes.  Kelso Depot was once the place for train travelers to dine as they traversed the country. When I was last there years ago, it was boarded up, a spot for photography and wind blown memories my small children found ‘spooky.’ Today, reopened and re-imagined, the depot’s elegant Spanish style houses a lunch counter called the Beanery, open until 5 pm daily, with sandwiches, soups, salads, and ice cream. My son made quick work of a chocolate Coke.

Also in the Depot, there’s an art gallery, currently housing a youth arts project called Crazy Cactus. You could also call the exhibit colorful cactus, and it was an enjoyable visit. Train watchers can still watch freight trains rumble through, but no more passenger trains stop here.

Just off Highway 40 at Essex Road, you’ll find a visitor center with staff ready to direct you to some family-friendly trails, such as a stretch of the Barber Peak Loop – too long for little feet if traversed in full, but definitely worth a mile long stroll.

Spending the Night

Our Desert Hotel in Nipton

Now you could head back to any number of chain motels in Barstow, or the rudimentary digs available in Ludlow. But instead, try Nipton. This is a ghost town being renovated and restored, a work in loving progress. The first structure to receive a face lift is the Hotel Nipton. With four rooms, it’s more of a bed and breakfast than a hotel, but it’s a pleasant one. The sitting room for all guests is comfortable and relaxing, the rooms offer double beds and twin beds, and a bathroom down the hall. Morning brought a basic continental breakfast delivered to our rooms.

The views of the desert, a lovely garden, and the peace and quiet of the charming ghost town, will more than offset the small sized rooms. If you’re bothered by the sounds of the nearby trains, there are ear plugs. We loved watching them go through, and it didn’t bother us beyond a few moments awakening to hear them rumble in the night. My kids found train watching and star gazing wonderful, and we would go back in a heart beat. The only problem we had was the lack of dining options: the store has limited sandwiches and cold drinks. Next time, we’ll come prepared with a cooler full of snacks, and go ahead with an extra ice cream from the Beanery in the afternoon.

So the next time the desert calls, answer with the Mojave Desert Preserve. You may be some of only a few people picking up on the beauty of the place.

Small children will enjoy just looking at the “arms” of the Joshua Tree plants; older ones will enjoy a hike or two. The best times to experience the park are morning and twilight – partly the heat, and partly that desert light again. Why not see the rocks turn pink with sunset, or glow gold in the morning? Whatever time of day you choose to explore the park, be sure to have plenty of water and a vehicle full of gas, as there are no services to provide either within the park itself. Driving from one end of the park to another takes about forty minutes; if you chose to go this route with just a few stops for photos and leg stretching en route, it will probably stretch to seventy minutes.

Entering the Park

Easy trails still allow excellent rock views throughout the park

Most visitors with children will want to get out and explore the park at least a little bit though, on foot. My family usually enters from the west through Joshua Tree, and on to Hidden Valley, with a pleasant and easy nature trail just over a mile in length. It leads around Barker dam, where you’ll see water and boulders and flora and fauna worthy of pictures and examination up close.

Key’s View is an impressive overlook of the valley, albeit sometimes marred with smog drifting in from the Inland Empire. The easy trails around Skull Rock, about midway through the park are great for some gentle boulder scrambling for the older kids, while tots should keep to the simple, dirt loop trail. The rock shapes here are particularly enjoyable, and there are picnic tables for a lunch stop. Quail Valley, much closer to the western entrance of the park, also has a pleasant loop trail, with large egg shaped boulders to pass around.

Town Time

Back in the town of Joshua Tree, we found Pie for the People, a great pizza place with all sorts of pie options, including vegan versions.

Where to stay? While we often find a rental property on VRBO.com, there are many other choices. There’s a pleasant pool, one large family suite, and fairly small but pretty rooms ringing a courtyard at Joshua Tree Inn. While country rocker Gram Parsons spent his last hours here, there’s nothing spooky about the place, and we enjoyed the extended breakfast buffet spread out by the pool in the morning. Cooler looking, brightly painted, and a little more expensive is Spin and Margies Desert Hideaway, which has trendy cabin like accommodations that fit a family of four just fine. The surprisingly elegant – at least it surprised us, being in the middle of the desert – Roughley Manor is a bed and breakfast that could’ve been transported straight from New England at the turn of the century.

A Little Art with Your View?

