Joshua Tree National Park: The Rescue

Michael and Jill decided to escape the pressures of real life and go to Disneyland during Spring Break.  Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to Cali we go.  Since Michael is a semi-professional tour planner, he planned a route back to Utah via a camping trip in Joshua Tree National Park.  Although Princess Jill would have been more at home in the Disney Castle, she agreed to spend a few nights in a tent.

Their car died in the desert.  So we drove down to lend a hand.  As long as we were there, we took in a few of the wonders ourselves. 

Find the native wildlife in this picture. We think he might have had  Roadrunner for lunch.

These rocks are granite boulders, formed by volcanic activity.  As the granite cooled and crystalized underground, cracks formed horizontally and vertically. Eventually the surface soil eroded, leaving these heaps of "toy block" piles of rock.



Joshua Trees are actually a species of yucca.  They were named by the Mormon pioneers who likened them to Joshua's extended arms as he  lead the wandering  children of Israel in another desert.  Michaels extended arms are reaching out to another wanderer.

Joshua Trees can grow over 40 feet tall.  I think Jill and Michael are about full-grown.

These clusters bloom February through April.  Beautiful!






Petroglyphs in the desert?  The climate in this area was very different even in the 1800's.  The area continues to get dryer and hotter, but once it was a pleasant plain complete with buffalo and rock artists.



Cowboys of the last century tried to create a dam to support a cattle ranch.  It didn't last long, wonder of wonders.

These were the blackest lizards I have ever seen. Big too.

Jill was right about this scenery: "This looks like a scene out of a Dr. Suess story."

This is the Cholla Cactus Garden inside the park. 

These may look soft, but believe me, looks are deceiving!

Michael got looking closely at these cactus and noticed little rocks and pebbles caught in the spines of the cactus.  That must be just how hard the wind blows sometimes in the desert!

Yucca blooms