BROWSE PRODUCTS:
AA Best Drives California - The Deserts 
PRODUCT FEATURES AT A GLANCE:
› Language: English
› File size (approx):
10mb
› Download includes PDF map for each route with suggested pit-stops
› See pictures and onscreen descriptions of key points along the route
› Compatibility: nuvi 700 series, Zumo series check guide
› Different Garmin? We have travel guides for every Garmin model. See product list on left.
About AA Best Drives California - The Deserts
Download these recommended AA Best Drives to your Garmin! Simply press GO! and you’ll be navigated from your door to the start of the AA Route and right round the route until the end without needing to touch your Garmin again.
Palm Springs, Salton Sea & Anza-Borrego 169 miles
This tour shows the extremes of desert life, from the manicured golf courses of Palm Springs and Palm Desert, to the barren mountains of Anza-Borrego. Glittering resorts line the Coachella Valley, while endless pristine deserts await exploration. This region gets unbearably hot in the summer, but in winter and spring the blue skies and warm days are ideal. Palm Springs is only a short drive from Los Angeles, and it became an extension of Hollywood during the 1930s. Since those early days, even more exclusive resorts have been built and the tour continues through the fashionable desert communities of Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert to Coachella and the date palm groves that lead down to the surreal, artificial Salton Sea. A spectacular drive takes you through the desert of Anza- Borrego Desert State Park. During the spring, this huge area, the largest state park in the contiguous United States, is a riotous explosion of color, as thousands upon thousands of desert plants burst into flower. The tour continues north through the desert, returning to Los Angeles via the alpine community of Idyllwild, sitting a mile (1.5km) high in the San Jacinto Mountains.
Mojave Desert 441 miles
This tour gives a thorough introduction to California’s vast Mojave Desert, from the distinctive Joshua trees to the banks of the Colorado River and the border with Arizona. It returns through historic gold- and silver-mining country, before heading back to Los Angeles. Passing through Palm Springs, the road travels east to Joshua Tree National Park, where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet and dramatic Joshua trees are set against chaotic boulder formations. This is the southern limit of the Joshua tree but the giant, distorted yuccas can be seen all over the high desert. The tour goes through the Mojave Desert, across to Needles on the Arizona border, then back east across the northern boundary of the desert, to Barstow and San Bernadino County.
Highest, Lowest & Oldest 579 miles
This is a trip of extremes. Visit the lowest point in the western hemisphere, see the highest mountain in the continental United States and walk among the oldest living things on earth. The trip can be completed in four days, but as it covers some of California’s most exceptional scenic sites, many people will prefer to take longer. This tour provides an outstanding introduction to two of California’s major deserts. After leaving Los Angeles, it crosses the high Mojave Desert to Owens Valley, before climbing over the Panamint Mountains and dropping into Death Valley and the lowest point in the western hemisphere. From here the tour returns to Highway 395 and at Lone Pine there are spectacular views of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the continental U.S. outside Alaska. Continue up to the White Mountains to see the world’s oldest living trees, Pinus longaeva. NB There is no direct route from this tour to Sequoia and King’s Canyon.
What Customers are saying about RoadTour...
“Brilliant information, have used several of the pubs and visited many of the properties. Some that
I didn’t
know were so close to home. Keep up the good work.”
Steve, UK
“Thanks very much for your help. Gone out and got a 1Gb card and all is now loaded. One way of rating a company is the back up support and you score 10/10 .”
Graham, London
“The content is good and the level of detail about right, enough to pique your interest but not so much
that you feel you're attending a lecture.”
Sam, Manchester
“I've used the programme a few times now on my travels and it does add a good deal of value
to a journey so I'm very happy with my purchase.”
John, UK
“The Audio commentary on the Garmin was well narrated and definitely had the feel of the audio
guides you get when you are walking around the landmarks themselves”.
Linda, New Jersey
“Finding atmospheric pubs with good food is always a challenge when you don't know the area and
can be stressful when you're hungry and tired!!”
David, Essex
“Road Tour has found us some great pubs which have made our journeys all the more enjoyable. Every place
it's suggested has been a winner.”
Nikki, Cambridgeshire'
“The heritage commentary is really informative and entertaining – it’s great to discover
the background to the brown tourist signs we normally whizz by on the motorway.”
Michael, Reading
“This is the perfect thing for history buffs - RoadTour really brings boring car journeys to life.”
Guy,
London
“It doesn't intrude on the journey it complements it with just enough information if you
are not stopping at the attraction.”
Robin, Scotland
