If you look "south/southwest", there's this big mountain thing.
It happens to have a secret road nobody knows about called "Angeles Crest Highway". It's about 60 miles away. Look for a small hamlet named Wrightwood.
Due south is Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead.
Northwest is Lake Isabella, but it's about 2.5hr one way to get there.
Northeast is Death Valley. In Death Valley, it doesn't matter that the road is straight -- it's Death Valley, and that's a quality all it's own.
And, yea, if you can get a dual sport, well, then you can get yourself in to all sorts of trouble.
Yea, it's desert, but it's centrally located desert. You may not be right next door to stuff, but you're close, especially for day trips or overnights, to some just amazing stuff.