Desert Trip (Day 4)

Monday, February 14. After breakfast we drove to Joshua Tree National Park, about an hour from the town of Palm Desert. This was our first visit to a national park in a desert environment. Actually we learned that the park is made up of parts of two different deserts, the Colorado and the Mojave. The dividing line between the two deserts is around the 2,000' elevation level. The joshua trees, and certain other desert plants, will grow above that elevation but not below it. Conversely, other desert plants, such as the Cholla cactus and the Ocotillo plant, will grow only at or below 2,000'.

The joshua tree was so named by the Mormon pioneers because it reminded them of the prophet Joshua raising his hands to God. Actually, it is neither a tree or a cactus, although it is covered with sharp spine-like leaves. It is a member of the lily family (Brachifolia) that has adapted to living in a desert environment at the 2,000 - 3,000 ft. elevation levels.

The park is part of a huge mountain range which recieves less than 10"of rain a year. It is a barren-looking landscape, but magnificent in its own way. Fantastic rock formations are scattered throughout the land, the results of geologic uplift and erosion. We walked amoung some of the rock formations to a pool of water whose source is a spring. We saw ducks on the water, a hummingbird in the top of a small tree and a small ground squirrel running through the rocks.

We drove up to the highest veiwing point of the park called Key's View, over 5'000'high. . From there, we could see for miles, down into the Coachella Valley where Palm Springs is located, and across the valley to San Jacinto Mountain State Park, where we were yesterday. The air was hazy, even though the day was clear and sunny. This was from the pollutants being blown into the valley from the Los Angeles area in the west. On some summer days, the air in the park is at dangerous levels becuse of the prevailing winds from the coast.

We arrived back at the RV late and decided to eat out to celebrate Valentine's Day. We ended up at the Rockin' Baja Mexican Sports Bar and Cantina. Despite the name, the food was great.