Into the Desert

The one benefit of our usual style of stealing out of town in the dark of night is that our flight arrived at the San Diego airport at 10:00 am, plenty time for touring. As soon as we picked up our red VW BEETLE from Avis, we bee-lined for the high desert, via the scenic Route 74 and Palm Springs, which on this particular Tuesday afternoon seemed rather sleepy, and ended up at Yucca Valley, our chosen base for visiting Joshua Tree National Park, with its abundance of services compared to Joshua Tree city or Twentynine Palms.

Our first view of the desert above Palm Springs.




The very eye catching mid-century modern Tramway Gas Station in Palm Springs.




And a bonus drive along the nearby wind farm.


As soon as we dropped off our bags at the hotel in Yucca Valley we drove into the hills for the sunset at Snow Peak. On the short walk up Snow Peak we were startled by a huge black-tailed jackrabbit - sorry no photo.