As the co-author of seven editions of “Fun With the Family,” a travel guide that has survived countless changes in covering family-appropriate activities, hotels and restaurants in charted and unchartered territory, I have rounded up a short list of attractions I have personally visited thanks to the recommendations of my readers.
This season, with the wild flowers in bloom amidst the shifting sands of the Mohave and a stunning array of hotels and inns that suddenly welcome children and pets, I am ready to share some insider secrets for those visiting the high and low desert.
Starting with the 272,000-acre Santa Rosa San Jacinto Mountains National Monument about 100 miles east of downtown Los Angeles on the “high side” of Highway 74 ( the Palms to Pines Scenic Highway), I recommend you turn left on 74 and stop at least a half hour to visit the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center in Palm Desert. Take time to explore miles of trails custom made for hikers and bikers. This protected area showcases the area’s “teeming world of treasures,” which families can experience together. Call 760.862.9984 and ask about current ranger-led tours such as morning hikes on Thursdays and Saturdays through April.
Another expedition takes you on a drive on Highway 62 passing by Joshua Tree and Twenty-nine Palms. The destination is the Kelso Depot Visitor Center in the Mojave National Preserve, 90 miles from Las Vegas. This is an ideal place to spend at least a half hour to peruse the exhibits revealing the fascinating history of an impressive structure that opened in 1924, servicing the Union Pacific Railroad. This is a real time warp! The depot has restored an authentic U-shaped lunch counter that was originally called “The Beanery.” Open once again and serving travelers, it is truly a blast to the past with a marvelous nod to California history.
Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, the Kelso Depot Visitor Center is about 23 miles north and 35 miles south of Baker on I-40; look for Kelbaker Road. Michael Glore, supervisory park ranger, said there are ranger programs year round such as the Kelso Dunes Walk on Saturdays. Children will like the Mojave National Preserve Activity book that shows them how to become a junior ranger. Check it out at www.nps.gov/moja. Cinder cones, lava flows and tube aside, this is an A-plus family attraction.
And then there is Zone 101 in the Hoover Gallery at the Palm Springs Art Museum dedicated to family activities, storytelling and all that makes art fascinating for children. If you happen to be in the desert on April 23, check out the themed events, ” The Journey of Books,” and May 28, “Is That Art?” Thanks to the support of the Lenore Annenberg Birthday Tribute Fund, Donna and Cargill MacMillan, and the Coeta and Donald Barker Foundation, this “art, fun and storytelling” will continue to encourage children to explore their creativity.
Parents will find the latest edition of Historic Inns of Palm springs, www.palm-springs.org, the best guide toward locating anything but a cookie cutter place to stay, such as the 16 single-story bungalows and full kitchenettes at “A Place in the Sun” where families and pets are welcome and rates start at $79 during the summer.
Elite Land Tours, www.elitelandtours.com, the premier operator of Hummer tours, can, pick up your family at the door of wherever you are staying for a fact-filled guided tour of Joshua Tree National Park, among other choices. These tours can accommodate up to five people per Hummer; encourage children to ask questions as guides are an encyclopedia of facts on local history, flora and fauna.
Put all the travel ingredients together and you have a family, pet-friendly vacation with ample perks that may persuade you to stay an extra day or two!
Pamela Price is the coauthor of the 7th edition of “Fun with the Family in Southern CA”