Desert Battle: High Desert vs. Low Desert (Lancaster, Hemet: to live, tree)

[Brandon Graves]

Originally Posted by Brandon Graves

High Desert (Hi-Desert, Hi-Dez)

Los Angeles County
Antelope Valley (AV, The 661) (Palmdale, Lancaster, Pearblossom, etc.)

San Bernardino County
Victor Valley (VV, The Other 760, Victim Valley) (Victorville, Apple Valley, etc.)
Morongo Basin (Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms, Morongo Valley, etc.)
Barstow Area (Barstow, Fort Irwin, Newberry Springs, etc.)
Searles Valley (Trona)
Needles

Kern County
Indian Wells Valley (IWV) (Ridgecrest, Inyokern, etc.)
California City, Rosamond, Boron, North Edwards, etc.

Inyo County
Owens Valley (Lone Pine, Bishop, Independence, etc.)
Death Valley
Panamint Valley
Saline Valley

Mono County
Mammoth Lakes, Bridgeport, Lee Vining, etc.

Low Desert (Lo-Desert, Lo-Dez)

Riverside County
Coachella Valley (CV, Desert Empire, The 760, Deadly Empire) (Palm Springs, Indio, Palm Desert, etc.)
Palo Verde Valley (PVV, Blythe Area) (Blythe, Ripley, Mesa Verde, etc.)
Desert Center, Chiriaco Summit, Eagle Mountain

Imperial County
Imperial Valley (IV) (El Centro, Calexico, Brawley, Salton City, Niland etc.)

San Diego County
Anza-Borrego Desert (Borrego Springs, etc.)

Which of these two California deserts do you prefer, especially in the summer months, the High Desert or the Low Desert? Which area of those two California deserts?

Any answers/insights/votes (yes, votes) are greatly appreciated. Thank you all in advance!

There. I've now included Death Valley under Inyo County, in bold. How could I forget that area?

[CaliforniaGal]

I pick Lone Pine - Big Pine - Bishop - Mammoth -

My sister grew up down in Torrance (along with us). She moved to Bishop after her husband passed away- she grew to love it. She remarried and has not left Big Pine. I love it up there. She's been up there since the 70's. Worked in the clinic in Bishop and at Bishop Hospital. I love to visit up there.

[volosong]

I have to select both. The low desert for springtime Anza Borrego wildflowers and the Indian Wells professional tennis tournament and the high desert for access to the eastern Sierra playgrounds and the quick, easy drive to Nevada and parts beyond. So, I made my home in the middle of the two, the Antelope Valley.


.

[kttam186290]

The upper desert wins, for me!

Love visiting my brother and his family in Palmdale. They get a nice breeze at night that comes up the pass from Ventura County and cools things off. I love that there are Oak Trees, Cottonwoods, Junipers and Joshuas all over the hills around Palmdale. For me, it's just an hour's drive from my townhome here in Studio City to my brother's home in the foothills of West Palmdale. And, as Volosong says, it's an easy drive to the Sierras, or anywhere in the state for that matter, from there.

That being said, the Antelope Valley isn't a "true" desert. It's more of a steppe classification.

Another thing I like about the Antelope Valley is that it's solidly middle class. In my brother's neighborhood, he's got nurses, both LAPD and LA sheriffs, firemen, aerospace workers, teachers, professors, military veterans and retirees, people who commute to L.A., social workers, small business owners, people in management, federal workers at Edwards AFB, etc. I love the area near him called "Leona Valley" which is ranches and beautiful acreage.

That middle class dynamic is largely absent from the Coachella Valley where you essentially have the ultra-wealthy and their servant class. It's also something I notice here in the south San Fernando Valley and it's sad.

Coachella Valley also doesn't have the foothills, the oak tress and cottonwoods, and the ocean breezes in the evening.

[AFtrEFkt]

Originally Posted by kttam186290

That middle class dynamic is largely absent from the Coachella Valley where you essentially have the ultra-wealthy and their servant class.

What a load of bull. The CV does not consist only of kings and queens and their slaves toiling in their gardens.

[DCMann2]

High desert for sure, mainly because the climate is slightly less awful than the low desert, especially in summer. At least in the AV it usually cools down at night

[GSR13]

I love the low desert and prefer it as it is more of a true desert than the high desert.

That being said, the LD is in a state of uncertainty right now due to the Salton Sea. Almost all of the "proposals" to deal with the Sea include exposing dozens of square miles of exposed lakebed, which is filled with settled toxic chemicals originating from agricultural runoff. There is a risk for huge, recurring toxic dust storms which could completely devastate the area (widespread health problems, compromised crops, loss of property values and tourism for the Coachella Valley).

However, if a pipeline is built from the Sea of Cortez, the Sea will no longer shrink and could be restored as a tourist destination as it was during the 50's and 60's. So, you have two wildly diverging scenarios for the low desert that depends on what is done with the Salton Sea. The low desert of CA could end up as the greatest desert on earth, or it could end up as a tragic wasteland.

[NYSD1995]

If you are talking about buying rural property, 395 corridor or morongo valley is a no brainer compared to coachella valley

[Brandon Graves]

And of course, more people thus far have voted for the Low Desert, simply because of JUST the Coachella Valley. Interesting...

[Brandon Graves]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

If you are talking about buying rural property, 395 corridor or morongo valley is a no brainer compared to coachella valley

But, the Coachella Valley has some great rural areas as well. You can even keep chickens, cows, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, really any kind of livestock that you can possibly imagine on your acre lots! You got yourself, hmmm, let's see... Sky Valley, Thousand Palms, Indio Hills, Thermal, Mecca, Vista Santa Rosa, North Palm Springs, and so on! Even areas of some CV cities, such as (but mainly) Indio, Coachella, Cathedral City, and even Desert Hot Springs (yes, there too) are all great areas for buying rural property! You can even have the option to grow your own produce, such as citrus, tomatoes, salad greens, dates, etc. If anything, the Coachella Valley as a whole is a GREAT area for keeping livestock in the middle of the desert, if you know where to look, which are all of these areas previously mentioned! Not saying that it's the best, but it's still great, in my opinion...