Joshua Tree National Park

January 29, 2024

From our Palm Springs/Joshua Tree KOA base, we headed about an hour to Joshua Tree National Park. We stopped at the California Visitor Center in Yucca Valley. We chatted with the attendants for a bit and picked up a new CA state map. Their advice was to enter the park at the north entrance in Twentynine Palms. GPS units tend to use the west entrance at Joshua Tree, which can lead to park entrance delays.  

Our first stop in the park was the cholla cactus garden. Then we took a short hike near the Skull Rock. We then drove to the park's highest point, Keys View. The viewpoint overlooks Coachella Valley, the Salton Sea, and surrounding mountain ranges. It's a bit smoggy, but still a pretty good view. Our last stop was the Hidden Valley picnic area, where we took a one mile loop trail. Among the boulders, it was easy to imagine the wild west. Sure glad we were there in January too. The park had so many warnings about hiking in the heat and the need for water. 

Oh, and the Joshua Tree is a member of the yucca cactus family. The tree received its name from early pioneers. The tree's outstretched arms reminded them of Joshua from the Bible. Now that the park information has suggested the tree looks like one from a Dr. Seuss book, I can't get that image out of my head!

Cholla Cactus

Boulders galore

Two of the park's features - Joshua Tree and boulders

Joshua Tree

Hidden Valley area

Where Are We Going Next?

Vegas to Quartzsite

January 21 - 26, 2024

Chris, Harold's friend from high school days, had told us about Vettix, an organization that provides tickets to events for service members and retirees. We used the service to obtain tickets to a comedy/magic show at the Flamingo on the strip in Las Vegas. We had a nice evening and enjoyed the show. Just how do they do that?

Flamingos at the Flamingo

Piff the Magic Dragon

We left Las Vegas the next morning to camp near Quartzsite, AZ. Our goal was to attend the Quartzsite RV Show. We had heard much about this snowbird winter mecca and wanted to check it out. We chose to stay at the KOA in Salome, AZ, about 35 minutes away. We toyed with the idea of boondocking on BLM land, which is the proper thing to do in the area. However, after being in Vegas and attending a crowded show, we thought we'd prefer less traffic, full hookups and amenities such as a hot tub. 

The Quartzsite show was different in a couple of notable ways from the Tampa Supershow or the Hershey RV Show. First, there was only one RV dealer and the rigs were a good mix of new and used. Second, we noted a vendor doing chassis and tire work in tent bays they had set up onsite. Third, we noted a fair number of vendors were employers searching for workampers. 

The beet harvest is one that has Harold intrigued. The Unbeetable Experience has a location near friends in MN. If we both work the 10 - 15 day season, we could about pay for a set of tires. Before you dismiss that idea, remember we're talking a thousand to fifteen hunded per tire plus the installation. The guy told Harold that some grandparents come work the harvest so that they can treat their family to Disney vacations. Anyway, we'll see what the future holds. 

Rainy day in the desert

Quartzsite RV Show in the big tent

Where Are We Going Next?