Monday, November 4
Today, we left California and headed east to Joshua Lake RV and Campground. We decided to take a route north of the San Gabriel Mountains, avoiding LA traffic but taking us down smaller and rougher roads. Since we traveled over the mountain passes, I drove since I am less anxious about heights than Lisa.
Once we got through the mountain passes around Santa Clara, the roads became two-lane the rest of our route. It was really desolate terrain as we traveled through desert valleys between high mountain peaks. There was also very little traffic which gave a somewhat eerie feeling of being alone in the desert.
Joshua Tree Lake RV and Campground
It took us about 4 hours to get to the campground between Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms. There was a small lake on the site that was very nicely landscaped. When we pulled in, there was no one at the office. Eventually, someone noticed we were there and checked us in. Considering we were in the middle of the desert, the site was a spot to park next to a picnic table and a utility pole.
Joshua Tree National Park
Once we got set up, it was about 2 pm, so we hurried over to the Joshua Tree National Park visitor center about 10 miles away. The visitor center was outside the park in the town of Joshua Tree outside the West Entrance. We got our magnet there, visited their small museum, and watched an introductory movie. Though I knew the national park had many Joshua Trees, most of its popularity was the unusual rock formations created by volcanic action. Rock climbing seemed to be a popular activity in the park.
We did not have much daylight left, so we headed to the park. We stopped, walked around the one-mile Hidden Valley Nature Trail, and went farther down the trail to the Cap Rock Nature Trail.
We then headed up to Keys View, a lookout point at more than 5,000 feet elevation with sweeping views over the Coachella Valley.
It was getting dark fast, so we hurried over to Jumbo Rocks where one of the rock formations looked like a Giant Skull.
Evening
It was dark as we left the park at the Twentynine Palms and headed back to the trailer park.