"This guidebook volume for the 2016 GSA Cordilleran Section Meeting, which was held in Ontario, California, explores varied geological features of southern California and Nevada, including the Mojave Desert and Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument"--

Identifies one thousand types of California's plant and animal life, offers an overview of its natural history, and describes the state's beaches, parks, preserves, and forests.

Excerpt from California of the South: Its Physical Geography, Climate, Resources, Routes of Travel, and Health-Resorts, Being a Complete Guide-Book to Southern California In the mountain-chains, also, a similarity and again a difference may be noted. Upon each coast in the southern portion a system of mountain-chains follows the shore-line at a greater or less distance inland. Upon the Atlantic side this system, the Appalachian, begins in Northern Georgia, and extends continuously through the Carolinas, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, finally disappearing in Northern Maine. It runs parallel to the coast, and at a distance of from two to three hundred miles inland. South of this line the land ceases, and the great heated body of the Gulf waters ex tends across the southern border of the continent, sending its modifying influence, borne by the Gulf winds, far inland along the open valley-way of the Mississippi. North of Central New York the chain begins to break down, leaving the country Open upon the north and west to the cold winds which sweep down from the polar seas, and from the great frozen plains which extend to the mouth of the Mackenzie. The northwesterly winds gather an increased harshness from the winter-chilled waters of the Great Lakes, across which they pass. This Appalachian system is made up of mountains of limited altitude, ranging only from two to three thousand feet in height, and broken by numerous passes and low reaches. Between these mountains and the sea lies a coast-plain, broad, continuous, fertile, watered by many rivers, and broken by no transverse range of mountains. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Whether you want to get a glimpse of the Hollywood sign, hike in Joshua Tree National Park, or visit San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter , the local Fodor’s travel experts in Southern California are here to help! Fodor’s Southern California guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos. Fodor’s Southern California travel guide includes: AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time MORE THAN 25 DETAILED MAPS and a FREE PULL-OUT MAP to help you navigate confidently COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust! HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LOCALS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, performing arts, activities, and more PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “Best Beaches in San Diego,” “Best Celebrity Hangouts in L.A.,” and more TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, politics, art, architecture, cuisine, music, geography and more SPECIAL FEATURES on the “San Diego Zoo,” “What to Eat and Drink,” and “What to Watch and Read Before Your Trip” LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: Los Angeles, San Diego, Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, the Pacific Coast Highway, Route 66, Big Sur, Santa Barbara, the Mojave Desert, Palm Springs, and more. Planning on visiting other destinations in the southwest? Check out Fodor’s Arizona, Fodor's Fodor's Las Vegas, Fodor's Utah, and Fodor's InFocus Santa Fe . *Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition. ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS : Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!