The rocks in the national park look like sculptures, and the photos you take may look like art, but if you want the real art scene, inspired by the park’s loopy natural formations, in town you can peruse the paintings, photos, and sculptures on display at the Joshua Tree art Gallery. Outsides of town, we stumbled upon the High Desert Test Sites. Here you’ll find kid-appealing outdoor artworks that are actually designed to be altered by mother nature. It’s open weekends only.

Pioneertown

While the western facades are available to stroll all week long, Pioneertown, too, is best experienced on the weekend, when the old fashioned bowling alley is open, and Pappy and Harriet’s restaurant offers live music during the day. If you’re a carnivore, you’ll love their fragrant barbeque. While we stuck to the salads and fries, both were fresh and reasonably priced.

Wildflowers and Spring Water

Available for consumption any day of the week, are the wild flowers that stretch across the park in March, April, and May. The higher elevations toward 29 Palms bloom later than those at the southern end of the park. When we were there, we caught many blooms in the cactus garden, as well as roadside displays closer to town.

We love watching the sunset lower in the sky out in Joshua Tree National Park.

You’ll find plenty of flowers in Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, too, down the steep hill from Joshua Tree National Park. Very easy, child-friendly boardwalks carry you through a pleasantly shady expanse, including graceful willows. There’s excellent bird watching here too. If you’re looking for a little more water, head into the town of Desert Hot Springs, where several hotel properties allow guests to pay a reasonable day fee to enjoy the mineral waters. If you’re planning to stay in the area, be aware that some of the smaller spa enclaves are adults only. Not the old fashioned Desert Hot Springs Spa Hotel, which is a fun place for a day pass. There are eight different spring water pools, some hotter, some colder. Test the waters before allowing the littlest members of your party to enjoy a soak.

At twilight, don’t forget to look up and enjoy the sunset glow of the desert – our favorite time of day in one of our favorite places.

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Joshua Tree National Park, The Integraton and Pioneertown

As a family in the desert, my kids and I have learned a number of important must-have’s: first and foremost, water and a full tank of gas. At all times. Four flats of water isn’t excessive for a two day trip. And those outrageous prices at the pump will seem a lot more reasonable if you imagine the alternative, being miles from the nearest station. You must also have healthy but easy to preserve snacks – crackers, nuts, juice boxes, individual sealed apple sauce. And you need sweatshirts – at night, no matter what the season, temperatures can drop. Lastly, you need sun screen, and plenty of it, regardless of the season.

What you don’t necessarily need: an SUV, unless you’re going off-road, or hiking boots for children old enough to walk under their own power.

The Ultimate Desert Experience

A great place for a morning walk - Badwater salt flats

Living in Southern California, there are two main desert destinations that have drawn me back, year after year: Joshua Tree National Park, and Death Valley National Park. Death Valley is possibly the ultimate desert experience: located about three hundred miles from LA, this is a vast, startlingly beautiful place, ringed by mountains, boasting dunes and sand flats, mysterious and unpalatable waters, ruins and relics, oases and mineral streaked boulders. Come for the ghost towns near by, the wild flowers in the spring, the ranger led tour of Scotty’s Castle, or a climb on the dunes. And at night, if there’s a pool at your motel and it’s warm, use it. If there’s no pool or it’s too cold, take out a deck of cards, play a game of charades, and no matter what else you do, look up at the stars.

Yes, the drive to the park is long, but there are fascinating stops throughout the park no more than twenty minutes apart.   No one will be bored. There are kit foxes to watch for, ground squirrels to spy, hawks soaring overhead.

Ghost Towns

There are two main ghost town stops around Death Valley. To the south, outside of Trona, CA you’ll find Ballarat. A sparse general store and one or two humans populate the place; the ruins of a small town are easy to stroll through once you’ve made it down the wash-boardy dirt road from the highway. Rhyolite, NV outside the north end of the park, is accessible on a paved road, and along with shells of a once bustling main street’s shops and bank, there’s a house made of bottles and a railroad depot. Best of all for my kids are the modern art sculptures scattered through the desert at the edge of town – surreal and lovely.

Morning Walks

Moments of just looking at the raw beauty of the desert make for a great family trip

Regardless of the time of year, morning walks are the best in the desert. Cooler, with the sun less intense and better for photographs, a morning stroll along the dunes in the national park just south of Stovepipe Wells’ motel and general store, are both easy to reach and fun for kids of all ages to explore. Whether you’re sticking to the few short dunes closest to the road, or wandering like Lawrence of Arabia to the peak of a towering dune a half mile away, everyone will have a great time. Be prepared for lots of sand in shoes and later in the car!

