TUESDAY& WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9 & 10:
Easier traveling days. The New Mexico picturesque pastel landscape gave way to Arizona's sun-baked Sonoran desert,
relieved
by the ascent into Flagstaff, where the desert yielded at first to
scattered Pinyon pines, Junipers, and scrub oaks, and then gradually
to full forests of Lodgepole and Ponderosa pines,. We were grateful
for the accompanying cooler temperatures, temporary as they were,
until we descended back into the desert. Very surprisingly, we ran
into scattered rainstorms during Tuesday afternoon, which became more
pronounced during the evening. We stayed that night just outside of
Kingman AZ at a nice campground and “Horse Hotel,” where you can
obviously keep your horses and ride them in the area. Was a nice
place, with very nice owners, and we would have enjoyed walking
around the grounds that evening, but was sporadically raining, and
very windy. We heard it rain off and on all during the night –
hard at times. I'm sure the locals were grateful for the rain!
We
realized sometime on Tuesday that we had actually given ourselves an
extra day and night to get to Oceanside. So we decided to break up
the remaining drive by stopping at Joshua Tree National Park and
spending a night there. We took secondary roads from Kingman
through quintessential California Mojave Desert terrain – hot and
dry and dusty and relatively barren. As we got closer to Twenty-nine
Palms, the barren landscape was dotted with many “dwellings” -
not more than shacks, really - some of which were obviously lived in,
and lots of others abandoned. They reminded me of the “cabin”
that our dad built way back in the 50's, along with ones our uncles
built, as an “investment.” I believe they paid a pittance for
the plots, in a deal similar to homesteading . . . owners were
obligated to build a minimal structure. I think that amenities like
water, electricity, etc., were promised by the developer. I will ask
our cousin Larry where those desert cabins were located . . . I
wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that they were right there
along Highway 62 which we traveled today. I remember going out to
the “cabin” at least a couple of times for a weekend . . . at
least one time with Uncle Merlin & Aunt Dorothy. The men worked
on the cabins, and we kids thought it was great fun – the closest
thing to camping we ever did!
We
arrived in the village of Joshua Tree - just west of Twenty-nine
Palms - and our campground around 2:00. The RV park was lovely.
It's pretty deserted now, in the hot summer. But I bet that in the
winter and spring, this place is really busy! It's lovingly
landscaped and well-kept.
We
just turned on the A/C full blast, relaxed, read, and dozed til about
5:00. Then drove into town and ate at a local chain Mexican
restaurant – not exactly fast food (ala Taco Bell), but not a real
sit-down-and-order place either. Obviously very popular in this area.
It was our first meal out so far, and after 3 nights of spaghetti,
it tasted good!
After
dinner, we drove into the National Park. Almost immediately, we were
surrounded by the Park's namesake – the Joshua Tree (actually, a
member of the Yucca family).
That, and the Park's other icon – its massive boulders. The scenery was incredible in the waning evening light, and the cooler temperatures made for a delightful drive.
We
drove out to a viewpoint called Keys View (so-named after a
pioneering couple named Bill & Frances Key), where, from an
elevation of 5,185 feet, you can overlook a stunning expanse of the
Coachella valley and more desert (including Palm Springs, on the
other side of the valley), and even the San Andreas fault. On a
clear day, that is. Which, apparently, is rare any more. Prevailing
weather and wind patterns funnel a vast amount of Los Angeles's
polluted air right up this valley, where it stays trapped by the
surrounding hills and mountains. Disappointing, but still a nice
view. Very cool and windy out there on the point! A taste of the
desert's extremes.
We'll explore a little more of the Park tomorrow morning, and then only a 3-hour drive to Oceanside.
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