July 2018

JOSHUA TREE

An easy hour drive from Palm Springs and you arrive at Joshua Tree National Park where the Mojave and the Colorado deserts merge and the land has been sculpted by strong winds and extreme weather conditions. This barren desert landscape is scattered with the amazing Dr Seuss like trees, for which the area has become known for, the Joshua tree.

From top left Skull Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, Cruising the National Park, Arch Rock.

Arriving early to beat the heat of the day, the drive through the Mojave desert is surreal, with its vast open spaces, it offers up a special stark beauty of its own. Cruising through we were amazed by the amount of military vehicles on the road, passing at least seven convoys consisting of up to 100 tanks and vehicles in each group. Tom was beside himself as we travelled alongside them, kitted out in full combat gear, sitting in patrol mode on tops of tanks and transporters you could feel the power of the US military roar. We had been oblivious to the fact that the Mojave’s nickname was “Artificial Afghanistan” home to four huge military bases where soldiers are trained in simulating battlefields in similar conditions to those that are found in the middle east. Fort Irwin is the national training center for the entire US military, a training area so large that it includes 12 replicated towns with more than 1,200 buildings. Several of the larger towns even being fully instrumented with sight, sound and scent capabilities.

Travelling to training exercises, the US Military through the Mojave Desert

There is much to do within the Park itself, with many hikes and walks catering for all different levels of fitness. We loved just cruising and watching the changing landscape. The walk up to Skull Rock and then onto Arch rock was a highlight, the rock formations throughout this area were amazing due to the fact that the park is crisscrossed with hundreds of faults as it lies on the famous San Andreas Fault line. This can be clearly seen from one of the highest points in the park, Key Views, which was also a fabulous spot to watch the sunset.

If visiting remember to stock up on water supplies, even if just a day trip. The park is large and the days are really hot, although water is available to purchase from the the park entrance, once in, it takes a lot of effort to retrace your steps back to the entrance if someone needs water. Also worth noting is phone reception. All through this area reception is mostly non existent, remember to download maps and information before arriving as once you arrive in the area there really is no available roaming.

From fauna and fault lines there is a lot of the wild and wacky on offer as well. For those with a passion for crotchet, Highway 62 is home to the World Famous Crotchet Museum. Housed in a disused photo processing booth, behind the Joshua Tree Salon, the museum is an eclectic collection of all things crotchet from poodles to pumpkins and piglets, there is something here for everyone.

Continuing on from here to Landers and more of the colourful and creative can be found at Integratron. Built around 1954 by aviation engineer George Van Tassel, Integratron is a 38 feet tall cupola structure. Tassel claimed to have received the plans for the construction of this dome from a extra terrestrials from Venus. Its purpose, to rejuvenate human cells and time travel which could be accomplished through its electrostatic generator.

Film maker Jonathan Berman, so intrigued by Tassels claims, moved to Joshua Tree for several months to produce the film “Calling All Earthlings” which delved into the life of George Van Tassel and his extra terrestrial claims.

Berman's film not only examines the life of Van Tassel and his Integratron but also delves in to the culture of the Mojave's desert dwellers, who've been mystically drawn to the remote region for centuries.

Pioneer Town is another little side step we took driving through the Yukka Valley region. Originally established during the 1940’s by a group of Hollywood investors, the town was built not just as a set town, which saw over 200 movies produced but also as a place that the actual cast and crew could stay in as well.

As the golden age of westerns came to an end however the community started to dwindle. Today the town still functions as a small time scale production set for music videos, commercials and independent films. Many of the stores have begun to open as actual businesses selling an array of handmade wares.

Noah_Purifoy_The_Tuesday_Magazine_August_1968.

For the last leg of our “Joshua Tree Day Tour” I dragged the boys to The Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum. Purifoy was an American artist who came to the forefront after the 1965 Watts Riots in LA when the town of Watt’s burned for a week after African Americans rebelled against decades of economic marginalisation and mistreatment at the hands of police. He and close friend, musician Judson Powell, came out after the fires collecting remains left from the flames. He and several other artists of the time formed them into amazing sculptures, 66 pieces of the exhibition toured the USA for two years before being put on permanent display at the Modern Art Gallery in DC. His final 15 years saw him move his practice to the Mojave Desert where he has created ten acres full of large scale sculptures on the desert floor. Constructed entirely from junked material, this otherworldly environment is one of California’s great art wonders.