A reasonable price for a real life thrill ride from the desert floor to the 8,000' pine forest. Take the tram up, spend the day in the forest, catch dinner and the sunset.
A little ways further down I-10 are some giant dinosaurs.
But they only take a few minutes to appreciate, so keep going until you find Oak Glen, a nice little town with apple orchards and a petting zoo. Worth the side trip.
I know a lot of low cost, interesting places in California, the kind that aren't on the usual tourist agenda. Reply to this post if you want more. -Jeff