I've fallen behind on updates! When I left my readers over two weeks ago, I was preparing to leave Fallbrook, California. My route from there took me north on I-215 and then east on my old friend I-10. When I turned onto California State Hwy. 62, also known as the Twentynine Palms Highway, I knew I was getting close to Joshua Tree land. At the town of Yucca Valley, these sweet little twisted, fairy tale-like "trees" began to appear.

Joshua Trees are not actually considered to be a tree. They are a variety of yucca, but can develop a woody trunk covered in what looks like tree bark, and grow to nearly fifty feet tall in some instances. Their branches end in spiny green outgrowths that echo their yucca genus.

Continuing east, the town of Joshua Tree appeared next. Little shops and cafes dotted the side of the highway, targeting the throngs of people from Los Angeles and Southern California who escape east to the magical Mojave Desert landscape.

Cholla Garden at Joshua Tree National Park

The town of Twentynine Palms, where I would be staying for the next week, would be next along the highway, but I took a detour. I turned into the entrance for Joshua Tree National Park, my reason for visiting the area.

The park encompasses various elevations and different types of landscape. It straddles the Colorado and Mojave Deserts, the southern section of the park looking markedly different from the northern one. Much of it is dotted with weathered granite boulders, their edges worn smooth from countless years out in the elements. The result, combined with the Joshua Trees themselves, is an almost unbelievable, whimsical landscape.

Over the next six days, I took in the sights of the park at its various elevations - Joshua Trees, a prickly cholla garden, boulder scrambling, and a hike to the top of Ryan Mountain Peak. I saw climbers with their gear on top of giant rock outcroppings, and enjoyed the fact that the Mojave Desert's sparse vegetation means you can pretty much wander and make your own trail anywhere that speaks to you.

I also spent a day touring around the cities of Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs. Cabot's Pueblo Museum in Desert Hot Springs was a unique highlight of that day. It had a fascinating story, having been constructed in the early to mid-20th century of entirely found and repurposed materials. I also soared to new heights to the top of San Jacinto Peak on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

My Airbnb in Twentynine Palms was a sweet little spot above a garage in a residential neighborhood, the perfect cozy spot for working on a few new paintings and hiding out from the storm that whipped through on my last night there. As the palms (I didn't count them, but surely there were more than 29) swayed to and fro, I could have sworn they waved goodbye!

View of Twentynine Palms from the top of Chocolate Drop Mountain, which was located behind my Airbnb

It's hard to believe that the first two weeks of 2017 are already a wrap. In a week, I will bid farewell to my Bisbee home. I'm going to take a little break from my schedule of one location per month and take the opportunity to visit a few locales on my "must see" list.

An Organ Pipe Cactus. Photo Credit: Robb Hannawacker

1. Ajo, Arizona

After spending a few days in Tucson, I'll head to the area around Ajo, Arizona, where I will visit Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. I had never heard of either of these places before beginning my travels, but was intrigued enough after learning of them to put them on the itinerary.

2. Yuma, Arizona

Next, I'll spend a bit of time in Yuma, Arizona, located at the intersection of Arizona, Mexico, and California. I love sunshine, and I should find plenty of it there, as the sun is said to shine during about 90% of Yuma's daylight hours, making it the sunniest place in the world. Per Wikipedia, Yuma is the "driest, the sunniest, and the least humid, has the lowest frequency of precipitation and has the highest number of days per year (175) with a daily maximum temperature of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher." I definitely wouldn't want to be there in July or August, when average high temperatures exceed 106 degrees.

3. Salvation Mountain & Salton Sea

After Yuma, I'm making a stop to see Salvation Mountain and the Salton Sea, California's largest body of water. The Salton Sea has an interesting history and has always intrigued me. I'm looking forward to some unique photography opportunities there. This video probably explains the sea better than I really could.

4. Fallbrook, California

Joshua Tree National Park. Photo Credit: Joshua Tree National Park

My next home, Fallbrook, California, is known as the "Avocado Capitol of the World." I am spending a couple of weeks on a small ranch that is home to an alpaca, mini horses, pig, goats, and chickens (I love farm animals!). I will also be relatively close to the beach and other outdoor adventuring locales.

5. Twentynine Palms, California

From Fallbrook, I'll spend a week in Twentynine Palms, California. Twentynine Palms will serve as home base while I visit Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve.

Badwater Basin Sunset, Death Valley National Park, California. Photo Credit: Nagaraju Hanchanahal — Badwater Basin Sunset, Death Valley National Park, California. Photo Credit: Nagaraju Hanchanahal

6. Death Valley, California

Last, I will round out February in one of the places I've longed to see the most - Death Valley National Park. I will have a week there to explore its otherworldly scenery with the benefit of February's non-deadly temperatures.

As time ticks on (which it does at the same speed when I was home and working full-time, sadly), I will determine where March will find me. Until then, I don't think I will be at risk of boredom!

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