Mohave National Preserve

I was hoping to wear shorts for driving today, but it was just too chilly in Cedar City, UT.  When I went into the breakfast room, the coffee was not ready and the waffle iron was still heating up.  Finished putting my stiff into the car,  Had some breakfast and was on the road.

It was a chilly 38 degrees when I left Cedar City, just bit cool for wearing shorts. Opted for jeans.  By the time I was to St. George, the temperature in the 50s.  Topped off the gas tank in at the Nevada/California state line.  It was the most expensive gas - $2.899!

Dropped off the interstate and drove in the Mohave National Preserve.  About 20 years ago I was in the preserve at Kelso, CA for locomotive radio interference.  Wanted to check out changes in the area.  Wanted to see if the Cima store was still there.  While working in Kelso, heard the the depot was going to be restored.

The section of the preserve I was driving through getting to Cima if loaded with Joshua Trees,The Cima Store is boarded up.  The old Kelso Depot is now a beautifully restored building, serving as the preserve visitor center.  .Heading South towards Palm Springs I saw a sign to Kelso Dunes.  There's a large sand dune in the middle of the preserve.

It was a lonely, boring drive on 2-lane roads getting to 29 Palms.  There was no state visitor center at the California state line where I could pick up a highway map.  I used the National Park Service newspapers for Mohave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park.

Ran across a section historic Route 66.  As I got near 29 Palms, I drove through an area called the Wonder Valley.  About only thing out here was sand, scrub, and a few buildings (most abandoned).  Abondoned buildings  (think they might be called houses, but very small) continued populating the landscape as I entered 29 Palms.  I believe that 29 Palms is still an active Marine base, but the area his seen better days.

Was thinking of scoping out Joshua Tree National Park on the way to my hotel in Palm Springs.  By the time i was in the area,  I was just find my hotel and settle in.  Checked in the hotel and moves some stuff into the room.

Palm Springs has a free trolly that runs past my hotel.  Took the trolley to Smokin' Burgers and Lounge.  Had a cheeseburger and 2 pints of Firestone Pale Ale.  The food and brew hit the spot.  The bartender was did not seem friendly.  He acted that he was too busy to talk with his customers, except the little needed to do the job.

Back at the room, i started processing photos, but bed was calling.  Got up in the middle of the night finished that task and wrote this blog entry.  Some of my dinner came back up.  No idea if it was too much food, the 2 pints was too much or (most likely) something on the burger did not agree with my stomach.  Once I was over , I was feeling fine.

Photos with this posting are of Joshua Trees in the Mohave and the restored Kelso Depot.