Virtual Guidebooks to
Southern and Eastern California

Southern and Eastern California Map Nevada State Page Arizona State Page Arizona State Page Baja California State Page Northern California State Page Channel Islands San Diego Los Angeles Santa Barbara Deserts of Southern California Death Valley National Park East of the Sierra
I have divided southern and eastern California into seven guidebooks containing more than 700 VR Panoramas: To begin, just click one of the guidebooks (regions) listed here, or click on the map, or scroll down to see a detailed list. Not familiar with VR panoramas? - CLICK HERE - to see an example.

The public image of Southern California fixates on Hollywood, beaches with palm trees, and endless freeways. In reaility these stereotypes are concentrated in a fairly narrow band along the coast, dominated by the vast metropolis of Los Angeles. But across the mountains and free of the congestion and pollution there is another reality, amazing landscapes of mountains and deserts, and off the coast is a chain of islands that few people ever see. In all there are four national parks in the Southland.

I tend to avoid the urban areas of Southern California but love to travel through the transmontane deserts and ranges, especially in the winter and spring.

Three guidebooks cover the urban coastal strip: Santa Barbara for Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties in the north; Los Angeles for the non-desert parts of Los Angeles County, Orange County, and the Inland Empire; then San Diego County continuing south to the border.
The Channel Islands, though small, are so unique they get their own guidebook.
The deserts begin with a long narrow strip East of the Sierra, followed by enormous Death Valley National Park. The Deserts of Southern California covers the rest, including East Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park.









Next State: Nevada

Contact Don Bain: dbain@virtualguidebooks.com