Joshua Tree National Park, California

Joshua Tree National Park in California is such an awesome place to be. Whether you are camping or just driving through for a quick look, its worth the time and effort it takes to get there.

At my campsite in Hidden Valley, I noticed this reflection of the rocks in the windows of my new Subee. She is a great camper, and has already taken me to some great places in the United States!

Joshua trees thrive in Joshua Tree National Park. The Joshua tree, or Yucca brevifolia, is a member of the Agave family and takes on weird, almost grotesque shapes as it grows. It is considered to be a monocot, like the fan palm. It is a slow grower and only grows 1/2 inch to 3 inches a year.

The rock formations we see today in Joshua Tree occurred long ago. Wind, water and chemical changes in the rocks helped form these huge boulders.

Its so incredible to just put on your shoes, take one step out of your campsite and you are in the desert. With so many places to explore, its difficult to know where to begin. 

As for me, I always begin at the beginning. In other words I explore my immediate surroundings first, then get out the park map and explore some of the trails. Over the years, I have been on nearly all the trails, so now I usually just explore the surrounding desert.

Jumping cholla cactus are beautiful, almost frightening cactus, that break off in pieces and embed sharp spines in the skin, clothing and fur of any unwary creature that brushes against it. 

Strange rock formations are everywhere!

Joshua Tree National Park is a wilderness park that is preserved by the National Park System. No wood gathering, rock collecting or plant transfers of any kind are allowed. For a collector like myself those are harsh words. But I firmly believe it is best to protect the park for all to enjoy; therefore I just explore and take pictures!

This particular rock formation is one of the favorites I always stop and see.

Behind my campsite there is an open area that is awesome to explore. Quite a few rock climbers gather together in small groups to free climb the boulders, spires and huge rock formations. 

Whenever I see such majesty, I am reminded of our Creator, who fashioned our world to change and flow with the process of erosion, 

Scrub oak, pinyon pine, cactus and yucca help make up some of the plant life in Joshua Tree. 

I had great fun jumping around, going up and down the rocks, looking in the holes and watching the rock climbers. Never a dull moment in this place.

  A good example of a Joshua Tree, tall, stately, poky and beautiful.

Directly behind my campsite, huge boulders and carved mountains of granite beckon people of all ages to climb up to the top. Early one evening a crowd of young adults held a party directly above me. At first I didn't know what was going on as young men and women came out of every corner of the park to climb the rocks and be together. After listening to their conversations, I realized they were just coming to have fun and get to know each other. One girl came on crutches, and had no trouble at all getting up there and playing the impromptu game they had planned.

Morning sunrise from my campsite. I didn't see any of last nights party goers up early for the morning sunrise show!

One day I took a hike out to Barker Dam. Along the trail I spotted this scraggly Joshua tree who reminded me of some of the rock climbers I met! The rock climbers are an interesting sub culture, who truly care about each other, and are more than willing to share their knowledge with each other. Lots of dreadlocks, an overpowering urge to climb, reggae music, and pot smoking seem to set them apart from other groups.  

Up at the dam there was no water, just dry sand. California has been in such a drought that all the water in the dam dried up. I have been there before when water filled the dam, and even found an elderly lady skinny dipping in it. No it was not me.....dont worry. Hopefully the water will collect again and nourish the plants and animals.

Since there was no water, I traversed the dry lake bed and walked back into the desert. It was beautiful, exotic, mesmerizing.

Even old dead trees look amazing to me. All this to say, the desert is a wonderful place to visit, explore and camp in. Heres to all the desert rats who agree with me! Hooray!

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Last week, in the middle of the COVID pandemic,  my friend Gina and I drove over to Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. We wore our masks and stayed 6 feet away from people, quite the pain. On the way over we stopped at Lake Havasu State Park; sand, wild cactus, blue water and more!

A saguaro cactus, one of those crazy cactus that looks like a person! 

That would be me, Rocking the Wagon Wheels!

Parker Dam, so huge, so amazing. I wanted to dive right in, but decided it was too risky. My old age is catching up on me and I am becoming more timid!

I behaved myself, probably because I was with Gina, and didn't even jump in the fountain at Lake Havasu City in Arizona.

This is the London Bridge that was originally built in 1830 over the River Thames in England. Way back in 1967 the bridge was dismantled and relocated to Lake Havasu City.  The bridge links an island in the Colorado River with the main part of Lake Havasu City. And I didn't even jump off the bridge into the Colorado River, although I thought about it. If my son David was with me, he would have done it.

This is Gina, enjoying a banana icee in a phone booth!

After Lake Havasu City, we drove over to Williams, Arizona and stayed at the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel. It was sooooo fun! Lots of old trains and history surround this old fashioned town. That would be me, up on an old train, looking down and wondering why I climbed up there.

How is it that trains age so beautifully but I struggle with old age, and all the lovely things that go with the process! God loves me in spite of my age, color, or gender. He made me unique. 

I like that very much.

We left my Subaru in Williams, and took the Grand Canyon Railway over to the park. So nice not to worry about parking and traffic. The depot is just a short walk up to the South Rim. This is my pretty friend Gina, after her very first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. She was in awe!

I first visited the Grand Canyon in 2005 when I got a job at the North Rim. Since that time, I have visited both the North and South Rim several times.

It was not that hot or crowded which made it very nice to view the canyon. However, even though I didn't dive into the Parker dam, or get into the Lake Havasu fountain, or jump from the bridge into the Colorado River, I did splash in the water faucet in the bathroom to cool down.

