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John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints |
Large areas of the southwest of the USA are deserts. However, please don't get the impression that the whole of America is desert - far from it. East of the Mississippi River there are virtually no arid areas. Between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains the Great Plains are semi-arid, but certainly not deserts.
Most of the desert areas in the USA lie between the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains, or south of that area. This region is home to many magnificent National Parks and other scenic areas.
Except for some relatively small areas, don't expect to find sand dunes in American deserts. Also, you'll only find the giant Saguaro cacti, so often depicted as a symbol of American deserts, in the eastern part of the Sonoran Desert.
Over most of the desert regions of America the dominant vegetation is the creosote bush or the sagebrush. However, in many places the vegetation is more varied, with cacti, yuccas and other plants. In parts of the Mojave Desert the Joshua Tree, a giant yucca, can be seen.
For visitors from other countries, America's desert areas present a fascinating and appealing combination of huge open spaces, geological splendour and exotic vegetation.
Driving on main roads through the desert areas of the USA is not at all dangerous. However, venturing onto unpaved backroads and especially off roads altogether can be extremely dangerous without local knowledge and adequate preparation. If you should suffer a breakdown, it is highly recommended to stay with your vehicle.
A visit to a desert area in autumn, winter or spring may be considerably more comfortable than during the intense heat of summer. However, the summer heat in the desert is extremely dry and therefore many people consider it more tolerable than the very humid heat of summer in the southeast states such as in Florida.
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EMail me While I have an interest in the subject of deserts, I am not an expert. Therefore I regrettably cannot offer any information on the subject other than that which appears on these pages.
Most recently modified 25-Mar-01