Ideas for 2/3 days east of San Diego in May

[DickKenny]

I have two or three days free after a May visit to San Diego and would welcome any advice on the best locations for shooting landscapes that typify the (old) American West. I will have a car and don't mind long distance driving, but equally want to spend as much time between pre-sunrise, and post-sunset, taking pictures. And of course the firm intention is that it should be fun. So any advice on pitfalls for a visiting Englishman, unwary of the scale and elemental scale of America, would be welcomingly received. I will have my grown-up son alongside; and it  is the intention of neither of us to go either hiking, or camping.

[vandevanterSH]

I have two or three days free after a May visit to San Diego and would welcome any advice on the best locations for shooting landscapes that typify the (old) American West. I will have a car and don't mind long distance driving, but equally want to spend as much time between pre-sunrise, and post-sunset, taking pictures. And of course the firm intention is that it should be fun. So any advice on pitfalls for a visiting Englishman, unwary of the scale and elemental scale of America, would be welcomingly received. I will have my grown-up son alongside; and it  is the intention of neither of us to go either hiking, or camping.

Just to kick off the discussion, look at doing a loop.  East to the Salton Sea then North to Joshua Tree National Park then West to Huntington Beach then down the Pacific coast to San Diego.  The "Old American West" is many more miles east and north of San Diego, IMHO.

Steve

[Paul Sumi]

Just to kick off the discussion, look at doing a loop.  East to the Salton Sea then North to Joshua Tree National Park then West to Huntington Beach then down the Pacific coast to San Diego.  The "Old American West" is many more miles east and north of San Diego, IMHO.

Steve

Caveat: I am generally familiar with the area, but not in detail.  In addition to Steve's suggestions I would also add Anza Borrego Desert State Park.

And you may also want to tour Mission San Juan Capistrano, which is north of San Diego.  Strictly speaking, it's not part of the "Old American West."  But the influence of Spain's colonization of California in late 1700's through 1800's is of equal historical importance in this state.

Paul

[DickKenny]

Just to kick off the discussion, look at doing a loop.  East to the Salton Sea then North to Joshua Tree National Park then West to Huntington Beach then down the Pacific coast to San Diego.  The "Old American West" is many more miles east and north of San Diego, IMHO.

Steve

Would it make more sense to start from Los Angeles? I hesitate to expose my cultural, let alone geographical, horizons, but I seem to recall from a Joseph Wambaugh tale that the cops from LA managed to get deep in the desert for a nightcap each evening. Would that be far enough east and north? Were that the case, LA would be a relatively easy alternative launch point. Meanwhile thanks for your interest; plus that also of Mr Sumi.

[Paul Sumi]

Would it make more sense to start from Los Angeles? I hesitate to expose my cultural, let alone geographical, horizons, but I seem to recall from a Joseph Wambaugh tale that the cops from LA managed to get deep in the desert for a nightcap each evening.

I haven't read Wambaugh in many years, but I *think* the desert referenced is probably the Mojave in the Palmdale/Lancaster area north of Los Angeles.  However, it is not really an area conducive to landscape photography.

Are you flying into and out of San Diego for your visit? Or another airport?

I think that Steve's suggestion of Joshua Tree is your best bet IF you want to stay fairly close to San Diego and also want to see other sights in the area:

http://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Tree_National_Park

HOWEVER, if you have a full 3 days available and are willing to drive quite a distance from San Diego, I have another thought.

The Alabama Hills outside of the town of Lone Pine in the Owens Valley are where many of the movie westerns were filmed.  This is in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains which include Mt Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_Hills

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_Pine,_California

Frankly, I do not think that going to Lone Pine is a good idea given the short time that you have available.  The drawback is that you will be driving about 6-8 hours each way from San Diego and will be able to only spend one full day in the Lone Pine area.  And the 2 days of travel will leave no time to visit other locations.

For what it's worth.

Paul

[Paul Sumi]

... landscapes that typify the (old) American West.

I have to admit, I am very curious to know what is your conception of this.  I assumed it was based on the movie westerns, which is why I suggested the Alabama Hills where many of them were filmed.

Paul

[vandevanterSH]

The Alabama Hills outside of the town of Lone Pine in the Owens Valley are where many of the movie westerns were filmed. This is in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains which include Mt Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S.
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Thanks for the suggestion...I'll add that to my next 6-7,000 miles western "loop".

In doing a fair amount of road travel for fun over the past five years, I have found that a fundamental decision is sight-seeing vs photography.  They are complimentary but different.   Arriving at a "photogenic" site at 12:00 noon isn't the best for photography but may be OK because your goal is to see a lot of things.  I don't mind driving 800-1000 miles a day but I am not taking a lot of pictures.  Trying to do both by planning the "light" vs distance and travel times makes the exercise more interesting, IMO.

