November 26, 2015 - Today we celebrated Thanksgiving by returning to Joshua Tree National Park. It's always a special treat to come here and it's becoming somewhat of a Thanksgiving tradition for us. It is over 1,200 square miles in area and it is named for the Joshua trees (Yucca Brevifolia) that are native to the park. Two deserts converge here; the Mohave Desert, at the western end is above 3,000 feet in elevation and the Colorado Desert occupies the eastern half and is below 3,000 feet. Today we spent our time where the Joshua Trees are, which is in the higher Mohave Desert.
This next set of pictures were taken in Hidden Valley that was a legendary cattle rustlers' hideout.
These next two pictures were taken at Jumbo Rocks, which is aptly named.
This is Skull Rock, just down the road from the Jumbo Rocks.
Our last stop of the day was to see the Arch Rock, which signals the beginning of the transition of the Mohave Desert into the Colorado Desert.
It was a beautiful day, although a little chilly. We picnicked in the park on croissant turkey sandwiches, chips and pumpkin pie. It was a wonderful adventure.
