During Covid I’ve had to evaluate the things that make me happy where I live or within a relatively short distance from my home. Road trips became the norm over the last two years. And Southern California is perfect for road trips. And even though Los Angeles is notorious for traffic, the roads leading away east, north or south are absolutely beautiful and lead to some of the most magical destinations.
One of my favorite trips was the one my brother and I took to Anza-Borrego last May. May is probably the last month to go to the desert but I’m glad we did it. And the itinerary was filled with some of my desert favorites as well as exploring some new desert destinations.
What to do in the California desert for 2-3 days
There are many places to choose from when traveling the options are endless. These were 3 days we chose
Day 1 - Pioneertown
Day 2 - Anza-Borrego Metal Art
Day 3 - Salton Sea and Slab City
Pioneertown
We started the drive early and made our first stop at a popular destination in Pioneertown, Pappy and Harriets. There was already a line to get in even though we got there earlier than they opened. No despair, the place is huge and can take a lot of customers. And by 11:15 in the morning they were bustling with customers at every section of the restaurant.
After our brunch we took a stroll around Pioneertown and even stayed around to catch the hourly Old West Showdown performance.
Anza-Borrego Metal Art Sculptures
One thing to know about Anza-Borrego is that there aren’t a lot of restaurants in the area. This isn’t a deal breaker since we stayed in an AirBnB with a full kitchen. So after a quick stop for provisions we managed to get to the desert and check out some of the great metal art sculptures as the sun was setting.
Metals art sculptures are large and beautiful. There are many different animals represented such as dragons and camels and horses. It is awe inspiring art work. And when positioned against the vast desert and the setting sun, created for magical photography.
Salton Sea and Slab City
The next day we took a drive around the Salton Sea and Slab City. Both are part of California’s bizarre history. Very Mad-Max(y) in the way they are both representing a bit of counter culture and things lost or gone. And both are worth a visit.
The Salton Sea was man made and ultimately mad destroyed. And it's a reminder of the gravity of our actions on the environment around us. There is hope as California is now looking to bring back life and natural vegetation to the sea. But it's a 10 year project, so the area still looks like a waste-land for now.
Slab City on the other hand is a community of people living "off the grid." This old military training range has been converted into seasonal nomadic housing. Seasonal because the desert temperatures get well into the 100's in the summer making this area pretty unlivable. We didn't see a single person around when we drove around. But I do imagine that people living here want their privacy too and don't rush out to greet noisy onlookers.
You can read the history and importance of the Salton Sea on the Wiki page - link here
And the link to Slab City Wiki page is here
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