The Hopi House was built in 1905 and was modeled after the 10,000 year old pueblo dwellings of the Hopi village in Old Orabai. Mary Colter, one of the few female architects of her time, was hired as the architect to build an Indian Arts Building, and that she did. 

 Grand Canyon National Park is one of the most visited attractions in the country. The canyon is a mile deep, up to 18 miles wide, and about 277 miles long. It is also one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Now if you haven't seen it, I hope you get at least one chance in your lifetime to visit Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona!

So many colors, and rock formations in one place. So amazing!

After the Grand Canyon, we stopped in Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona, one of my favorite camping spots.  Love the reflection in the still water!

Oak Creek Canyon is south of Flagstaff, and is one of the prettiest canyons I have seen. 

After Oak Creek Canyon, we stopped in Sedona to photograph the red rock formations and shop in the little town. Sedona is a bit of a strange place, but I love all the red rock everywhere.

Thank you Gina for a wonderful trip! So much fun!

Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington

Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington is one of my favorite parks to visit. 

After visiting the Lower Lewis River Falls in Washington, where I had camped for a week, I drove up to Mt. Rainier National Park. I am so happy it was open, as so many campgrounds have closed due to the COVID-19 virus. The only campground open in Mt Rainier was the Cougar Rock campground, so that is where I camped for a week.

I am so happy to be outdoors, enjoying the natural places in our country.

Mt. Rainier is our nations fifth National Park. Now there are 62, and I am proud to say I have visited every one of them! Mt. Rainier is 14,410 feet tall, and is the tallest volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range.

 The day I arrived was filled with blue sky, puffy clouds and sunshine. I drove over to the Nisqually River and hiked around, then walked over the bridge and stood in the midst of this grandeur. The picture above is looking up the river, and the picture below is looking downriver from the bridge.

 When the rivers have that murky mocha look, it is usually due to crushed pieces of rock that the glaciers have ground up. 

 The Scenic Viewpoint drive on the road to Paradise, truly yielded some of the most perfect scenery. I met people all along the way who had stopped and were taking pictures just like me. My favorite were two young men who rode their motorcycles from Olympia to see Mt. Rainier. They were brimming with excitement and couldn't stop talking about all they had seen.

Christine Falls was one of the many waterfalls I saw on this trip. It seemed like everywhere I looked, water was flowing out of the rocks, down the hills and over the meadows. Even though snow is melting all over the mountain, a lot of the trails were still covered in snow. People were skiing down the hills in Paradise, and others were just hiking out in their boots,  then putting their skis on and going for it. 

One sweet white flower, so gentle and dainty.

Back at my campsite I was munching on salsa chips when this doe came in and wouldn't leave. Yes, I broke the rules and gave her a chip, and then she really wouldn't leave. She started licking my chair and my tablecloth, and then I got nervous. Deer germs everywhere. I shooed her out, got out my spray bottle of rubbing alcohol and sprayed everything in sight. No more chips for her!

Across from my campground at Cougar Rock in Mt. Rainier,  lies the trailhead for Carter Falls. 

The trail crosses Paradise Valley, which is covered by all this gorgeous driftwood and rocks. 

The trail itself is well marked and relatively easy. It was just that I had to cross this narrow bridge over the Nisqually River, TWICE, if I wanted to get up there and back to my campsite. It took me a very long time to work up the courage, and several times I started but had to turn back. It was terrifying for me. I made it across, and tried not to think about doing it on the way back. 

After I crossed the bridge, the trail headed up, and up and up. A bit of a challenge. 

Carter Falls was beautiful and I was so happy I didn't give up and miss out on this place.

Another area along the river where I would go and just sit and stare at everything. It made me so happy to see the trees, the rocks, the bushes, the flowers, the clouds, the sky, the mountains and the river. So very happy.

Some of the plants and wildflowers in Mt. Rainier National Park!

I walked down in the rain to another massive waterfall, Narada Falls. A bit slippery, but so incredibly gratifying to see. The rainbow across the falls looked so pretty. 

 Reflection Lake, still covered in the melting ice, was a gorgeous place. It was here I saw several guys get out their skis and start out into the snow. I later found out that while I was camping at Mt. Rainier, three non-related hikers, all young men, had gone missing. The body of one man who had been skiing on Liberty Ridge was found dead in a crevasse at the bottom of  a cliff. God be with his family and friends. Nature is fierce, which is why I love it.  However I do respect it, and take extra care while in the mountains. 

This view of Reflection Lake was taken in late June 2020. It looks like the dead of winter, but to us it is summer time. It rained almost every day of my stay in the park, but I kept warms with fires and down quilts. 

It is so cold here at Mt. Rainier, and so incredibly green. It seems especially green since I live in a relatively dry,  climate, with warm ocean breezes. 

Hot pink Shooting Star wildflowers were blooming throughout the park.

 There is a beautiful hike in the Longmire section of the park called the Trail of the Shadows. It winds through the marshlands, cedar forests, around the ruins of the mineral springs, an old 19th century cabin and several old bridges. 

It was a short trail which then branched upward to a longer trail that took me to the view overlooking Longmire. That part went up and up and up. I must be getting old as I almost died.

It was so nice to be in the forest, a place that always makes me feel safe. 

Lush greenery fills the marshland in Longmire.

One last trip to a small creek, where I ate my lunch and just relaxed. 

My last day in the park was cold and cloudy. I was so thankful to be out and about, enjoying the places I love so dearly. Thank you Lord for your goodness and kindness to me.