A tree called Joshua

Cathedral City, CA – Today we experienced landscapes unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, as we toured Joshua Tree National Park in California’s Mojave Desert. The park is about an hour’s drive from our RV park here in the Coachella Valley, and we did a lot of climbing, in the car and on foot, achieving a high point at 5,185 feet.

Our reward was a sweeping vista of the valley and surrounding mountain ranges, and a refreshing cool breeze at the top. But there were more treats in store!

Actually, the first treat, at least for the unexpected crowds we encountered at the visitor center at the park entrance, was free admission; since this is Presidents’ Day weekend, the fees were waived. We had purchased an annual pass back in Mississippi for all US national parks we plan to visit, so it didn’t really mean a lot to us.

Keys View was the name of the observation point we stopped at; it’s named after Bill Keys, a homesteader who came to the area in the 1930s to work in the nearby mines.  He built a ranch, married and had seven children, scratching out his living from the desert.  Before his time, World War I veterans established the town of Twentynine Palms, at the edge of the park, when they discovered that the dry climate helped those whose lungs were damaged by poison gas.

The Joshua Tree, actually a type of yucca plant, got its name from Mormon pioneers who thought they resembled the biblical prophet raising his arms in supplication to God.  There are thousands of Joshua trees in the park, sometimes in forests and sometimes standing alone, with twisting, spiky arms snaking out in all directions.  They grow about an inch a year, so it takes a long time for them to reach their maximum height of around 40 feet.  Some of them look like they were designed by Dr. Seuss!

The road through the park is a biker’s dream with serpentine ups and downs, and there are plenty of pullouts where you can stop for a closer look at the terrain and read a plaque with explanatory material.  From flat, sandy plains with a few isolated trees, to panoramic vistas and amazing rock formations, the park offers something for everyone.  We marveled at tiny figures of people climbing high atop some of the rocks, and were startled at one point when a tiny kangaroo rat scampered across the road in front of us.  Aside from a lone hawk overhead, it was the only wildlife we saw.

Another highlight of our visit was the Cholla Cactus Garden (pronounced “choya”) – a huge expanse of these twisted, spiky cacti which look soft and fuzzy from a distance but can inflict extremely painful wounds with their needle-like spines. The newer growth at the top is whitish, but the older parts near the ground almost look burnt because they are so dark.  They set forth small yellow cups at the tips of the branches that look flower-like.  A self-guided tour helped us recognize creosote trees and jojoba shrubs among the chollas, and to learn more about how these plants survive in such arid conditions.