Another great morning walk is the short stroll across the salt flats of Badwater, the lowest altitude in the contiguous U.S. The white salt looks like snow, the undrinkable water like a mirror reflecting the sky.

Interior Experiences

The best indoors attraction in Death Valley is Scotty’s Castle, where costumed guides tell the fascinating story of the eccentric Death Valley Scotty for whom the retreat is named, and his friendship with a Chicago millionaire. The tours are fast moving enough and entertaining enough to captivate older children, and keep young tots from being bored.

Another great indoor spot:  Furnace Creek Interpretive Center. With stellar exhibits on the borax mining that once was rampant in the park, artifacts, and ranger led educational talks available, as well as the highlight for small children – the ability to touch pelts and rocks and animal bones on display.

Wherever you roam, there will be time for just a few moments of quiet contemplation – when your kids look up at the vast and untrammeled sky, or out across a sea of sand, and just stare. And maybe take your hand. It’s these moments which make a desert trip to Death Valley one of those family experiences you’ll be happy you shared for years to come.

One of the new stylish additions to Palm Springs, and surprisingly child-friendly, is the Ace Hotel and Swim Club located in the southern end of town. This is the least windy enclave in town, which makes an afternoon at the pool perfectly pleasant, regardless of the time of year you visit.

Where to Stay and Splash

Ace Hotel & Swim Club is a quirky and cool update from a former Howard Johnson’s motel. From the outside, it may look as if little has changed – it’s just a two story beige motel. But with rooms a comparative bargain in this vacation mecca, we weren’t expecting all that much. It’s once you check in that you see how much fun this stay is going to be. The rooms are ample in size, and each of them unique. A night table shaped from a tree trunk? Vintage issues of old magazines? A canvas “tent” over the bed? All this and more. My kids were especially taken by the fake animal skin runs tossed across a springy dark cork floor.

The pool area of the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs

The hotel also offers adjoining suites with private patios, and something called a “king lounge room” – besides the king bed, there are two twins with curtains to separate them from the king. Nice choice for a small family. We also enjoyed the all day breakfast available at the hotel’s restaurant, once a Denny’s, now an organically sourced roadhouse.

Where to Explore

When you can lure the kids away from the pool, Indian Canyons oasis is also on the south end of Palm Springs, and it’s a fantastic destination for kids of all ages. Fan palms and gurgling streams and hiking trails are easy enough for the little ones and interesting enough for adults and bigger kids.

There are four separate canyons to explore, depending on your children’s ages and stamina. No matter which trail you choose, do make a stop at Palm Canyon’s trading post and watch humming birds in the garden and succumb to the demands – I did – for a retro souvenir, although you may regret a purchase like mine of a toy tom-tom drum. The trail leads into a shady oasis, with lizards to watch and great views of the surrounding hills and rocky crags. The lush palms and a variety of springs will keep things cool. Older kids will enjoy Murray Canyon, a two mile trail that serves up a rocky path to a small water fall.

Feed the Giraffes at the Living Desert in Palm Desert

If you’d rather your nature a bit more contained, you’ll enjoy the Living Desert museum in Palm Desert about half an hour from the Ace. An easy to stroll nature trail offers mountain views and glimpses of plant and animal life. It’s a combination botanical habitat and zoo, with a mellow, out-in-nature vibe. And little kids will love the play park area, replete with a cactus shaped slide. You can’t find that at home in your neighborhood parkette!

Or, for something completely different, make a stop at the fascinating miniature world of nearby Cathedral City’s Big League Dreams Sports Park. Here, in small sized replicas of famous baseball parks like Wrigley Field, you’ll find batting cages to hit some balls as well as a look at America’s Favorite Sport in different settings.

A view of Indian Canyons in Palm Springs

If your kids aren’t up to try a home run, how about a home flight? Potential pilots and air passengers alike will love the Palm Springs Air Museum, a well run attraction featuring a variety of restored planes, most from the World War II era. The museum is next to the airport, and houses most of its displayed planes in large air conditioned buildings, although some are outside.

The museum has a variety of hangars dedicated to Army, Navy, and B-17s.  There’s also some fascinating WWII memorabilia such as period cars, military uniforms and a USO stage.  My kids loved walking through the massive Flying Fortress bomber. Possibly best of all was the chance for them to chat with docents, some of whom had first hand experience of the World War. Small children under age five are free, another plus.

