We hated to leave our desert camp, but we filled gas and drove a leisurely 97 miles to the entrance to Joshua Tree National park. Outside the entrance there was more BLM (Bureau of Land Management) public lands for dry camping. We've come to like that a lot because of the beauty, the quiet, and of course the cost (free). We could look down on I-10 in the valley below and see the traffic moving like ants, and the lit up trucks at night. After lunch, we headed into the park and first took a 3 mile hike up to a mountain peak and back. The rocks here are granite and piled in many fascinating formations. A few pitiful pictures don't do justice to the grandeur. Rock Split open This was a gold mine in operation from the 1930's to 1971. I wonder how they got the heavy timbers up there. Is there an elephant in this picture? People are free to climb on the rocks. Wildflowers were sparse but varied. See the Photo Gallery for more wildflower pics. After the 3 mile hike, we drove 40 miles through the park to see the Joshua Trees. We drove out of the Colorado (low) Desert into the Mojave (high) Desert. The Joshua Tree was once an endangered species and this is one of the few if not the only place they thrive. Although of the Yucca family, their wood was once harvested for lumber. Here is the Joshua Tree. Along the way was a grove of Cholla cacti. Very Prickly. There were some campsites in the park nestled in rocks. Mostly for tents, there were a few RV's in there. Tables and grills were snuggled up in the rocks - very cozy. And so we drive the 40 miles back to our 'home', arriving quite exhausted again. Tomorrow we plan a leisurely drive to Hemet, California. Hemet you ask? Why Hemet? Stay tuned.
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Who Are We?
Chuck and Mary Lou have been traveling in their RV since 2002 and have lately been taking longer, extended trips. This is our way to share our experiences. Trip Reports
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