Joshua Tree National Park, CA

On my way....finally, to go through the entire Joshua Tree National Park, CA. I tried doing this a year ago and only hit a fraction of the park. It's actually such a beautiful drive without evidence of being disturbed by people. Without a single telephone pole, or a building, or any development to be seen, and thankfully, this desert remains literally untouched.

I spent the first night in BLM land off of I-10. It's where I would have caught the rock that was lodged in my brake pads last year. It's not the prettiest area, but it's open, and as quiet as could be, within 2 miles of I-10. It allowed me to spend the entire day at Joshua Tree, and admire the rock formations, and these unique trees. I drove a one way dirt road where I found a super quiet spot for lunch. It's a Sunday, and there were plenty of people out and about. The weather was warm, and not too bad, and the skies were a sapphire blue.

I located a dried lake bed, which is also part of the BLM lands, just north of the town of Joshua Tree. This was a huge area where tents, trailers, and rvs were parked quite a distance apart. You pick, as you drive randomly across this lake bed. I had my eye set on a spot, and as I entered the soft ground, I immediately changed my mind, and attempted to back out, while spinning my wheels. Of course I immediately felt that dreaded PTSD, and deja vu, over my "stuck in the sand" in Texas event. I was determined to not be stuck, and just floored it, hoping that all was well. I found a safer spot, on packed ground. From a far distance, I heard gunshots, practicing targets, and fortunately it died down after sunset. From a distance I could see the twinkling lights of the town, Joshua Tree, and the rest of the evening was dead silence. My kind of night.

54° this morning, and a sweatshirt was due! So miss Google maps, is not always right. Nor does she give you fair warning about your options. We have a very fickle relationship. She lead me, unexpectedly, onto a dirt road. This road was incredibly sandy, silty, too steep, and a washboard hell. I drove like a tank, so I wouldnt get engulfed in the sand. It only took about a mile, and I was able to turn around. Whew. The other option was only a few minutes longer and on 100% pavement. After driving on so many dirt roads, I do believe that pavement is the best invention ever.

So a couple more hours on the road, in rather uneventful scenery, on the east side of the San Bernardino Mountains, as I made my way towards Acton, California. 

I continue to see a theme as I drive around the world United States. Along with very limited radio reception, your option is a religious station, country music, or Mexican music. Rarely, do I find popular music, or npr. Small towns are virtually empty, except there is a post office with the flag waving. I went through one town that bragged about the best hamburgers ever, at this particular Cafe. There was so much offensive signage, I wasn't sure what to look at first. I kept driving. I'm finding that California is rather challenging when it comes to dispersed camping, finding spots in the National Forest, or in BLM land. I've gotten so used to the plentiful availability in Arizona, as well as Utah, Idaho, and Montana. So, I spent quite a bit more time researching where I will wind up for the evening. There was one campsite that wanted $60 for full hookups. It was a resort with amenities that I don't care about.

So, I am again at the edge of the Angeles National Forest. At a trailhead, where the parking designates equestrian parking. There are no signs indicating that overnight parking is restricted, so I'm taking the chance that I will be okay here for the night.































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