California desert

The California desert region occupies 25% of this large state.  Two years ago we went to Death Valley, the lowest point in the US and also the hottest in mid-summer.  This time we visited Mt Whitney the US highest point - see a much earlier blog entry.

But our journey on this road trip took us to Palm Springs in the Coachella Valley with a string of desert towns, including the biggest, Palm Springs which was the getaway in the 1950s and 60s of the Rat Pack, Elvis and other big stars.  Only 100 miles east of LA, the pleasant daytime temperature of about 27 degrees in October can turn nasty with the frequent winds.  What brought us here was the wish to take the aerial tramway up Mt San Jacinta.  The ride takes 15 minute, the distance is 2.5 miles and the elevation changes from 2,600ft to 8,500ft - sort of like from Mexico to Alaska in 15 minutes.  But in the morning, the pleasant 27 degrees on our arrival in the afternoon, turned into nasty and windy and the tramway was closed.

The arid desert basin and range stretching south into Mexico.

So we turned north-eastwards and visited the Joshua Tree National Park, one of California's desert parks.  These strange giant cactus-like yucca trees known as Joshua trees dominate the landscape together with the massive granite rock formations.  The park is a plateau of mammoth rocks.

Picnic table in the campground.






Skull rock.

Sunrise in the park.