Have you ever wondered if the vastly different cities of Big Bear City and La Quinta, California, could possibly have anything in common? One is high in the San Bernardino mountains , a few minutes from Big Bear Lake, and the other is near the Santa Rosa mountains in the low desert, approximately an hour’s…
The next time you ask someone what rock they crawled out from under, consider this cautionary tale about Giant Rock. Technically, Frank Critzer was a squatter, since he was living on government land. In the 1930s, Critzer became known as “straight road Critzer” by locals because he built 60 roads all leading in a spider…
The Virgina Dare Winery on the northwest corner of Foothill Boulevard and Haven Avenue in Rancho Cucamonga, California, was built in 1908 by Chinese laborers who also built the aqueduct above Cal State San Bernardino, and several other projects…
While we have been known to move around a lot in the style of a comedic witness protection program, this is the first time we have actually written about our current hometown. That says something about La Quinta, California. Located in the Coachella Valley surrounded by the Colorado Desert, La Quinta was founded as a…
Driving along Pearblossom Highway (Hwy 138), it’s just you and maybe a few hundred cars and trucks passing by in both directions. Perhaps lost in thought, or just concentrating on surviving the drive, you look ahead and the roadway becomes a beacon to place unknown to most people, even though they may pass it every day. You’re approaching the ruins. Soon, you will know what others don’t. The history of a failed dream. Welcome to the Socialist community of Llano Del Rio…
An unassuming yet historically significant midcentury-modern building can be found on a small patch of land in a desert city known all over the world. Without further ado, we present the Owen Coffman American Legion in Palm Springs. The original American Legion in the great town actually goes back to the late 1930s, when a…
Henry M. Robert, the author of the “Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative Assemblies,” also known as “Robert’s Rules of Order” (first published in 1876), played a very important part in the establishment of the Mojave Road and its military presence. As a matter of fact, Major Henry M. Robert surveyed the road and helped give us the route we know today…
We recently had the good fortune of discovering Cochise Terrace RV Resort on the internet. It got great yelp reviews so we made reservations for three nights. Cochise Terrace RV Resort is a 70-space RV park located in Benson, Arizona. It features spacious, terraced lots, full hook-ups, 50 amp service with pull through and back-in…
It was a daring idea in 1911. Take 10 seven-passenger Studebaker-Garford Touring cars, add 50 passengers, and follow it with another Garford, decked out as a covered wagon, that was used to carry the baggage. Next, head out from New York, bound for Los Angeles, with stops at all the amazing desert landmarks along the…
Learning about the desert is essential, not only for your enjoyment but your safety too. We offer advice about interesting places to explore, including history and tips to make your trip fun. Please remember the desert is not your friend. It could have deadly consequences. A little planning ahead goes a long way.
