YUM to PSN

California has attracted people with its climate and natural resources for thousands of years. This attraction continues to this day with beautiful parks, famous cities and a rich history.

Deserts are often thought of as dry, desolate, and deadly. Here in the southern region of California, two desert ecosystems converge to form a distinctly unique National Park. In this area, animals, plants, birds, and pioneers have lived, died, thrived and struggled.

The Salton Sea is the largest lake in California. Located in the southeastern region of the state, it spans Riverside and Imperial counties in one of California's most scenic desert areas. There was great excitement about developing resorts and luxury communities along its banks...but history and geography have not been kind to the Salton Sea.

Sprawling across southwestern Arizona, parts of California, portions of northern Mexico, and much of Baja California, the Sonoran Desert is a massive desert region covering a considerable amount of area in North America. Though the desert might at first appear desolate, the area actually gets up to sixteen inches of rain each year, which helps to support a large and diverse ecosystem teeming with plants and animals.

Be on the lookout near Odell, IL for a sea of 400 foot tall windmills, painted light grey to blend in with the clouds. The three-bladed windmills are turned into the wind by a computer-controlled motor, and the wind spins turbines which are up to 130 feet long - more than the length of three 18-wheelers parked end to end!

Can you image yourself up on the big silver screen or living in the same neighborhood with a star as big as Frank Sinatra? For a century Palm Springs, California has been a second-home mecca for movie stars, and now its amenities are attracting retirees in record numbers.