Heading west from Temecula, California, you climb and climb up a beautiful mountain road. At the summit there is a viewpoint. What you see from the viewpoint is the Coachella Valley, spread out before you. In the mountains you see in the distance lies Joshua Tree National Park, a desert park featuring scenery, rock climbing, hiking, wildlife, and cactus. And of course Joshua Trees.

I'm not going to attempt to name all the cactus for you. But I will say there are lots of them, and lots of different kinds. I think this is a Teddy Bear Cholla (pronounced "hoya").

I also saw two coyote, but they saw me first so I didn't get photos.

The Joshua tree isn't a tree, of course; it's a yucca.

Keyes View looks back onto the first photo of this series: Coachella Valley lies below, and the mountains in the background are the ones I was in in the first photo. (That may not be precisely true; there are lots of mountain ranges and valleys around here, but it is symbolically true at least.)

Some fellow tourists wanted their picture taken. They looked like a nice couple, maybe on their honeymoon. so I was glad to do it, and let them take one of me as well.

 You may buy the National Parks CD, which has on it all of the National Parks photos on this site, plus many more -- over 470 altogether -- in a larger size, suitable for viewing full screen or printing your own enlargements. Sample photo.


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