Time to move inland for a while. Off to Joshua Tree National Park. Dreading the drive toward L.A (can you say TRAFFIC!!), we got some advice from staff at the visitor center in Oceano – she had done the drive many times and gave us a route to follow, avoiding the worst of L.A traffic. We still encountered a lot of traffic in the Pasadena and San Bernardino area, but all in all, the advice was solid. After a long 7 hours we made it to Chiriaco Summit where we camped for 1 night for free at a hill behind the General George Patton museum – a space for about 20 RV’s. It is at the top of a very long uphill climb – nothing around – but there is suddenly a truck stop, gas station, and small store – and the museum. Very noisy from the highway which is non-stop trucks day and night…… I have never seen so many trucks on a highway – a constant convoy. No doubt California produce on its way to markets east and probably north.
We are in the desert now, it’s warmer and everything is brown. The park is a very popular one and full every weekend, so we camped at a BLM site (Bureau of Land Management – or Crown Land in Canada), free camping, where we will stay for 4 nights – just outside the park’s South entrance.
A drive into the park’s south area the 1st day we do a hike to an old gold mine. The easy hike begins with plant marker and descriptions. An easy but fascinating hike along a well marked trail with gnarly cacti and interesting rock formations leads to an old gold mine. There were over 300 mines in the area at one time.
Along the hike are many species of Cacti, unfortunately none are blooming at this time of year. Their flowers are beautiful in Spring. You don’t dare trip and fall into one of these bushes!
The natives used most of these Cacti and succulents for medicine, dye for clothing, and making baskets etc.
This one is a Dollarjoint Pricklypear
