World's Biggest Dinosaurs roam the desert near Palm Springs

Windmills on the way to Palm Springs.

Dinosaurs roam the desert near Palm Springs, CA.

ROAR: Inside the belly of a Brontosaurus.

World's Biggest Dinosaurs!

The World's Biggest Dinosaurs Museum features real looking robotic and static dinosaurs.

Traveling eastbound on the 10 Freeway from Los Angeles to Palm Springs, CA you'll find hundreds of windmills, the Moranga Casino, the Cabazon Outlet Mall -- and dinosaurs! The World's Biggest Dinosaur Museum is little more than a pit stop, but its hard not to be enthralled by the Brontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex that roam roadside. The museum is open year-round for a modest price, and dinosaur structures are pretty amazing, but be warned: The site is used to to teach anti-Darwinism and also "teaches facts" about creationism. We skipped the bible lesson and hit the road instead.

The Living Desert: Zoo & Botanical Garden

The Living Desert in Palm Desert, CA features animals and plants that thrive in hot desert conditions.

The Mojave Garden.

G-Scale Model Train Exhibit.

Waiting to ride the Carousel.

Serene and her Papi.

Alex's favorite animal is a lion.

 The explorers!

Alex and Serene loved the zoo.

The Living Desert in Palm Desert, CA (neighbor to Palm Springs) features animals and plants native to hot desert regions worldwide including jaguar, giraffe, meerkat, cheetah and two dozen other species. The zoo and its gardens are open daily, but hours in the summer are shorten due to excessive heat. There is a carousel, a G-scale model train exhibit, a wildlife show, as well as numerous other perks (like camel rides) that are offered at special times. For hikers, the park offers more than 1,080 acres of undisturbed Sonoran desert to take in for a casual stroll or a strenuous hike through a boulder field.

8,516 Feet above Palm Springs

The City of Palm Springs is below.

Snow in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains.

Catching some rays and some zzzz's high above Palm Springs.

The ride to the top takes about 10 minutes. 80 people per car. 

Squirrel: I know I can get that little girl to give me a snack.

Serene: Come here little squirrel. I have a snack.

The views are stunning.

The inclines are steep.

One and a half miles straight above Palm Springs, CA is the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, which was designated a treasured natural and cultural resource by a special act of Congress in 2000. There are 54 miles of hiking trails in pristine wilderness with bighorn sheep, grey fox, mountain lion, deer, bobcat and many other animals. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, on the world's largest rotating tram cars, will take you there in about 10 minutes. More than 12 million people have been transported safely to the top of the mountain since the tramway opened in 1963.  I wonder how many of them were queasy and qualmish by the time they got up there?

The only thing worse than feeling totally sick is when your kids are totally sick and there is nothing you can do to help them. It only worsens when you are far from home. As we climbed the mountain, Alex turned green and spiked a fever. By the time we reached the top, the poor kid collapsed. At least a two hour drive from home, and 8,516 feet above sea level is not a great place for your child to tell you he's not feeling so great. The spectacular views and crisp fresh air didn't do much to help. Even pepperoni pizza didn't coax him back from feeling glum. We snapped a few shots, Serene fed a squirrel and we headed back down the mountain for the long trip home.

Never-the-less, thumbs up all around for this vacation destination. A definite 'must-do' if you're in the Palm Springs area.