The Mojave Desert is one of the greatest places in America to see spectacular scenery. It's in a unique spot; it comprises the barrier between the low, hot Sonora Desert and the cool, high Great Basin of Nevada and Utah. It covers 25,000 square miles, and sprawls into the states of California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah.
You might imagine a big flat, featureless landscape of sand and rock, but that's just the view from the highway. Actually the Mojave is full of desert wildflowers, majestic mountain ranges and lots of variety of scenery. The entire Mojave Desert includes Mojave, Death Valley, Joshua Tree National Park and the Lake Mead area. The area is defined by its geographic indicator, the Joshua Tree. You won't see these pretty desert trees anywhere else in the world.
The main area of the Mojave is a stretch of pretty wilderness in southern California between Highways 15 and 40, east of Barstow and west of Needles. On the east, it sits right up against the Arizona border.
Death Valley
What do you imagine when you hear that? Parched hikers, vultures circling overhead waiting for somebody to drop dead, a cow skull in the dust maybe. Well, don't let the name fool you. Death Valley is some of the prettiest wilderness scenery the great North American continent has to offer.
It's not all death and decay in Death Valley. Actually, the valley has some rare animal and plant life that you won't find anywhere else. It also has some of the last completely undisturbed wilderness in the country. One of the things that makes Death Valley so interesting is that it has so much variety in just 3 million square acres. It has mountain peaks, like the 11,000 footer Telescope Peak, and also the lowest point in North America, at nearly 300 feet below sea level.
Don't let the name scare you. Death Valley was named by the miners who tried to cross it to get to California during the gold rush. Many of them were unprepared, and none of them came with a fully-equipped motor home for cooling off during the hot days!
Joshua Tree National Park
One of the reasons why Joshua Tree is such a unique environment is that it's at the crossroads between the Mojave and Colorado Desert to the east. Joshua Tree provides all the wild scenery you could want, from windswept plains to giant rock formations in odd shapes. It is a wonderful place to see a colorful sunset across miles of wild, windswept sands with palm trees standing all around your RV. Compared to Death Valley and other parts of the desert west, Joshua Tree is quite green and colorful. It is full of wildflowers, yuccas, cacti, shrubbery and the famous Joshua Trees themselves. You can hike over the barren rocks or among the pinyon pines. The variety of natural beauty at Joshua Tree is what makes it so popular.
Where To Stay
Your best bet in Death Valley is to stay at one of the many RV parks in Death Valley National Park. You can contact the park directly, or check out their website. The great thing about Death Valley is that most of the parks are open year round. Some of the most popular include Furnace Creek, which is located almost 200 feet below sea level, Panamint Springs Campground or the Stovepipe Wells RV Campground. If you want to be a little higher, try Mahogany Flat way up at 8,000 feet, but be advised that they are not open all year, and you must have a high clearance vehicle.
At Joshua Tree, the most recommended RV parks are Desert Springs Spa and RV Park, Sam's Family Spa or Sands RV Resort in Desert Hot Springs, or Yucca Valley RV Park in Yucca Valley.
Not all art gets displayed in a museum or gallery. If you've traveled the country in a motor home, you've probably noticed that there are sometimes odd things to be found by the side of the road, like giant dinosaur statues or huge Paul Bunyons that don't seem to serve any purpose at all. This is what is known as "outside art," and the United States, more than any other country, has many examples just off the beaten path. Here are three unique roadside art attractions you can visit.
The Statues of Auburn - Auburn, California
Imagine that you make a motor home pit stop in the town of Auburn, around exit 49 on California's Highway 80. You head into town, and soon find yourself looking at a giant statue of an archer, shooting his arrow into the sky. Or you may see a naked man, wrestling with chains, or a giant Chinese coolie mournfully pushing a wheelbarrow. You've just discovered the Great Statues of Auburn.
These statues, some as big as 40 feet tall and as heavy as 120 tons, are standing in a field next to the parking lot of a dentist's office. It is the office of Ken Fox, and he is also the sculptor of the statues. They range in subject matter; some are themes from California's history like the coolie, or a gold miner. Others are more esoteric, including a nude woman praying to the sky. All are large and lifelike, and quite a surprise when you happen upon them.
Ken Fox still works on his statues, though he is now into his 80's. He has become something of a local celebrity in Auburn, as tourists from all over stop to look at his statues. And, he still practices his dental work.
Carhenge - Western Nebraska
On the plains of western Nebraska sits Carhenge, a replica of Great Britain's famous historic monument. Carhenge, however, is made from vintage cars painted grey. It is close to the small town of Alliance, Nebraska in the high plains.
Unlike the monument in Great Britain, it wasn't built by ancient druids. It was built in 1987 by British artist Jim Reinders, and it replicates the original to the last detail. He studied the mysterious monument in England to make sure each stone would be represented.
Carhenge has no admission charge, and you can visit it any time whether night or day. But, the best time to see it is in the daytime, when the newly built visitors' center is open. Sunset is a good time, when the setting sun behind the cars gives it an air of mystery!
For more information, you can contact the Friends of Carhenge.
The Forevertron - Baraboo, Wisconsin
The Forevertron sits amid an open air gallery behind a surplus store full of giant metal oddities. This artwork was created by scrap sculpture artist Tom Evermor, or "Dr. Tom Every" as he is also known. All over the grounds of his museum, just off Highway 12 in Wisconsin, are his sculptures made of scrap metal and machine parts. His sculptures have improved and become more varied over the years, but the Forevertron is the masterpiece.
The centerpiece of the Forevertron is a giant copper egg which is supposed to draw electricity from the sky. It is a masterpiece of turn of the century science fiction design. The sculpture is a variety of scrap and salvage all welded together. What is it for? You'll have to drive your motor home to Wisconsin and as the doctor himself to find out exactly.
Across America, you can find a variety of examples of outsider art. Many of these are away from the usual galleries and museums, making them an ideal destination for motor home tourists.
Andrew Stratton has sinced written about articles on various topics from Motorola Cell Phone, Tummy Tucks Before and After and Political and Social. The American west contains huge stretches of uninhabited land great for exploration. The Mojave Desert, which includes Death Valley and Joshua Tree, off. Andrew Stratton's top article generates over 246000 views. to your Favourites.