TwentyNine Palms RV Resort, 29 Palms CA
Driving through southern Nevada and into California, we passed close to the Mojave Desert in the rain, which felt surreal. Clouds covered the peaks, and fog rolled in during a few drive sections. Finally, we arrived at the campground on the east edge of Twentynine Palms. After settling in, we chatted with some of our neighbors. One couple, visiting from Alaska, was heading south to escape the cold. We, too, were looking to warm up, although it wasn't as cold for us as it was for them!
The night brought colder temperatures and strong winds, but we hoped for better weather the next day. I woke early to catch the sunrise, filling the eastern sky with a beautiful golden glow. Looking up, I noticed hundreds of buzzards flying overhead, creepy as they circled above the campground.
The morning weather turned out to be lovely, with clear skies, a light breeze, and warmer temperatures. We decided to drive to the east entrance of Joshua Tree National Park, just 10 minutes away. I launched the "Just Ahead" app and began touring the park. We stopped to take in the views and beautiful desert landscape with Joshua Trees and cacti. After a few miles, we came to a trailhead and parking area with many cars. That starts a short loop to Arch Rock and Heart Rock going east and a backcountry trail to the west. We explored the trail to the east, a short mile to Heart Rock, and then continued a loop around Arch Rock. The rock formations were fun to play on; some reminded me of the Rock Man from "Galaxy Quest."
There's a small campground south of Arch Rock, similar to Atlatl in the Valley of Fire. The campground has large rock formations in its center and around its perimeter.
The weekend crowd was out in full force, and the trails were busy. We decided to check out the Visitor Center for range programs and get lunch. We enjoyed our lunch at Grnd Sqrl in Twentynine Palms. I had falafel and halloumi cheese with harissa tahini dressing, which was just lovely. Tom went for a pulled pork sandwich—excellent!
It's another day exploring Joshua Tree National Park. Today, we wanted to explore the high desert in the park's north section. We took Park Boulevard west after a quick stop at the Visitor's Center in Twentynine Palms. The 'Just Ahead' app, a handy audio guide, was playing, providing us with information about the park's history, geology, and wildlife. It also gave us a heads-up for upcoming points of interest. We stopped at Live Oak, a 30-foot oak tree growing by huge boulders. Then we hiked around Split Rock, an aptly named formation. I am still amazed that most rocks in the park are granite and very grippy indeed. Playing on these rocks is easy; I was not slipping, but if you are using your hands, it may be challenging. It's like touching rough sandpaper.
The next stop was Skull Rock, which was very easy to get to on the side of the road, but parking was challenging. Since we parked way up the road, we had fun hiking up to Skull Rock. Tom noticed that we walked in a washout, not on a trail. Looking at the erosion of the rocks, it's clear that water and wind play a significant role in it.
We drove by the Hall of Horrors (there was no place to park), which we learned is very popular with climbers—looking at the apparent parking situation.
Finally, we drove up to Keys View. At over 5,000 feet, it offers a panoramic view of the Coachella Valley, Santa Rosa, and the Santa Jacinto Mountains beyond. The San Andreas Fault runs right through it. The towns of Palm Springs, Desert Springs, and Indio are there, and it will be our home for a week starting tomorrow.
Returning from Keys View, we stopped at Cap Rock, another beautiful formation with a short trail to explore. We learned that Gram Parsons from the Byrds loved Joshua Tree and spent a lot of time here. When he died of a drug overdose, his friends brought his body and his ashes were buried by Cap Rock.
We left the park via the West Entrance and went to Joshua Tree, looking for lunch. Our choice was Crossroads Cafe , a small and funky place with great food and a great vibe. After a late lunch of grilled ahi tuna burger for me with Stony Hazy IPA and tuna melt for Tom, we were ready to go home and rest. Tomorrow, we are off to Indio!
