Thursday, December 6, 2001

Hello from Parker, Arizona!

Start time: 0730

Start odometer: 28442

Weather: Sunny, temperature 47 degrees F.

I have finally arrived in Arizona! Completing my California travels, I crossed the Colorado River, traversed a time zone, and arrived in Parker. Did some driving and hiking today, and learned more about the desert. Best part of the trip is meeting great people and visiting with friends unseen for a long time, followed by the opportunity to learn.

Highlights:

Beautiful skies and sun this morning. This continued to make for a great weather day.
Drove around Palm Springs seeing the town, and also picking up supplies. Drove by a house used as a location for the film Oceans 11. Also saw the "Walk of Stars," similar to the one in Los Angeles. I noticed a new star was being prepared and learned later it was to be dedicated to Elke Summers.
Drove through some interesting towns southeast of Palm Springs like Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert, then northeast to Joshua Tree National Park. Very interesting scenes to see along the way.
Spent the majority of the day in Joshua Tree National Park. Incredible views surrounded me as I drove along the park roads. I walked several of the nature trails and enjoyed the peaceful surroundings, since not many people were in the park. Like the broad views in Death Valley, the sights seen as you look across the long plains are stunning!
After departing the park, I headed east. More spectacular views were provided, and the skies of the evening exhibited extraordinary colors. I was given another beautiful sunset!

Click on picture for larger image, hit back button to return to this page.

Downtown Palm Springs.

One of the filming sites for Oceans 11.

Another view of the house front.

One more view of a street in Palm Springs. You can see one of the stars on the sidewalk.

A closer look at the star.

The road leading to the Joshua Tree National Park.

Interesting formations are seen throughout the area.

Park entrance.

A trail behind the visitor center had plants of the desert labeled.

I took three pictures, but many more of plants were on display.

In the Cholla Cactus Garden, an interpretive trail. These spines can be very painful if you brush up against the plant, and many warning signs were posted,

A desert rat nest, about three feet across. At the bottom left of the nest is the entrance hallway to the nest.

Some of the cactus were over six feet tall.

A close up of the spines.

A bud on the cactus.

The cactus with the wonderful view behind.

This coyote was licking his chops! The Ranger at the visitor center said people have been feeding some of these animals from the cars, and they have become brave. Never feed the wild animals!

A Joshua Tree in front of an interesting rock.

Palm Springs in the distance from Key View.

Cap Rock.

Another trail provided remarkable views like this.

Rock climbing is very popular at this park. I spoke with the gentleman on the rock, and he mentioned a guide book indicates over 3800 named routes in the park!

An interesting tree along the trail.

Another view of the tree.

Long stretches of valley can be seen from many points along the park drives.

After leaving the park and heading east on Ca 62, this sign gave a good warning.

A plaque along Route 62.

This shoe tree was also along Route 62!

A close up of the tree!

Tomorrow, I continue my drive east, heading towards Phoenix and Tucson, and various parks along the way.

I hope you are enjoying the story of my journey. Please provide feedback if you have any comments or suggestions. Thanks for visiting!

Routes traveled today: Ca 111 - Box Canyon Road - 66th Avenue - Pinto Basin Road - Loop Road - Monument Road - Ca 62 - Arizona 62

Lodging: Motel 6 -

This page accessed times.

Page created by: igorn@igorn.com

Pictures may be used with permission.