Day 17 Joshua Tree National Park CA to Gila Bend AZ

June 28, 2024   Mileage   Start:  27496  End:  27808  Total:  Day/Trip  312/5097

We spent the morning in Joshua Tree before hitting the road to Gila Bend, AZ. Reminiscent of Death Valley, with a little more and different vegetation, but desert just the same. We found out you actually transition from one desert, the Mojave, to the Colorado Desert, part of the Sonoran, as you travel through the park from north to south. Slightly higher and drier, the Mojave contains the Joshua Trees, which are absent by the time you leave the Park in the south, where there is (slightly) more and different vegetation. 

OK, a couple more things. Joshua Trees are the same as yucca trees and Spanish Bayonet trees. We never knew. Also, the name Joshua Tree came from the Mormons, who said the branches reminded them of Joshua's arms, uplifted to the Lord in the desert. Didn't know that one, either. And it was U2's 5th album. 

Joshua Trees and a background of boulders, one of the other features of the park. Granitic boulders that are erosional remnants of an old igneous intrusion into the overlying shale beds. :)



Skull Rock, a popular spot in the park. It (the park) was next to empty today.


Cholla cactus, more prevalent in the Colorado desert. There was a whole hillside of them, called "Cholla Gardens". There's a close-up, also.



As we neared the southern entrance, we stopped at Cottonwood Spring. Rita hoped to see water, but there was none. However...I understand what an oasis looks like. Cottonwood trees and Washingtonian Palms, and we hadn't seen a plant taller than 20 feet for hours.



4 hours to Gila Bend after we left the park; we "lost" our first hour on the trip back East. We drive across Arizona tomorrow.



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