Lunchtime

There’s Norma’s, which also offers a great blueberry pancake breakfast served on a patio made comfortable with misters, and conveniently located in downtown Palm Springs.

Sherman’s Deli in Palm Desert has salads and potato pancakes as well as classic sandwiches, including some that can be made vegan. If it’s close to dinner time, try the cushy but welcoming

Palm Desert spot Villa Abbate, with terrific homemade marinara sauce that pleased the whole family, served over spaghetti. We found the service impeccable, and kids welcomed. Alternatively, the Mexican fare served al fresco at Las Casueles in downtown Palm Springs never disappoints. An added pleasure are local cover bands playing nightly under the stars.

Small children dancing along never seems to be frowned upon.

And if it’s not too late, you can finish the evening with a dip in the Ace pool before heading off to a good night’s sleep in a stylish and fun room.

Located a few hours from Las Vegas and a longer number of hours from our home in Los Angeles, we’ve long loved making the trek into the park almost as much as the park itself. We take the little traveled Wildrose Road in, out of the town of Trona. In the Spring and Fall you’ll find beautiful springs, tiny quail, an overhanging rock with a picnic table for a lunch stop, and yes, yellow, purple, white, and red flowers in bloom along the narrow canyon walls. The closer you get into the park itself from here, the dryer the road becomes and the less flowers you’ll see, until you reach the area near Telescope Peak, where you’ll find more blooms along the roadside.

Even if you’re making the drive at a different time of year, the contrast of red desert rock, blue mountain peaks – sometimes snow capped – and the narrow road you’re forced to drive slow, will enchant. We’ve spotted desert hare along with the aforementioned quail.

Blue sky, blue hills, gold sand - slow down and enjoy the views

Once you enter the park, if driving isn’t your thing, or you have a car just about as hardy or less so than the vehicle I like to call my ‘off road Camry,’ you’ll be pleased to know you can find the life in Death Valley with a guide.

Death Valley Jeep Tours

Jeep tours are now available to places I used to hold my breath and take on myself. Your family can be escorted in a comfy Trekker to the Racetrack, Ubehebe Crater, the Charcoal Kilns, and Titus Canyon among other destinations. I’ve taken my kids to all but Titus completely solo, and never had any problem, despite the lack of a high clearance vehicle. If you have an SUV, you’re golden. And if you don’t, but you still want to go it on your own, there’s a jeep rental company at Death Valley’s main tourist destination, Furnace Creek. Be aware that both options are not available in the height of the summer months, a time that I love to explore, but others find too much like entering a furnace.

As with any desert travel adventure for families, when exploring wildflowers or the Death Valley environs at any season, be sure to bring in plenty of water and keep your car gassed up, regardless of the high prices at remote filling stations.

Past the massive, surface-of-the-moon like crater at Ubehebe, you will be off-roading it in one way or another. The crater itself is windswept and vast, it’s quite an easy hike down, but much harder coming up. If you have little ones you’ll need to carry, think twice; my son was intrepid enough to do it himself at five years of age.

So swinging on past Ubehebe, wildflowers can be amazing in season. We thrilled to carpets of yellow punctuated with bursts of bright orange and white. A few ground squirrels skittered along through the growth.

If the road is in good shape – do ask at a Ranger station before proceeding on your own – you’ll be heading past Teakettle Junction to the flat pan of Racetrack. Here, life will be more limited to lizards and mysterious black bugs we didn’t recognize, but the scenery of rocks and boulders, with the drag marks of movement behind them, made my kids speculate that the stones themselves were alive.

While it’s probably wind and erosion that cause the movement, its still an irresistible theory as you walk across the flat playa, its surface striated into patterns.

At the other end of the park, near Telescope Peak, lupines were in bloom and the charcoal kilns, the remainders of an industry long defunct, made a perfect echoing series of chambers to sing about them – kind of a high desert Sound of Music. The hills are alive, remember? With the sound of wind, the rustling of little critter feet, and those amazing blossoms.

Overnight in Death Valley

Take an early morning or twilight stroll along the sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells.

Where to stay in the park is limited to Furnace Creek Inn, the elegant hotel that is open only until May; the Furnace Creek Ranch, a comfortable, average motel type accommodation with a fantastic, warm swimming pool, where, when night falls, you’ll see more life – tiny bats swooping around the lights. In the middle of the park, near the sand dunes, you’ll find Stove Pipe Wells, a more utilitarian enclave of motel-like units. Both areas have general stores; camping options abound in the park.

