Road Trip: Searching for Stars

On the first-ever road trip edition of the California Now Podcast, host Soterios Johnson gets out of the studio and explores Southern California’s awe-inspiring night sky. His stargazing adventure begins in sunny San Diego: After selecting the perfect set of wheels, Johnson jets to the Fleet Science Center to get a sense of our solar system and learn the best practices for star sighting. Then it’s time to dig into some earthly delights (hold the hot sauce) at Roberto’s Taco Shop before heading east toward the desert.

A stop in the mountain town of Julian provides the opportunity to visit a bed-and-breakfast, that caters to amateur astronomers. Just before sunset, Johnson arrives in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the only International Dark Sky Community in the state of California, to enjoy a guided tour through the universe. After a luxurious night at La Casa Del Zorro, Johnson drives through Joshua Tree National Park—he takes the less-traveled Southern Entrance and as a result enjoys relative solitude—as he continues on to learn about a star party in Twentynine Palms.

To order a copy of California Road Trips: 50 Life-Changing Adventures, a high-end publication that includes more about this itinerary (and 49 others), please visit Amazon.com.