So. Cal. Now

Anza-Borrego State Park at Borrego Springs preserves 600,000 acres of the Colorado Desert. You can check-out the fossils of the Carrizo Badlands and the shade of 17 Palms Oasis while visiting the the Park. You can get into hot water near there too.

Joshua Tree National Park is nearly in my back yard. Its east of the mineral baths of Desert Hot Springs and south of the 29 Palms Marine Base. If you are healthy and energetic a walk to and a visit at Hidden Palms Oasis near the Parks Cottonwood Springs entrance is a great way to begin to explore the area. My first visit to Hidden Palms was by moonlight, magic! Traveling south from that Cottonwood entrance you can reach the grapes and dates of Mecca in surprisingly short order. From Mecca you can visit the Salton Sea, Indio, and Palm Springs. The Slabs too, if you want.
If you leave JT Park at night by the 29 Palms entrance you will probably be treated to the lights of the great Marine Base. They may remind you or Disneyland.