Palm Springs, CA
Desert institution. The San Jacinto Mountains rise 10,000ft above the runway — dramatic wind effects.
The approach is dramatic — descending through the San Gorgonio Pass with 10,000ft mountains on both sides. Palm Springs was the playground of Hollywood's golden age. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Elvis all had homes here visible from the air.
One of the world's largest collections of flyable WWII aircraft, sitting on the edge of the field at Palm Springs in the Coachella Valley. The difference from most museums is that these airplanes still fly — and inside the air-conditioned hangars there are no ropes; you walk right up to a P-51, a B-17, a Bearcat, a Corsair. The collection runs from WWII through Korea and Vietnam, the docents are often veterans, and on a given weekend you might see one of the warbirds fire up and take to the desert sky over the valley.
Mount San Jacinto rises 10,834 feet directly above Palm Springs — one of the steepest elevation gains in North America. The mountain creates dramatic wind effects including rotors and mountain waves that can affect flights for miles downwind. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (the world's largest rotating tramcar) climbs the cliff face. From above, the contrast between the barren desert floor and the snow-capped peak is surreal.
Where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet — an alien landscape of granite monoliths and twisted Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia, named by 19th-century Mormon settlers). 800,000 acres of dark-sky preserve. Spectacular from 4,500-6,500ft AGL — the rock formations cast long shadows at golden hour. Pilots flying Palm Springs to Las Vegas often take a detour over Skull Rock and Hidden Valley.
California's largest state park — 600,000 acres of badlands, slot canyons, palm oases, and Anza-Borrego's famous metal sculptures by artist Ricardo Breceda (life-size dinosaurs, dragons, and a 350-foot-long sea serpent that crosses a desert road). Spring wildflower bloom (March-April) is a major event when winter rain has been adequate. Borrego Valley Airport (L08, private) is on-site; pilots based at KSEE (Gillespie Field) can be at the springs in 25 minutes.