This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Tour California’s sleeping giant


to the Salton Sea, near the Mexican border. Visible from space, it is an even more magnificent sight to see on land, especially in the area surrounding Palm Springs where the tortured landscape has been literally ripped apart. Te fault forms the tectonic bound-


T


ary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. Te plates are moving at an average rate of a couple of inches per year. However this is not a steady motion; the plate can remain motionless for years and then, suddenly, once the tension has built up, the rocks along the fault line will break and move a few feet all at once, sending out waves in all directions. Tese waves are felt as earthquakes. What makes this 20 mil- lion year old fault unique is that it is on land; most plate boundaries are found in the ocean.


Despite its propensity for creating


earthquakes of mass destruction, the fault lures tourists to the many roads, campsites and national parks dotted along its borders. Te San Andreas Fault is the most accessible fault in the world to view. You will find some of the most spectacular scenery in this potentially deadly earthquake zone. Here, the bones of the earth are exposed, providing a breath-taking and dramatic landscape like no other on earth. Take a tour


To see this magnificent wonder up


close, consider taking a Red Jeep Tour by Desert Adventures Eco Tours and Events.


Red Jeep Tours have been offering tours of the fault for 28 years. Tis fam- ily business started with one vehicle and has increased to 15 CJ-8 Jeep Scram- blers. Open doors and windows offer a cooling breeze as the jeep and your naturalist guide whisk you across the desert. Guides have been given exten- sive training. Many have been with the company over fifteen years and are very familiar with the more than 800 acres of the Metate Ranch, a private property in the Indio Hills that is located directly on the San Andreas Fault zone. As you drive across the tortured land-


scape, you can’t help but feel you have entered another world. You will stop at


thehubwinnipeg.com


he most accessible fault in the world, the San Andreas Fault, runs through Califor- nia from Cape Mendocino


Red Jeep Tours offer edu-tainment along the San Andreas Fault.


Kids, curious to a fault, explore the caves.


three locations on your three-hour ad- venture while your guide informs you about the flora and fauna that live in this foreign looking land. It is a 10 to 15 minute walk at each stop to reach the sights.


Natural Oasis


One stop brings you to a natural palm oasis in the middle of barren rock where water bubbles up out of the earth’s un- derground aquifer year round. Cahuilla Indians, the Agua Caliente Band, were the first to take up residency here more than 3,000 years ago. Tey were peace- ful people living off the land by hunt- ing and gathering until the population was decimated by small pox. Guides will introduce you to these people and their culture as they lead you through a recre- ated Indian village complete with sweat lodge located on an actual Cahuilla vil- lage site.


Te stop everyone looks forward to involves a scenic drive through the can-


yons created by the San Andreas Fault itself. Steep walls of massive rock rise on both sides of the narrow road that is the only way in and only way out. Your guide will take you on a hike through one of the smaller “slot” canyons in this magi- cal place. Te tour is a photographer’s dream, filled with panoramic vistas. Eve- ning tours, where you can spend the last bit of your tour doing a little bit of star- gazing, are also available. Owner and operator, Bob Schneider, is


proud of the service they offer. “It’s edu- tainment,” he says. “Te sights are amaz- ing and, since this is private property, the land is pristine desert. I am proud to say we have had a five-star rating on Trip Advisor for the last five years running.” For more information about Desert


Adventures Eco Tours please visit their website. Celebrity Home tours and tours to Joshua Tree National Park, Indian Canyons and many more are also avail- able. Visit red-jeep.com for more info.


Fall 2015 • 55


Photos courtesy of Red Jeep Tours.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104