“Yeah, Desert Sky - Dream beneath the Desert Sky”
A drive through Joshua Tree National Park might take a couple hours, viewing the park from the road. An exploration of the park would take a lifetime. Joshua Tree National Park has over 550,000 acres of wilderness filled with a variety of plants and animals that make their home in this land shaped by strong winds, unpredictable torrents of rain, and climatic extremes. Every now and then, man intrudes in this wilderness and leaves his brief, passing mark among the surreal geologic features that cover the landscape. Let’s go see what we can find.
I was wandering around the Wonderland of Rocks, looking for pictographs and petroglyphs. That involves climbing a lot of rocks, peeking under boulders, squeezing through creosote-choked passageways, getting poked by yucca and very rarely, having a rattlesnake sound its displeasure at my presence. But it's always fun to explore in J Tree, to see what I can find. And occasionally, I find what I'm looking for, which is like icing on a cake.
Read MoreLong before modern-day campers began coming to J Tree, olden-day campers lived and traveled through this land. They were the Cahuilla, the Chemehuevi and the Serrano Native Americans. Did they enjoy the desert solitude and jumbo rocks as visitors do today? I'd like to think so.
Read MoreYes, I collect vintage post cards along several different categories. One is Joshua Tree National Monument/Park. I like the real photo post cards the best, but the linen cards have a neat texture and some very interesting colors. As I have time, I'll post some of the more interesting ones here in this thread.
Read MoreEnjoy hiking? About a quarter mile west of the entrance to Jumbo Rocks campground, on the south side of Park Blvd., there are several large rocks blocking the entrance into what looks like an old jeep road that heads off into the desert. What more of an invitation do you need? There’s plenty of room to park nearby, so pull over, take a day pack with plenty of water and some snacks, and hit the trail. Plan on about four miles roundtrip, roughly 50 feet of elevation change and a wonderful time.
Read MoreThis is a tale of danger and deceit, a story of riches found and fortunes lost; a trail that led to the brink of madness and beyond. Take heed, stranger, and read on at your risk. For I have met the Zombie Woof and have been...changed. You have been warned.
Read MoreJoshua Tree National Park, the California Gold Country, forgotten places in the Mojave Desert. These are a few of my favorite things.
