Amboy Crater

I am always on the lookout for interesting places to visit, and I absolutely love going on excursions to the vast and desolate Southern California desert.

Each time I travel to the desert, I try to scout out a new location. This past weekend, I decided to hike to Amboy Crater in the Mojave Desert. The 250-ft. volcanic crater is located off the famous Route 66, a popular road which stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles from the late 1920s to the 1970s.

My husband and I stayed in a hotel in Yucca Valley and set out for the crater in the morning. As we were driving along Amboy Road (just three miles away from the town of Amboy), we discovered Bristol Dry Lake, a salt lake that is being mined today. We spent an hour walking on the lake of salt, which resembled snow and crunched beneath our feet. We took photographs and broke off a salt crystal to bring home with us.




Since the temperature was rising into the 90s quickly, we decided to stop in Amboy for more water.

Founded in 1883, Amboy thrived as a destination point along Route 66 until Interstate 40 was built in 1973 and bypassed the town. Amboy's current population is advertised at 20 people. Radiator Springs, the ghost town featured in the Disney movie Cars, is loosely based on the town.

We went to the only business still in existence, Roy's Motel and Cafe, where they sold Route 66 root beer, which of course, we had to buy.

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From Amboy, we drove 2.4 miles to the 6,000-year-old Amboy Crater, where we ate lunch at a picnic table overlooking the volcanic cinder cone. There is also an observation deck near the parking lot for picture taking.

The round trip 3-mile hike to the Crater takes 2-3 hours. The inside of the crater contains two lava dams and small lava lakes, which are covered with light colored clay. The climb to the top is at an 80-foot incline.

The trail is directly in the sun, so I recommend wearing a hat, bringing sunscreen and carrying lots of water. The Bureau of Land Management says the best times to hike are between the months of October through April to avoid the extreme heat.

We had a great time! Next time though, I plan to download The Rolling Stones "Route 66" onto my iPod for the long drive. That song would have made the day complete.

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve in Morongo Valley features six hiking trails and is home to thousands of birds including red-shouldered hawks, snowy egrets, house wrens and tree swallows.

I hiked Marsh Trail, a 0.65-mile winding boardwalk that meanders along a marsh filled with dwarf willows, goldenrods, cattail and water cress. I was lucky enough to spy a Northern Flicker pecking on a tree. The woodpecker can be identified by its brown, barred back; spotted chest and black crescent bib.

Marsh Trail leads to Desert Willow Trail, a 0.75-mile route lined with evergreen yerba santa and wild tarragon. There, I came across a Western Scrub-Jay. The jay was not the least bit shy and followed me for quite a distance singing the whole time. I was able to snap some great photographs.

Bird watchers can also meander along Yucca Ridge Trail(0.72 miles), which provides views of Morongo Valley, San Gorgonio and San Jacinto mountain peaks; West Canyon Trail, (0.84 miles) which gives panoramic views of Morongo Canyon, Mesquite Trail (0.51 miles), where they can observe an ancient gneiss marking the face of the Morongo Valley Fault; or Canyon Trail, (8.34-mile roundtrip) where they can hike along the canyon floor next to a willow-lined stream.

At the kiosk near the front entrance, hikers can pick up a checklist of birds commonly found in the preserve. Open from 7:30 a.m. to sunset, the perserve is free of charge. Location: 11055 East Dr Morongo Valley, CA 92256. For more information, visit Big Morongo.