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 Arizona and never saw the Grand Canyon which was literally in his own back yard. I have a theory as to why I never went to Joshua Tree however. My dad didn't like to camp in the desert, he liked the mountains, and secondly, he liked putting a full days drive in when we went on vacation. Therefore, stopping after a two hour drive from Orange County was not his idea of a full days drive and on the way home, if we passed Joshua Tree, the standard line was we were only two hours from home. I understand where he is coming from and I don't fault him for it at all. I have been to Joshua Tree twice since that initial spring visit and have enjoyed it every time. I just wish we wouldn't get blown out of camp every time. The last time we went was on January 1st of 1997. It poured down rain over most of Southern California, but bypassed us out in the desert. However, the wind picked up and blew us out of camp for the third time in a row. One of these days we'll go back again and be able to stay for the full time we had allotted. We have unfortunately had to cut each one of our camping trips short because of high winds.Joshua Trees grow in the desert at a very limited elevation, usually between 4000 and 6000 feet above sea level. They are a member of the Yucca family and were named by Mormon missionaries on the way to San Bernardino, California, because they resembled the outstretched arms of the prophet Joshua.  It has become a mecca for rock climbers. In the Hidden Valley section pictured above left, there are numerous place where one could go rock climbing. Pick a rock, any rock and you can usually see someone climbing up or rappelling down or sitting on top enjoying the view. It's an area that has a very nice hike to take the kids on. On our second visit there, my son slipped on a rock and slid into a cactus. We spent the next half hour or so pulling little bitty cactus spines from his arm. Not the most pleasant way to introduce someone to the joys of camping, but he pulled through and has become quite the camper. The picture above right was taken near our campsite. In the background is Mt. San Gorgonio 11,499 feet above sea level. This picture was taken in early April. The last picture (at left) was taken on New Years Day 1997. It rained all day in Southern California but the mountains blocked us from getting any of the moisture. We did however, get a glorious sunset, as you can see. Please come back again to view these pages. I have some more pictures in the wings waiting to be scanned and put on this page. If you have any comments about this page, please sign my guestbook.
Next national park site. Back to the National Park Page. Information about camping here.
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This page was last updated on October 14, 2000
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