Be sure and take an early morning walk on the dunes near Stove Pipe for a look at some more desert life – you’ll find the footprints of ground squirrels, the slithers of snakes, the tiny toe prints of lizards – temporary fossils in the shifting, almost-living and breathing sands. No zombies here, there, or anywhere, but still a great thrill for kids and adults, young and old.

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Death Valley, CA – Desert Explorations

Children's Discovery Museum Winding Walkway leading to second floor

In December of 2011, my wife and I took our two young kids to the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert in Rancho Mirage, California. We were staying at the Marriott Desert Springs Villas in Palm Desert for a much needed getaway just two weeks before Christmas. We were told by a friend that the Children’s Discovery Museum would be the perfect outlet for our two year old son because of all the interactive exhibits. The fact that it was only a 10 minute drive from our Villa made it an easy decision.

The Museum

Brain stimulating activities for all ages

The Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert was founded in 1986 and officially opened its doors to the public in 1990. This 18,000 square foot non-profit Museum is located in Rancho Mirage on a well manicured four acre desert site. The indoor facility itself has a very attractive, modern and colorful layout. There is a winding ascending walkway along one perimeter leading to the second floor, high windows providing ample natural light throughout, a uniquely shaped ceiling with sharp angles, and a variety of three dimensional geometric shapes found throughout the facility. All of the exhibits are interactive “hands-on” displays, and unlike many other museums, children are encouraged to touch and explore their various functions.

Our Experience

Enclosed toddler play area

We were among the first to enter the Children’s Discovery Museum on a Saturday morning a few minutes past 10am. We had our 9 month old daughter in a stroller when we walked up to the admission stand, but we soon learned that no strollers were allowed inside the exhibit area. Thankfully we had our Ergo baby carrier in the car. If your child is still crawling, I highly recommend bringing along a baby carrier because the no-stroller rule is non-negotiable! We found that although there was one enclosed area where we could let our daughter crawl around free, most of the facility is geared more towards children that can walk on their own.

Be an Archaeologist

After paying admission (see hours and rates below) and leaving our stroller in the lobby, we finally entered the museum. The first exhibit we encountered was the Archaeologist Field Station with a make-believe excavation site. There were a handful of woven safari hats, several boxes containing different unearthed artifacts, clipboards for the young archaeologists to take field notes, and tools like magnifying glasses, hand shovels and brushes appropriate for an excavation.

We found everything to be toddler and kid friendly so there were no sharp or other dangerous objects to be concerned about. While most of the kids were climbing up on the archaeological site and playing with the different tools, our son was busy grabbing safari hats one by one and trying them on. They were all way too big for his head so my wife and I had a good laugh watching him try to walk around with half of his head hidden beneath.

This entire wall is a magnet where kids can play with metalic objects

Throughout the museum we found many unique exhibits designed to stimulate a young child’s mind from interactive scientific displays featuring magnets, pulleys, and large gears with cranks, to other more social exhibits like an arts and crafts room, a giant string-less harp with built in motion sensors used to play real music, and a large dressing area filled with a variety of hats and costumes.

Young artist painting on a most unusual canvas!

Another very unique and popular exhibit was a full sized Volkswagen beetle in the center of a roped off section.  The car was completely covered in multiple colors of paint, and kids were lining up with their smocks and brushes to add their own designs.  A specific color is designated for each new day so that colors stay well defined and don’t mix together.

Other than the dressing room, we found the most popular exhibit among the kids was the make-believe grocery store. Everything you would find in a real grocery store was present including miniature metal frame shopping carts, shelves filled with canned goods, and an organized produce section filled with every fruit and vegetable imaginable. There were also check stands complete with uniforms, grocery bags and fake money.

Our son sitting on a police motorcycle in front of the make-believe grocery store

One part of the store even had a pizza kitchen where children could add various toppings to pizza dough and slide it into an oven to bake.  It was fascinating to watch the children really embrace their various roles as employees and consumers in such a realistic way!

We spent about 2 hours at the facility and our son enjoyed every moment. No food was allowed inside, so we stopped at the gift shop just outside the museum to grab some snacks and souvenirs for the road. We had a great time at the facility and we will definitely return the next time we are in Palm Desert. It will be very interesting to see how our son interacts with the various exhibits as he gets older and is able to appreciate them more profoundly.

