Where Am I?

I entered Death Valley the hard way, through the backdoor. The road was a tiny, twisty, sometimes one-lane track from the Owens Valley through the Sylvania and Palmetto mountains. Traveling back and forth from California to Nevada and back again, I never knew exactly where I was. At one point I was stopped on the open-range by two cowboys herding cattle across the road. I enjoyed watching them so much I never even thought about taking pictures. The only vehicle I saw on my drive was a delivery truck. I guess when you live in the middle of nowhere, on an isolated ranch, that's the way to shop. Why bother driving all the way to town when UPS will deliver right to your door.

I arrived at Death Valley National Park in the late afternoon. The park was full of Spring Breakers and all the campgrounds were full, so I stayed just outside the park entrance with a few other campers. We were in a nice parking area, but it freaked me out a bit. At one end of the parking lot was a sign that read, "Welcome To California" while the other end had a "Welcome To Nevada." We were in the middle in a no-man's land. I couldn't stop wondering exactly which state I was in. I would have been seriously worried if I had outstanding warrants in either state and didn't know legally where I was.

In the morning, solidly back in California, I took a couple of tours of Scotty's Castle, a historic mansion in the park, then went looking for a campsite. Still no luck, so I stopped at the Furnace Creek Inn for lunch and possibly a room for the night. I'd stayed at the inn before with my daughter. We'd shared a great road trip, back and forth across the country, one summer. What we liked best about our stay, not counting the scenery and overwhelming stars at night, was the oasis and pool. The inn has a huge spring fed pool which is drained and refilled every night. The water from the pool refreshes a cool, green oasis of flowers and palm trees. It seems like a mirage, this strange, wonderful little bit of paradise surrounded by the stark, unforgiving beauty of the desert.

Desert Love

To the casual observer, Joshua Tree National Park is a hot, dry, barren and forbidding land full of prickly, poisonous inhabitants; a "drive-through" park with few sights beyond some interesting rocks, a strange cactus garden and weird looking "so-called trees". But, to those who love her, those willing to spend time with her, she will reveal her hidden treasures.

Her secrets lie in the cracks of massive boulders where small desert animals sleep through the day and wildflowers bloom in the spring. Where imaginations can turn inanimate objects into the tortured faces of giants, frozen in time.

Her secrets are in her broad, dry washes which, if you take the time to explore, transform into hidden lands of steep twisty cliffs, rich and moist, teeming with life. Seek out her cool shady spots beneath the giant boulders. Sit quietly, letting the gentle breezes caress you. Smell her clean, dry scent. Embrace the smooth, cool curves of her rocks. Spend the night with her, enveloped by the starry sky, until you lose all sense of perspective and balance and are swept away by the magnificence around you.

Leave with regret, promising you'll be back to see her again and again.