Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Day 36 Summer 2010 Park to Park Road Trip

Today our friend Patty will join us as we spend our second day in Joshua Tree National Park as we visit a couple of areas that we did not see yesterday.

First stop in the park is Jumbo Rock. We saw similar types of these rocks yesterday, but there were a couple of rocks that were fascinating. This one has a round rock somehow perched and balanced on the surrounding rocks.

3001 Jumbo Rock Joshua Tree National Park CA

This raven was watching us as we drove by, probably hoping that we would throw him some tid bit.

3003 Jumbo Rock Joshua Tree National Park CA3006 Jumbo Rock Joshua Tree National Park CA3011 Jumbo Rock Joshua Tree National Park CA

There are individual camp sites tucked in among the rock formations. Each camp site has a picnic table, and a cooking grill.

3013 Jumbo Rock Joshua Tree National Park CA

Karen spotted these Gambel’s Quail hiding among the brush.

3014 Gambel's Quail at Jumbo Rock Joshua Tree National Park CA3015 Gambel's Quail at Jumbo Rock Joshua Tree National Park CA

As we were driving, we occasionally saw what appeared to be tennis balls scattered here and there, so we got out to investigate. On closer inspection, they are not tennis balls. They are Coyote Melon vines. The coyotes will eat these when they ripen.

3023 Coyote Melon Joshua Tree National Park CA3024 Coyote Melon Joshua Tree National Park CA3025 Coyote Melon Joshua Tree National Park CA


We stopped to look at the Cholla Cactus Garden.

3037 Cholla Cactus Garden Joshua Tree National Park CA3028 Cholla Cactus Garden Joshua Tree National Park CA3034 Cholla Cactus Garden Joshua Tree National Park CA

After leaving Joshua Tree National Park through the South Entrance, we jumped onto I-10 and headed back to our hotel. Along the way we saw another huge wind turbine generating plant. Wind turbines for as far as you can see. It is interesting to see them all spinning in the wind.

3050 I-10 Wind Turbines near Palm Springs CA3056 I-10 Wind Turbines near Palm Springs CA3055 I-10 Wind Turbines near Palm Springs CA

We enjoyed another dinner at Sizzlers this evening, and said our goodbyes to Patty. She is heading back to San Francisco early in the morning, and we are heading North and back to Barstow California. Tomorrow we will drive on Route 66 from Barstow CA to Needles CA and that will complete another piece of our Route 66 road trip that we started in 2008.

To see all of our photos from today, you can click on this link to my FLICKR site.

No comments:

Post a Comment