Southwest Vacation Feb23 - Joshua Tree NP
Barker Dam - Wall Street Mill
We stayed at an AirBnB our two nights in Joshua Tree.  Our first night, the wind was howling.  We drove to a restaurant for dinner a mile away.  On the way back, the wind was blowing sand so much I had to use the windshield wipers in the car.  Never seen anything like it.  The next morning we awoke to this.  It had snowed a little, and the wind had blown over a tree in the front yard.
   
After a nice breakfast at a neat little place on the main drag, we headed into Joshua Tree National Park.  It wasn't as windy as last night, but it was still windy.  And cold.
 
The Visitors Center is outside the park, in the town of Joshua Tree.  We checked it out when we came into town yesterday afternoon.  Not a whole lot to it.
   
Our first stop was the Barker Dam Nature Trail.
   
Right from the start, it was evident Joshua Tree NP was very beautiful.  Each National Park has its own signature trait.  With Joshua Tree, it was the unique Joshua Tree of course, which I expected.  But the other thing I did not expect.  It was the rocks.  Joshua Tree NP is filled with mounds of individual rocks.  You wonder how they came to be.  It's almost as if ancient aliens or someone placed them on top of another by hand, like a kid plays with blocks.
   
Starting out on the Barker Dam trail.  As you can see, Lynnette has her cold weather gear on.
   
As do I.
   
 
   
 
   
It's sort of camouflaged in the rocks but if you look closely you can see Barker Dam at center.
   
A typical Joshua Tree NP view.
   
Those are Joshua Trees, of course.  Very distinctive.
   
 
   
Joshua Trees and mounds of rocks.
   
 
   
 
   
Yah, Joshua Tree.
   
This tree has feet.
   
 
   
After we finished the Barker Dam loop trail, we headed over to the Wall Street Mill trail a short distance away.
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
Some nice Joshua Trees.
   
 
   
An old, abandoned windmill.  I'm guessing the windmill pumped water for cattle to drink.
   
 
   
 
   
A lonely tombstone in the high desert.
   
 
   
 
   
What's left of the old stamp mill.
   
An abandoned car sits rusting in the high desert.
   
Another old abandoned truck sits by the stamp mill.
   
 
   
A baby Joshua Tree?
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
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