Things to Do in Brawley

At The Living Desert, a dedicated conservation team tends to plants and animals populating more than 1,800 acres of desert—1,000 of which remain in their natural, undisturbed state. In addition to protecting the Colorado Desert's native population of birds, wolves, reptiles, and minotaurs, The Living Desert houses bighorn sheep, cheetahs, striped hyenas, leopards, and parrots from arid regions throughout the globe. Through annual contributions, members of the nonprofit organization help preserve the Colorado Desert and bolster the population of endangered desert species. Members also gain unlimited access to the park, discounts in the gift shop, and invitations to special events, such as the annual member-cheetah race.

Giant Paintball's five locations spider across Southern California, causing flickering rainbows of color that splatter players failing to find cover. Shelter such as castle walls or Old West storefronts dot fields at the Alpine and Lakeside locations, and in Bellflower, Hollywood Sports places players in a 23-acre universe populated with authentic movie sets from the likes of Starship Troopers and Godzilla. At SC Village in Chino, camouflaged paintballers trek through 25 fields of jungle and desert landscape, popping off rounds from behind mesh-covered tanks and army-green helicopters. The wide open battle zones of California Paintball Park in Castaic, meanwhile, challenges competitors' long-distance sharpshooting as they navigate gigantic wooden spindles and wooden forts.

At each of Giant Paintball's sprawling venues, teams rent gear such as Tippmann guns and buy battle-proven equipment at their pro shops. Players also engage in airsoft matches—a game that uses plastic BBs instead of paintballs–at the Hollywood Sports and SC Village locations. Rock climbing, BMX racing, indoor soccer, a two-story arcade, a restaurant, and other athletic diversions can also be found at Hollywood Sports enormous entertainment complex.

San Diego Motorsport Rentals gives outdoor adventurers the ability to tame any obstacle with the fleet of all-terrain and aquatic vehicles. Four-wheeled ATVs from Honda, Suzuki, and Kawasaki cut through more than 150,000 acres of road-free land. Their mechanics also keep engines in tune on four-stroke dirt bikes so riders can feel the wind blow through their hair while tearing through rugged paths or their high school graduation. From their Grand Avenue and Mission Bay outposts, customers can check out jet skis or boats ready to break through incoming breakers.

Across the nation, the skies are filled with giant, kaleidoscopically colored balloons languidly soaring over snowcapped peaks and green valleys. This is partly due to Balloon Rides Online, whose network of nationwide hot-air balloons paints the sky each day. Employing a FAA-approved basket and a professional pilot who has completed at least 500 flight hours, the company floats passengers over mountains, forests, and streams of caramel for one hour. While gliding with the ease of a cloud, pilots encourage guests to snap photos of sprawling landscapes and capture the moment. After landing, crew members and passengers celebrate with a champagne, mimosa or orange-juice toast—an important tradition in hot-air ballooning and preparing for inevitable hovercraft uprisings. With passengers' safety in mind, Balloon Rides Online also keeps a minimum insurance liability of $100,000 per guest.

Bikram Yoga Grand Central's Bikram-certified instructors preside over three to six classes each day inside an eco-friendly, 1,200-square-foot studio in Midtown. During the detoxifying yoga sessions, thermostats climb to a sultry 105 degrees in order to limber limbs for 26 different poses. As Half Moon poses loosen obliques and Cobra poses arch backs, a poly-extruded floor accelerates evaporation to keep the space dry and bacteria-free, preventing yogis from having to don uncomfortable hazmat suits during class. Changing rooms and showers help students to smoothly transition between the studio's balmy domain and their next engagements. An expansive, wind-kissed terrace and panoramic windows gird a foyer equipped with Flotex flooring that boasts antimicrobial and waterproof properties.