Joshua Tree National Park

Chris and I went to Joshua Tree National Park yesterday. It didn't take as long as we thought to get to the North Entrance--only 2 hours. There was very little traffic on the 10 which is unheard of in this town!

First we walked to the "Oasis of Mara" behind the Oasis Visitors Center. Not too impressive, so we didn't take any pictures. Next we drove to Skull Rock and did some exploring in the huge rock formations.

We then drove up to Keys View where you overlook the Coachella Valley and can see all the way to Mexico on a clear day (it wasn't clear enough yesterday). Supposedly you can see the San Andreas Fault Line, but I couldn't really find it.

Joshua Tree National Park actually contains two different deserts, the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert. The famous Joshua Trees are located only in the Mojave, which is at a higher elevation than the Colorado.

Next, we went to Arch Rock. There wasn't a really great vantage point from which to get a good picture. I was especially interested in Arch Rock because we are planning a trip to Arches National Park later this year.

We drove to the Cholla Cactus Garden which is a "jumping cactus"--if you get too close the needles "jump" onto your clothing or skin and are painful and difficult to get out--needless to say I didn't test my luck.

Here we are in front of an Ocotillo

And Finally, a trip to the desert is not complete without a trip to Babes, home of the best St. Louis style ribs I've EVER HAD!