What's Cookin' in Town?!

The moment we've all been waiting for... Crossroads is back and they're open 7 days a week! The new owners re-did the inside, but kept the same 'feeling' to the place and... they now have 'wait service'. No more standing in line! They've expanded the menu and will be serving dinners in the fall. Stop on by while you're here.

The other 'new kid on the block' is Pie for The People in the same location as the former Teacakes Bakery. You'll love their pizza to go and soon they will have seating next door.
A new discovery: Kasa Taco Shop in the back of  Kasa Carniceria and Market in Yucca. Next to the Jelly Donut in 'old town' Yucca. They serve great tacos, burritos, birria and they feature fresh watermelon, canteloupe and hibiscus juices. A fun place to snack after shopping at Pioneer Crossing Antiques.

We've Been Busy This Summer!

We gave The Desert Rambler a new coat of paint; replacing the Yarrow yellow in the Living Area, with Curry Powder, and the October Bronze in the bedroom area, with Morocco Red. The new colors give the room a richer, more elegant feel. We hope you enjoy the new look on your next visit.

Sunset Bike Ride and Dinner With Friends

We love biking in the Park and try to go at least three times a week. In the summer, we go early in the morning, to take advantage of the cool weather and lack of traffic. This time, our friends Christa and Mark suggested we go on an evening bike ride and then have dinner in the park together after the ride. We started at the Quail Springs picnic area and rode over to Barker Dam and back, arriving just in time to enjoy the sunset colors and a half-moon above. We had a great ride and a delicious 'pot-luck' meal together. What a beautiful night it was, with the moon shining brightly and the stars filling the sky. We all thought, 'Let's do this again when the moon is full... you're on!'

Fascinating Shapes in Black and White

I've recently been photographing early in the morning around Ryan and Jumbo Rocks. I'm fascinated by the 'molten' shapes of the rocks in these areas. Color just didn't seem to do them justice. High contrast black and white was, as Goldilocks would say... just right. Jumbo Rocks is a great area to explore any time of year. I like to go for an hour or two before breakfast and just ramble around a different section each time. As the light changes, you see something completely new at every turn. Great fun.

Fantastic Cloud Displays During Summer Thunderstorm.

The other day, we caught the remnants of a tropical storm up from the Gulf of Mexico, so I drove into the Park to see what all the fuss was about. On the way in from 29 Palms, there were huge, dark clouds forming to the north. I stopped to take a few pictures and then the rain came upon me, so I jumped back in the car and headed through the Park, passing in and out of downpours. The best thing of course, is that distinctive scent of the desert during a rain storm, a combination of earth, sage and creosote, a special fragrance found nowhere else. I drove down the Geo Tour road and got some nice shots to the east and west, then over to Jumbo rocks and on to Ryan Mountain where I got a spectacular cloud shot. By the time I hit Hidden Valley, the weather was clearing up, so I figured it was time to mosey on home. It was great fun to be out in the Park on such a dramatic day. I noticed quite a few others enjoying the weather and light show as well. It's true, pictures of the Park are always better with clouds.

June Gloom? Not Here. We Still Have Plenty of Beautiful Flowers Blooming!

If you find yourself waking up to grey skies everyday, you need a change of scene. Come on out to Joshua Tree, where every morning is deliciously cool with clear, bright blue skies and a rock filled landscape you won't forget. Now, I'd be foolin' if I didn't say it does get a little warm during the day, it does. But here's your Recipe For Success in the desert during the summer. 1. Get up early and hike or bike when it's cool, then around 9 or 10, head home for a hearty breakfast. 2. Take it easy during the heat of the day. Read a book, watch a movie, take a nap (my favorite). 3. Head back out in the evening when it cools down and catch a beautiful sunset. This way you extend your day, like you're on Mediterranean time. A hike, a siesta, a sunset, you can't beat it. So, what are you waitin' for?!

