As I sit inside the Airstream hiding out from the downpours I find myself with a little time on my hands. Rainy days are okay, but if you’re hanging at the Airstream for the day you might get a little stir crazy. So, having projects in mind helps.
The video I posted yesterday from my short visit to Vulture Peak didn’t have any still photos. I’m still sorting through them now that we’ve got full power and hookups. And going through the trip along the Joshua Tree Parkway I found a few gems.
An abandoned gas station at the southern end of the Parkway.
It wasn’t until 2010 that I knew about the Parkway. 3 years living in Arizona and I had never explored that area. Shame on me I say.
Not staged. These shoes were sitting in the gas station lot when we pulled in. I saw them immediately.
The Parkway runs from Wickenburg up to I-40 near Kingman. Less than 1/3 of the drive has Joshua Trees along it, but it’s actually a very long ride. So, I’d say you spend about 40 – 45 minutes driving through Joshua Trees.
Broken Joshua Tree.
For most of the ride the Parkway is a 2 lane highway. 65 mph, and a lot of traffic. Trying to site see is a little difficult, but there are dirt pull offs now and again. It would be nice with a wider highway, but if they did that they’d cut into some of the trees, and I don’t think that’s a great idea.
Praying Mantis. Do you see it? You should be able to see it.
Most of the pull offs run right up against fencing. Private land for grazing cattle. I say that because of all the cow poo everywhere. But if you’re creative and persistent you’ll find a way. There is one pull off at an official “Roadside Table” where you can walk in. There aren’t any signs to guide you, so we just kept walking into the Joshua Trees. That worked out nicely.
The favorite shot of the day. Not HDR’d. Slight edit in lightroom on the clarity and that’s it.
If you’re ever in the Wickenberg area, I would suggest checking the Parkway out. It’s worth a drive to see these very unique and rare trees.