Greetings from Palm Springs, CA

[jim_jm]

I'm not as familiar with the Palm Springs area, but about 60-90 mins drive south is the Anza-Borrego desert State Park with tons of photo opportunities. Fall to Spring is definitely the best time for shooting with variable weather and interesting skies.
Truckhaven Rocks, Split Mountain and Fonts Point are just a few areas that are easy to reach and may not have the crowds that you see at Joshua Tree.

[Pieter]

What are you talking about? Anyone can take pictures of the desert when it's dry and sunny. This is the time to make pictures no one else can. I was once in the Superstition Wilderness in Arizona in a snow storm that dumped a foot of snow on all the Saguaro cactus. Quite a rare sight to see -- and photograph.

Flash floods in the desert are no picnic.

[ericantonio]

Exactly Pieter! I don't want to get stuck anywhere out there!

[ericantonio]

I'm not as familiar with the Palm Springs area, but about 60-90 mins drive south is the Anza-Borrego desert State Park with tons of photo opportunities. Fall to Spring is definitely the best time for shooting with variable weather and interesting skies.
Truckhaven Rocks, Split Mountain and Fonts Point are just a few areas that are easy to reach and may not have the crowds that you see at Joshua Tree.

Fonts Point is nice but definitely 4WD territory for about 3/4 a mile. Where's the neat dragon snek place? I was actually thinking of Montezuma Grade last weekend and just enjoy the scenery.

[jim_jm]

The sculptures are all over the desert around the town of Borrego Springs. Location maps are available in many of the stores and hotels in town, probably in the visitor center as well.
The dragon is certainly the largest, each section being about 10-20 feet high. There are also dinosaurs, prehistoric horses and other creatures. Definitely worth a visit!