Hours and Admission

Our future engineer cranking gears

The Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert is located at: 71701 Gerald Ford Drive, Rancho Mirage, California 92270. Admission as of 2012 is $8 per/person. Children under 2 are admitted free. Hours of operation are 10am through 5pm daily. They are closed on Mondays from May through December. There are many special events especially during the Holidays like the annual “Breakfast with Santa”, so be sure to check their website calendar.

Visit their official website at www.cdmod.org for more information.

Beginning of the trail to Samuelson's Rocks

On several occasions – beginning when my son was four – we’ve taken a slightly more adventurous trail, and while this might not be for everyone, the walk to Samuelson’s Rocks is easy, flat, and round trip, allowing for plenty of rock exploring and the footsteps of small children, takes about four hours total. Of course, always bring plenty of water, sun screen, and hats for yourself and the little ones. The best times to hike are early morning or late afternoon.

A Desert Treasure Hunt

Samuelson’s rocks are located about a mile and a half from a parking turnout, the turnout that is west of Quail Springs picnic area. You can also park in the Quail Springs lot, and walk back up the road to the turnout, or walk west of the Quail Springs lot to pick up the unmarked “trail.” While there’s a flat sandy road and a sandy wash to follow, you won’t see the rocks themselves until you’re fairly near Smith Water Canyon, where these granite boulders rest. Look up the GPS coordinates online or talk to a park ranger before setting out, but the walk itself is flat and easy, with views of Joshua trees and the craggy hillsides as you go. As you walk, you’ll spy the ruins of an old cabin, and the skeleton of an abandoned car. The warm yellows and browns of the desert yield scattered rocks and cacti, yucca, and if you come in the late spring, wildflower blooms, including ocotillo, along the way. The walk can slow down if your kids, like mine, find a lizard. Once you find the actual boulders, you need to play a version of “I Spy”. You’ll need to look carefully to spot what it is that makes these flat-faced rocks special,  creating a desert treasure hunt.

The kids will love spotting the special stones that are – inscribed. That’s right, out here in the middle of nowhere, you’ll find the work of Swedish pioneer John Samuelson, who carved his philosophy and political views into the rocks, by hand, in the late 1920′s. Some are misspelled, some are quirky, some are beautifully heartfelt. Knowing that these words were hand chiseled into stone so long ago is fascinating, and the kids will love figuring out what he means, and looking for each of the nine carvings.

Our favorite rock carving by John Samuelson

Who Was Samuelson?

John Samuelson started out in Joshua Tree long before it was a national park, working on a ranch and the Hidden Gold Mine near Keys View in the park before setting up his own homestead. Once a shipwrecked sailor, later accused of murder, arrested, escaped, and in hiding, he loved the desert shack he shared with his wife Margaret, but after his arrest, he never returned to the property. Samuelson was interviewed by Perry Mason writer Earle Stanley Gardener who turned his tale into one of his first pieces of sold-fiction. My kids were rapt by this twisted tale.

Despite his lack of command for the English language, he must’ve spent long, long hours carefully carving each letter on these rocks in the middle of the desert. They’re spread out over about a hundred yard range, and scattered among other unmarked stones in a large mound.

Hide and Seek Among the Rocks

My kids loved spreading out – with a parent or older child in tow, of course – to find each of the rocks and figure out the inscriptions. The rocks blend into the landscape, making it a game to spot all of them. Some of them are open for interpretation, some pretty concrete, all of them an amazing insight into perseverance, self-taught reliance, and a period of time long past.

Our favorite rock is one of the easiest to spot, and it reads, including spelling errors, “The rock of faiht and truht. Nature is God. The key to life is contact. Evolution is the Mother and Father of Mankind. Without them we be nothing. John Samuelson. 1927.”

Picnic Time

If you parked in the Quail Springs lot, there are tables waiting for you. Otherwise, make the very short drive back to this location; some tables are shaded. If you’d rather not pack in food, my kids love the Crossroads Café right in the heart of Joshua Tree, and very close to the west entrance to the park. Great sandwiches, a relaxed, friendly, coffee house vibe, and plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Small children are welcome, and late in the day, you’ll often find a musician or two jamming and a tot twirling to the sounds. With breakfast sold til two pm, and an amazing vegan polenta for my daughter, bringing peanut butter and jelly into the park wasn’t the option I chose. With a banana, orange juice, and honey smoothie in hand – appropriate called “Monkey Business” – the café made a great spot to consider Samuelson’s work, and the fun of trekking down a long-gone dirt road to discover it.