Joshua Tree
We’d been there before but couldn’t wait to return to Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California. In January we were staying at an RV park near Palm Springs so it was less than an hour drive to the park. The south entrance took us to Cottonwood Springs, a California Fan Palm oasis in the mountainous desert. Joshua Tree is a huge preserve in the mountains at the juncture of the Colorado Desert and the Mohave Desert. It was established to protect plants, especially the Joshua Tree, which were being dug up to landscape Los Angeles. It is a rugged landscape of Monzogranite boulders and formations eroded by wind and water. The Joshua Trees stand out in this stark landscape like Dr. Suess characters.
Cottonwood Springs Oasis
Mountains and Alluvial Fan mosiac
Monzogranite picnic area
Arch Rock
Sheltering rock
Gold mining here until 1969
Joshua trees and monzogranite
We went back to Joshua Tree in March and the desert was blooming. Be sure to click on the photos for a larger image. Moisture from El Nino helped the desert put on a the best show in years.
Blooming Yucca
Joshua Trees in Bloom
Beavertail Cactus
Ocotillo
Brittle Bush
Flowers everywhere
Lupine
and even Daisies
Kings on the Road 
Joshua Tree is definitely on my bucket list, and your photos reinforce that idea of visiting someday. Did you happen to hit it during spring wildflower time, or are there always flowers blooming there?
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Oh we definitely hit wildflower season. Most of the year there is very little color in the desert. The colors were starting on the south facing slopes, a little further behind at higher elevations.
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Beautiful Collection..!!
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Beautiful pictures. How did towing your car workout on the Alaska trip?
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How wonderful to share that beautiful garden. Thank you so much.
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Beautiful! This is one of the times that I miss SoCal.
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You really put together a beautiful collection of photos from your travels. Keep it up and thanks for sharing!
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Did you put some of the yucca blooms in your salads?
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Been there, wish I could have stayed longer, beautiful pics!
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Great blog entry. You guys really lucked out with the flowers in the desert and these might be my favorite photos of all your stops. Diane – don’t get poked in the eye while smelling the Yucca flowers…..That hurts!
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Beautiful, Beautiful pictures
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Randy. Loved the flowers. Billy
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