We saved today to visit Joshua Tree National Park. There are two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, come together in Joshua Tree National Park. The Colorado Desert in the eastern portion of the park features natural gardens of creosote bush, ocotillo and cholla cactus. The higher, slightly cooler Mojave Desert offers dazzling vistas of Joshua trees and yucca. A fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain. The vast park also contains spectacularly sculpted formations of a type of rock known as monzogranite and is a mecca for rock climbers around the world.
From Palm Desert, it is one and half hours drive to Joshua Tree National Park. After arrived at the park, it was about time for lunch. We ate at a small cafe next to the park entrance.
Thanks to Mimi, she brought her National Park pass with her. So, we all went inside of the park without additional fee. We started at the Visitor Center and asked for a marked map from one of the park volunteers. With limited time, we confined our sightseeing to the main park roads. Stopped to view Joshua Tree, San Andreas Fault, Cap Rock and Skull Rock.
With strong winds, we can't even take a hike on a short trail. Although our trip was short, we learned the fact of many plants in the park conserved moisture and beat the heat in fascinating ways.
For dinner, we decided to treat ourselves a nice dinner at Cork Tree in Palm Desert. We have been there before, we knew our way by starting with salad and followed by main dish. Mimi and Helen had Marinated Colorado Lamb Chops. Alice and Fei picked Seared Chilean Sea Bass. They are all delicious. It was a nice dinner with good food and great company. Truly enjoyed it.
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