Stop 1: Twentynine Palms, CA (Joshua Tree National Park)

We've spent 2 nights in Twentynine Palms, apparently at the same park that my sister Stacy and her husband Jack were at a week or so ago (and they don't even know our friend, the trashtruck driver).

After relaxing at our campsite the first afternoon, we spent Saturday morning in the park. Our first stop was the Oasis Visitors Center near the North Gate. Kristen is now old like me and she wanted buy her Senior Lifetime Pass to the Parks. My pass has gotten her into most places but we've run into a few cases where my discount didn't apply for her (Cavern tours, etc.).

We were there a little before the 9am opening time but there was an art festival going on in their courtyard. After going through the displays, we discovered that there was a walking trail that took us out the Oasis that was the start for Twentynine Palms (We saw a lot of young palms and a lot of dead palms so we didn't bother to count).

Mural on the side of the Oasis Visitors Center near the Joshua Tree National Park North Gate.

The Mara Oasis (near the Visitors Center). This is where Twentynine Palms got its' start.

Pool at the Mara Oasis.

Looking up from next to the pool at the Mara Oasis.

I'll digress a little bit here. In years past, we've made a couple of Springtime trips to Saguaro National Park in Tucson, AZ. The first time, everything was in bloom and it was beautiful. The second time, 2 to 3 years later, everything looked dead and shriveled. They had apparently gone 2 years without a drop of rain. Something in Stacy and Jack's blog from a week ago, left me expecting to see the same sort of desolation in Joshua Tree. I'm pleased to say that it was pretty much the same as it has been on our other visits.

Kristen and a bunch of rocks (in Joshua Tree NP)

We drove up to Keys View, one of the higher points in the park. Ran up the hill to the observation point and snapped a couple of pictures. It was about 40 degrees (I know, Briar, that's balmy) and we froze.

Salton Sea in the distance from Keys View (Joshua Tree NP)

Looking out over Palm Springs from Keys View (Joshua Tree NP)

Also from Keys View (Joshua Tree NP), that pale line across the middle is the San Andreas Fault.

It was very odd that most of the Joshua Tree blooms were either just budding or spent. This one was just right!

Thought that this description of how the Joshua Tree blossoms get pollinated was interesting.

The back side of Barker Dam (Joshua Tree NP). The water looks a little low.

A pair of ducks in the reservoir behind Barker Dam (Joshua Tree NP)

Some kind of pitcher flower on the trail to Barker Dam (Joshua Tree NP).

Jeff and a lot of Joshua Trees

We're off this morning to Weldon, CA. Near Lake Isabella and the Kern River. We had planned to stop in Ridgecrest but the RV parks their looked pretty sketchy.

-J-