My third and last day of travel took me to so many places I love.  First I packed up camp, a quick endeavor with just me, a tent, pad, and sleeping bag.  Apparently it was impressive to one of the older men camping nearby, I was later told that he called me the woman of his dreams for my efficiency in packing up.  Had to laugh at that.  I stopped at the little store for postcards for my kids, and when I came back out, the other older gentleman who had been camping next to me wanted to chat again, and I found out that he's a marine biologist, now interested in ravens, and spends his winters in baja.  Earlier as I was leaving the campsite, he had come over to ask what year my outback is, and we had a short conversation extolling its virtues.  He told me that yesterday he was hiking Titus Canyon, and watched two outbacks drive out.  Titus can be driven, one way, but typically only by jeeps.  I decided to drive down to Furnace Creek and back before continuing on to Joshua Tree.  The drive west out of Death Valley takes you over the Panamint Range and Inyo Mountains with breathtaking views.  I made a quick bathroom stop at Panamint Springs, another place I love to camp.  A little ways west of the park boundary lay the remains of a pop music icon, the joshua tree that graced the album art for U2's album in 1987.  While alive, it was easy to see from the highway.  For the past 15-20 years, it has been hidden to all but the most dedicated fans who hunt the desert.  More recently, with easy access to cell phones and GPS, it has seen more visitation. We first visited in 2004, and it was a very long search to find it, even though my husband had found someone online willing to share the mile marker that one should park near.  When I stopped today, I remembered well enough the tilt of the land and surrounding joshua trees and, with help from binoculars, was able to find it relatively quickly.  I spent a few hours sitting out there alone, enjoying the sunshine, breeze, and quiet.  The view south is really spectacular.  I've painted it a couple times already.  Around 2:30pm I noticed the time and hiked back to my car.  Continuing on the drive, on highway 190, I was tracing the path of Anton Corbijn's film crew this spring, when they created the visuals for the U2's 30th anniversary The Joshua Tree Tour.  A spectacular setting, driving the entire stretch of highway to Olancha, some 30-40 miles, I saw two cars.  The road is flat, open, sand on both sides, telephone poles running alongside, and the wall of the Sierras straight ahead.  Turning south, I had another four hours of driving to go, on the crazy highways of southern California that feel so remote you wonder if you're lost, yet there is abundant traffic, and very high speed limits.  I flew across the desert, turning from one small highway onto another, feeling more and more lost, surrounded by mountains on all sides as the sun set.  I arrived in the town of Twentynine Palms at about 8pm, and checked into the famous Harmony Motel, where U2 stayed in 1987 while working on the album.  It exceeded my expectations and I can't wait to come up with a reason to stay there again.  The owner is an amazing woman from South Africa who has been running this hotel for 13 years now.  She's done a marvelous job of creating a clean, quiet retreat.  I've stayed at a lot of hotels across the country, and even here near Joshua Tree.  This is one of my very favorites.  There are just eight units, the owner walks you to your room to show you the way, the rooms are impeccably clean and well decorated, the grounds are beautiful, and price is very reasonable.  In my travels, I've often paid more for far less.  There is a commons area with a kitchen, computer, books, and games.  Each room has its own little patio with a table and set of chairs.  At night there are string lights to give ambiance, and the pool and hot tub are open until 10:30.  I sat in the hot tub all by myself for an hour, enjoying the sweet smell of the warm air and the view of the stars. I also had a great conversation with the owner about all kinds of things, she really is a gem.

The view out my tent, before sunrise.

A pair of ravens visited for a little while this morning.

Turns out I didn't do too badly selecting a tent site by headlamp.

Sunrise from Stovepipe Wells.

Sunrise on the Panamint Range with shadow cast by the Amargosa Range.  It's hard to tell from this image, but these ranges run north/south along the east and west sides of Death Valley.

Mesquite Dunes, just east of Stovepipe Wells.

Another view of these dunes I love, sad that I don't have time to hike them today.

Looking south toward Furnace Creek.

Heading over the Panamint Range, looking back on Death Valley.

Crossing the Inyo Range, looking back on the Panamint Valley.

 

First glimpse of the Sierras.

At the site of the tree used in U2s The Joshua Tree album art.

The tree, looking very different than the other times I've seen it.  It has further withered into itself, and the collection of memorabilia left by pilgrims has increased exponentially.

A closeup of some of the items left here.

Great joke...Sundae Buddy Sundae, Edge and Bono sharing ice cream.

A rough panorama of the area.  The tree on the left was very short in the original images taken of the band out here, it has since more than doubled in height and developed a branch, something that happens each time the tree blooms.  So in these thirty years, this tree has bloomed once.

Headed west toward Olancha, with a view of the Sierra Nevada Range.  For those who attended one of this year's Joshua Tree concerts, you might recognize this location.  Anton Corbijn visited again this spring to shoot the video used for the background during Where the Streets Have No Name.

Sunset, somewhere along the maze of remote highways I traveled to get to Twentynine Palms, just outside Joshua Tree National Park.

Last glimpse.

Made it to the Harmony Motel, where U2 stayed during their travels through this region in 1987.

 

A snapshot that doesn't begin to do justice to the inviting atmosphere of this place.