Steve

[tim wolcott]

I would visit Anza Borrego state park and the surrounding Joshua Tree Nat'l Park, Santa Rosa Plateau. I also would say Julian which is an old gold town,  I would also recommend Indian Palm Canyon near palm springs.  Up here where I live which was a gold town there are old buildings, I will be shooting the grist mill very soon and lots of old mining relics ect.   It has been a very rainy year so far and should make for one of the finest spring blooms in the past decades.  Here are some images from there.  Blooms typically happen from feb15th to march 30.  I live in the mountains near there.  All the image I showed were shot within 2 1/4 hours from where you will be.  You have mountains, low deserts and chapparrel so from just below sea level to 11, 983 feet above sea level.

You can call me skype if you want more info.  Tim

Sorry didn't see the May time.  Low desert will be gone, but higher elevations will be in bloom.  Dogwoods will be going crazy in may.  Low to mid alpines will also be in bloom.

[Paul Sumi]

The Alabama Hills outside of the town of Lone Pine in the Owens Valley are where many of the movie westerns were filmed. This is in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains which include Mt Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S.
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Thanks for the suggestion...I'll add that to my next 6-7,000 miles western "loop".

Steve,

It's an interesting area to explore, on pretty decent dirt roads.  I've photographed in the Alabama Hills on several occasions.  For me at least it works best for sunrise since you can get very nice light on the Sierra crest.

If you ever want more eastern Sierra info, post here.  The Landscape forum on Fred Miranda is also a very good resource.

Paul

[DickKenny]

Paul, Steve & Tim:

Thank you for your very interesting advice. I like the idea of The Alabama Hills, Joshua Tree National Park, and also Anza Borrego State Park. That said, it seems to make sense to focus on LA as the jumping off point; rather than San Diego. Luckily, I can decide on a whim where I land, and judging by the driving distances involved the northern city makes more sense. What isn't so easy is allocating my time thereafter. But you have all provided significant help. I will now research further; focusing on the above three venues.

I am reminded by all of this of a (true) experience I had in Seattle years ago. A taxi driver asked myself and Swedish companion how we liked driving on the right hand side of the road. After digesting the news that Swedes drove on the right and only the English drove on the left, he turned and asked: "OK, so what happens at the border?"

I feel I know as little about Southern California and the 'old American west' although none of you have been so unkind as to infer any such thing.

Ah, well. Thanks again.

Cordially, Dick Kenny

[Lisa Nikodym]

It's true that the best "Old West" sites are nowhere near southern California.   But if you're willing to drive a little farther than the suggestions above, you can get a small taste of the "Old West" by visiting Death Valley and a "ghost town" a little beyond it, Rhyolite (Nevada).  Web site on it:
http://www.rhyolitesite.com/

That would be a lot of driving, however.

You might be interested in the following web site too:
http://www.ghosttowns.com/

Lisa

[Paul Sumi]

But if you're willing to drive a little farther than the suggestions above, you can get a small taste of the "Old West" by visiting Death Valley and a "ghost town" a little beyond it, Rhyolite (Nevada).

That is a very good idea.  May is probably too late for wild flowers (March would be ideal).  But temperatures would not be too hot yet (May average highs are typically in the 80's deg F).  You've also got some classic landscape locations like Badwater, Zabriskie Point, Mesquite Dunes, Dante's View, etc.  And the tourist stuff like Scotty's Castle.

Since the OP does not want to camp, the key would be to get reservations for lodging EARLY.  Stovepipe Wells is the least expensive (it's basically a place to sleep with few amenities), then Furnace Creek Ranch, then Furnace Creek Resort.

Death Valley NP is HUGE so there is a lot of driving involved even after you get there.

Paul

[vandevanterSH]

That said, it seems to make sense to focus on LA as the jumping off point;
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Well that offers two major options.  Desert or Ocean.  LA to Las Vegas, Valley of Fire State Park, Death Valley, etc.  OR,  LA to (fly out of)  San Francisco (Rt 1) Pacific Ocean Parks/Beaches,  Big Sur, Point Lobos, Monterey, etc.  Great photo opportunities either way.

Steve

[davidewers]

That said, it seems to make sense to focus on LA as the jumping off point;
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Well that offers two major options.  Desert or Ocean.  LA to Las Vegas, Valley of Fire State Park, Death Valley, etc.  OR,  LA to (fly out of)  San Francisco (Rt 1) Pacific Ocean Parks/Beaches,  Big Sur, Point Lobos, Monterey, etc.  Great photo opportunities either way.

Steve

A place that has not been over shot and quite close to LAX is the coastline off of Palos Verdes. It has some great tide pools and rocky coastline. You can be shooting within minutes of landing.