JOSHUA TREE PARK BEFORE COVID-19

Joshua Tree Park

Three weeks ago I was in California’s Joshua Tree Park. It was a perfect Southern California spring day in the sunny seventies. The Joshua trees, with their knarled prehistoric shapes, were silhouetted against a brilliant blue desert sky.

Now, I am in self-isolation in San Francisco. Joshua Tree National Park is closed to cars, and all California is under a shelter-in-place order.

This is the new normal under COVID-19. Our lives are changed, curtailed, and up-ended at a staggering speed by virus from a market in a remote region of China. A few months ago going viral was considered a good thing. That has changed.

Going Forward…

Like many, I had a smorgasbord of travel plans for this year. I am now cancelling them. Among them was a May hiking trip in the Grand Canyon with Berkely based Backroads. They have generously given me a complete refund. Most National Parks are now closed. Other summer travels are wait and see.

As a writer and lecturer who has recently focused on travel and exploration, and who has insatiable wanderlust what is the way forward? It seems for now we should travel vicariously. It is time to savor and appreciate some past highlights, specially those of the natural world.

Virtual Travel

To enable some virtual travel, and for us to continue to connect, here is an image gallery of my last exploration. Some scenes of Joshua Tree National Park which help take you on a journey through the park to see some of its amazing geology, vistas and plant life. Enjoy! Put it on your list of places to go when when the virus is finally banished, and we are free to roam once more and enjoy our incredible planet.

Joshua Tree Park Before COVID-19: Here a Joshua Tree National Park road winds through the Mohave Desert section which is above 3,000 feet. There are clusters of Joshua Trees each in a twisting prehistoric shape. The waxy shiny bright green leaves conserve moisture. PHOTO; ANGROVE — The road winds through the Mohave Desert section of Joshua Tree park, at 3,000 feet. There are clusters of joshua trees in a twisting prehistoric shapes. The waxy shiny bright green leaves conserve moisture

Joshua Tree Park Before Covid-19:The roads and trails of Joshua Tree park pass through jumbles of stacked boulders and surreal granite rock formations. The story of the diverse geology stretches back nearly two billion years ago. The "Guide to Joshua Tree Geology" by James Kaiser is a well written and excellent guide. //PHOTO;ANGROVE — The roads and trails of Joshua Tree park pass through jumbles of stacked boulders and surreal granite rock formations. The story of the diverse geology stretches back nearly two billion years ago. The “**Guide to Joshua Tree Geology**” by James Kaiser is a well written and excellent guide

Joshua Tree Park before COVID-19: As this guide states the geologic landscape of Joshua Tree is breathtaking because two different deserts merge. Each color on the map correlates to a different kind of rock.//PHOTO; ANGROVE — As this guide states the geologic landscape of Joshua Tree is breathtaking because two different deserts merge. Each color on the map correlates to different rocks found in the park

Joshua Tree National Park Before COVID-19: Hedgehog cactus has brilliant magenta flowers in Spring. It is edible and was probably gathered by Cahuillas Indians who used to inhabit the area.//PHOTO:ANGROVE — Hedgehog cactus has brilliant magenta flowers in Spring. It is edible and was gathered by Cahuillas Indians who used to inhabit the area.

Joshua Tree National park Before COVID-19: The cholla cactus garden. The Colorado Desert in Joshua Tree is a fragment of the much larger Sonoran Desert. It is below 3,000 feet in elevation, and hotter than the Mohave Desert which makes it a favorable setting for the cholla cactus.//PHOTO;ANGROVE — The cholla cactus garden. The Colorado Desert in Joshua Tree is a fragment of the much larger Sonoran Desert. It is below 3,000 feet in elevation, and hotter than the Mohave Desert which makes it a favorable setting for the cholla cactus.

Joshua Tree National park before COVID-19: Close up of the teddy bear cholla cactus in bloom in the Colorado desert section of Joshua Tree National Park. The cactus is found in Mexico, Nevada and Arizona.//PHOTO;ANGROVE — Close up of the teddy bear cholla cactus in bloom in the Colorado desert section of Joshua Tree National Park. The cactus is found in Mexico, Nevada and Arizona.

Joshua Tree National Park before COVID-19: All of the needs of the Cahuilla Indians could be found in the desert. If Cahuillas removed a plant they tried to leave behind enough seeds so the plant could reproduce. //PHOTO ANGROVE — All of the needs of the Cahuilla Indians could be found in the desert. If Cahuillas removed a plant they tried to leave behind enough seeds so the plant could reproduce.

Joshua Tree National Park Before COVID-19 — Cottonwood Spring Oasis with its California fan palms and cottonwoods is a cool shady respite. The oasis is directly above a crack in earth’s crust. Geological faults, including the San Andreas fault, crisscross the park area. When groundwater hits a fault plane it rises to the surface and creating conditions for an oasis.

Joshua Tree National Park Before COVID-19 Geology, cacti, wildlife and 5 mountain ranges. The Joshua Tree National Park has something for everyone, avid hikers, campers or just a day visitors PHOTO;ANGROVE — Geology, cacti, wildlife and 5 mountain ranges. The Joshua Tree National Park has something for everyone, avid hikers, campers or just a day visitors.

Stay Safe, Stay Tuned and Stay Connected

When normality returns once more, and you have a chance to visit Joshua Tree Park, include a stop at iconic Pappy & Harriet’s, a live music eatery just outside the park. Paul McCartney and One Republic both played here. There is something for everyone at Joshua Tree, and it is an easy day trip from Palm Springs.

Stay safe, and stay tuned for more in weeks to come. Please leave comments in the box below. Now more that ever it is important for us to create a dialogue.

Comments

Victoria says

March 22, 2020 at 11:12 am

Great post! KeEp them coming, we all need good things to read AND Beautiful images.
- Angela says
  
  March 22, 2020 at 4:36 pm
  
  Thank you! and thank you for leaving a message! Yes, a glimpse of the beauty of the natural world is inspiring!
Cheryl mclaughlin says

March 22, 2020 at 11:16 am

LoVe this virtual tour of Joshua tree! I remember the first time I went through there WhWhen I was driving down to Tucson to start my PhD program many moons ago. there is so much contrast and brilliance in the desert. Iam thinking that the cactus blossoms and some of the wildflowers should be appearing now. ThThank you for your beautiful photogrAphs Of this interesting place.
- Angela says
  
  March 22, 2020 at 4:37 pm
  
  So glad you enjoyed it, and interesting to hear your personal experience. Not much in the way of wildflowers when I was there but they have had quite a bit of rain since

Joshua Tree Park

Going Forward…

Virtual Travel

Stay Safe, Stay Tuned and Stay Connected

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Comments