Dream Beneath the Desert Sky - Joshua Tree

Title above is from In God's Country from the great U2 album, Joshua Tree. And yes, this Joshua Tree area is a great place to dream and take in the beauty and solitude of the desert. Joshua Tree National Park covers 790,636 acres and is home to the Park's namesake, the Joshua Tree, which is a member of the Agave family, a flowering plant. It's formal name is the Yucca brevifolia. Legend has it that it got its name when Mormon immigrants named the tree after the biblical figure, Joshua, when they saw the limbs of the tree as outstretched in supplication, guiding the travelers westward. It only flowers once a year, in spring, and so we weren't able to see that but they are still a very impressive Yucca plant. We didn't see them on our first drive through the park as they are not in the southern park of the park. However, today we saw plenty.

 

 

 

 

The trees aren't the only interesting thing to see in this Park. Rock formations are also a fascinating thing to see. The rock piles here actually began underground eons ago as a result of volcanic activity. We checked out a number of campgrounds in the park that are built around the rocks. It reminded me of our stay at City of Rocks in New Mexico.

 

 

 

 

We stopped at a day use area to eat the lunch we brought with us. A nice spot surrounded by rocks.

 

 

 

This is a big area for rock climbers as well as hikers as there are numerous trails from short nature walks to longer and more strenuous hikes.

 

We are really enjoying our time in the desert and of course there are the sunsets, which we can't get enough of.

 

 

 

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