After leaving Casa Grande we boogied to Desert Hot Springs Ca. and settled into Sands RV and Golf resort. This is an older RV park with narrow, short sights, but a very nice and challenging 9 hole golf course. I enjoyed.
The second day we were there we went into Joshua tree NP which is about 30 miles from the valley. This park is on a desert Plateau almost 5200 feet above where we were in Desert Hot Springs. Named after the very plentiful Joshua Tree, this park was formed by volcanic activity that has left very unique rock formations in many parts of the park. We entered from the north and probably saw about 35% of this beautiful place.
We started with a ride through a section called Hidden Valley to Keys View which is a lookout at 5185ft. The ranger at the lookout pointed out where the San Andreas Fault goes through the valley below, and told us that our view from right to left was between 150 and 175 miles. It was incredible. We could see the Sulton Sea which is a large body of salt water whose surface is 226ft below sea level. It was a very beautiful view of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Indio and many of the desert towns that are the playgrounds of the rich, and the wintering areas for many many snowbirds.
After the lookout we had lunch at a picnic area near Hidden Valley, within the park, before we joined a tour of Keys Queen Ranch. This tour is lead by a ranger and it took us a couple of miles up a dirt road to a ranch where Bill and Frances Keys raised five children during the 60 years they lived and worked in this valley. Bill Keys died in 1969 and was buried on the farm with his wife and two of his children.
The farm had no running water, no electricity, and of course no sewers. The very neat thing about this place was the fact that the park service left everything as it was when the Key's lived there and the ranger had an incredible amount of information about how the Keys lived because the elderly children are still alive and have contributed to the information. These people were very hardy and industrious people and it is amazing how they survived for 60 years in the desert.
After the tour we did one of the short hiking trails that went to a dam just behind the Keys Ranch. This dam is one of many that were constructed by the Keys family and others to give them the water needed to survive in the desert.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day in the park and would suggest a visit if you get to this area. This park is unique and like all of our nations parks they belong to us.
The valley below the park is full of windmills. Our guesstimate is that on the hills and in the valley itself there are probably 1500 to 2000 of them if not more. It is of course a great thing in terms of the environment but it is my opinion they are an eyesore in an area that has unique natural beauty. Pictures above.
From Desert Hot Springs we took two days to get to San Francisco RV in Pacifica CA. about 10 miles from San Fran. It is now Sunday night (1/17/2010) and tomorrow is the big event. We have spent the past four days with Jen and Magnus helping them out around the house and going out to eat. My next post will include the pictures we have all been waiting for.
Pics of Joshua Tree and the tour below.
Life doesn't get any better. I Love You family.
