Trifter

tThe picturesque region stretches through four states such as California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. The largest city of the Mojave Desert is the gambler town Las Vegas, entry gate to the Grand Canyon and other national parks. Other larger cities are Palmdale and Lancaster in California, which occupy major portions of the Antelope Valley.

The name Mojave comes from the Native American Mohave tribe, which populated the desert for thousands of years. The most typical indicator of the area is the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), a very rate and protected plant species. Altogether over two hundred special desert plants – such as cactus – can be found here.

Mojave Desert (Source: USGS)

Amazing Wilderness

The Mojave Desert is located between the Great Basin Desert in the north and the Sonoran Desert in the south. The elevation of the area is usually between three thousand and six thousand feet high. However, the highest mountain (Telescope Peak) is over eleven thousand feet tall – while the Death Valley (about two hundred feet below the sea level) is considered one of the lowest points on earth.

Unique Climate

Despite an average of just ten inches rain per year, some call it the best climate in the world. The reason for this characterization is the extremely dry air. Millions of people with breathing problems – such as asthma – or suffering through high humidity enjoy the Mojave desert very much.

While the lowest part of the Mojave desert – the Death Valley National Park – gets extreme high summer temperatures, sometimes exceeding one hundred twenty degrees Fahrenheit – higher elevations of region enjoy much cooler temperatures.

The most important characteristic of the Mojave High Desert climate is that the temperatures cool down during the night dramatically, while low deserts stay oven-hot throughout the night.

Grand Canyon (Photo by PierreKandorfer.com)

Tourists: Experience of the Lifetime

Mojave desert belongs to the most attractive tourist destination in the entire world. Of course, the biggest magnet is Las Vegas. What many people don’t know is that millions of Las Vegas visitors don’t come here because of the gambling. For them, it’s often just a stopover for other destinations – such as Grand Canyon.

The entire area of the classic Southwest of the US is filled with interesting and unique places. Just about fifteen miles west of Las Vegas is Nevada’s Red Canyon, a very worthwhile destination. By the way, there is another, maybe even more beautiful Red Rock Canyon in California, just 50 miles north of Palmdale on the Highway 14.

Las Vegas by night (Photo by PierreKandorfer.com)

The Choices Are Endless

At the crossroads of the Old West, the choices are virtually endless. Lake Mead and Hoover Dam are just around the corner from Las Vegas. Lake Havasu offers perfect off-road and water-sports recreation and is only one-hour drive from the sin city.

Very memorable also are the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation, Rainbow Basin, Owl Canyon, Stoddard Valley, Johnson Valley and Dumont Dunes. Many tourists also like Baker, Kelso Dunes, the Calico Ghost Town, the Oatman Ghost Town or Tehachapi Mountains.

America’s Aviation and Aerospace Center

This thinly populated area doesn’t depend exclusively on tourism. The Mojave desert can enjoy over three hundred sunny days per year – ideal aviation weather. The US Air Force and NASA discovered this over fifty years ago when they settled their aviation and aerospace activities at the famous Edwards Air Force Base.

It was here where the world’s first supersonic flight and America’s first space ship take-offs and landings took place. The Antelope Valley – including Palmdale, Lancaster, Edwards, Rosamond, Mojave, Tehachapi, California City and Inyokern – is also called America’s “Aerospace Valley”.

Worldwide famous also is the Mojave Air & Space Port (at the crossing of the Highways 14 and 58) where the SpaceShip One was developed and launched. This was the first milestone in the development of the upcoming space tourism business. The SpaceShip Two, which is supposed to bring first paid tourists to the edge of our atmosphere, will be unveiled and testes in a few months.

Lake Isabella, CA  (Photo by PierreKandorfer.com)