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When Will the Wildflowers Bloom? We have started our reports on the desert wildflowers, plan your visit to coincide with the peak of the bloom - keep up to date with DesertUSA's Wildflower Reports. Be sure to bookmark the page for weekly updates.
We'd like to see your pictures too. E-mail your digtial photos and reports to Jim@desertusa.com. Use Wildflower Report as the subject of your e-mail. Let us know where you took the photo and the date. We will post them on our wildflower reports. Thanks for your support and photos. More...
Quest for Fire at the Opal Hill Mine: A 4x4 Adventure - Tucked deep into the Mule Mountains not far from Palo Verde, California lies the Opal Hill Mine. Opal Hill is well known for its beautiful and rare fire agate, opal eggs and quartz crystals. When one thinks of a mine, images of deep shafts or dark tunnels usually come to mind. The Opal Hill Mine can be better described as a claim established on a hillside which overlooks a valley. The mine consists of rock outcroppings and holes where agate has been extracted.
Today, Opal Hill is actively producing fire agate, and rock hounders still frequent the mine for its gem-quality stones. The mine is privately owned but open to the public for a small collecting fee which is well worth it. With some hard work and effort, almost everyone leaves Opal Hill satisfied with the fiery agate they take with them. Read about the Opal Hill Mine...
The Sonoran Desert - The Sonoran Desert is an arid region covering 120,000 square miles in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California, as well as most of Baja California and the western half of the state of Sonora, Mexico. Subdivisions of this hot, dry region include the Colorado and Yuma deserts. Irrigation has produced many fertile agricultural areas, including the Coachella and Imperial valleys of California. Warm winters attract tourists to Sonora Desert resorts in Palm Springs, California, and Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona.
This is the hottest of our North American deserts, but a distinctly bimodal rainfall pattern produces a high biological diversity. Winter storms from the Pacific nourish many West Coast annuals such as poppies and lupines, while well-developed summer monsoons host both annuals and woody plants originating from the south. Freezing conditions can be expected for a few nights in winter. Read more about the Sonoran Desert...
Photo Tips:
Common Questions - Why does it take so long for my camera to fire when I push the button?
Why do my pictures come out fuzzy?
Even with a tripod my digital photos are not a sharp as when I was using film. Why?
George S. Patton Memorial Museum - In January 1942, just a month after the United States entered the war, German troops under the command of Field Marshall Rommel started pushing toward Egypt, threatening the Suez Canal. The British experienced great difficulty fighting an enemy well versed and able in the use of tanks as a tactical weapon in the desert. It was evident that U.S. troops would have to engage in a desert campaign.
There was no background for such an engagement in the history of U.S. warfare. On February 5, 1942, Lt. General Lesley J. McNair, Chief of Staff, General Headquarters, gave his approval to a plan developed to stop Germany's advance in Northern Africa. He designated Major General George S. Patton, Jr. to establish the Desert Training Center for the purpose of training men and machines for action under the harsh conditions of the African deserts. Read about the George S. Patton Memorial Museum...
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DesertUSA is a comprehensive resource about the North American deserts and Southwest destinations. Learn about desert biomes while you discover how desert plants and animals learn to adapt to the harsh desert environment. Find travel information about national parks, state parks, BLM land, and Southwest cities and towns located in or near the desert regions of the United States. Access maps and information about the Sonoran Desert, Mojave Desert, Great Basin Desert, and Chihuahuan Desert.