Early Morning at Stirrup Tank

Got up around 5:30 this morning and drove out to Stirrup Tank Road, a right turn just past Twin Tanks and White Tank Campground. At the end of the road (about a mile) you can park and boulder around the area until your heart's content. There are some great views of the area from up top. I usually pack a lunch and find a nice little flat spot up there where I can enjoy my repast and catch a little catnap before ambling back down to the basin. It's somewhat hard to catch the breadth of the area on camera, so I made a panoramic (click on to make larger) of the rocks and got a couple of shots of the intriguing, sculpted rock faces. It's easy to spend the whole day in there, just meandering around and watching the light change. On the way out, I saw the Datura were blooming and got a couple of close ups. In fact, there are still a lot of flowers blooming at this time. The Desert Sienna is, I would say, 'blasting' forth, so much brilliant yellow everywhere. The Paper Bag bushes are running riot and the Creosotes are exploding with blossoms. Look down at your feet and you'll see these little, delicate, pale purple blossoms in groups. A nice end to May.

The Nolinas Are Blooming In Hidden Valley

May is certainly one of the best times to visit the desert. Practically everything seems to be blooming: The area is festooned with Lemon yellow Desert Senna, Bright red Indian Paintbrush, Blue-purple Parish Larkspur, Grape-purple Desert Lupine, Soft violet Wild Heliotrope, Bright yellow Paper Daisy, and golden Sunflowers among others.  The weather is perfect right now, cool in the morning, in the 80's during the day and lovely at night, you simply can't beat it.  We took the Hidden Valley Nature Trail just before sunset the other night and what a beautiful sight to behold. The Nolinas are in full bloom and look like golden flames when back lit by the setting sun. Try to go either early morning or late afternoon for best light. It's one of the best 1 mile hikes in the park with a great variety of plant life and rock formations. We always take our guests there and they never fail to love the walk.

Boy Scout Trail-Loaded With Flowers

This was a first for 'Margie' and I. We had friends in town, so we parked a car at the Indian Cove Backcountry board and a car at the Boy Scout Trail Parking Lot and hiked the 8 miles overland to Indian Cove. That's quite a hike... we were plumb tuckered when we got back to the car, but it is a great hike and worth doing... at least once. We saw tons of flowers, particularly Fiddlenecks, along with Primrose, Mallow, Brittlebush, Indian Paint Brush, Desert Marigold, Pincushion, Tackstem, Lupines, Heliotrope, Purple mat, Mojave Aster, Canterbury Bells and last but not least, Chia. And those are the ones I can name. We also ran into a tortoise who scooted across the trail so fast, I couldn't get a good shot of him and this obliging Desert Iguana, who posed for his moment of fame. The hike starts off across open country with distant rock formations and expansive views. Eventually, you come down into a boulder strewn wash, past an old cattleman's tank and then on to an overlook from which you can see '29' in the distance. Then it's down, down, down to another wash which eventually leads you across the open plain to the Indian Cove Backcountry board. Make sure you take plenty of water and pack a lunch. There are some nice shady places in the wash along the way to enjoy your repast and a little nap before continuing on.

49 Palms Canyon-Flowers Galore!

This is always a great hike in the Spring and a good workout as well! People had told me there were lots of flowers up there right now, so I decided to check it out for myself. On my hike I saw Larkspur, Wild Heliotrope, Brittlebrush, Orange Mallow, Mojave Asters, Chia, Blue Phacelia, Lupines, Desert Lavender, Hedgehog Cactus blooms, Pincushion cactus and Beavertail blooming. You could call this the 'best bang for your buck' hike. A good time to go is early morning or late afternoon for great photos. I also ran into a very photogenic Chuckwalla who was kind enough to let me get some shots of him. Talk about 'prehistoric'. When you go, I'm sure you'll see even more flowers than I did. It seems, now with the warmer weather, things are really exploding. It's turning out to be a great year for flowers and this is only the start! (Click on the photos to make larger)