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<blockquote data-quote="BillB" data-source="post: 1000954" data-attributes="member: 9985"><p>Thank you Blondie, I'll try my hardest not to disappoint.</p><p>Later on we sat down to dinner of bangers and mash (they had found real British bangers nearby) and after coffee our sons went for a dip in the pool. The three dogs, not to be left out, promptly joined them in the water. Being set in the desert the daytime temperatures are pretty high (108 F or 42 C) so the pool, I was assured by Elder Son, was like a warm bath. Feeling delightfully relaxed and mellow from good food and wine, I sat and watched, just taking it easy after the long drive.</p><p></p><p>The next day Elder Son drove us to a nearby Mall where Jackie and I bought new sunglasses as the ones we had been using had proved to be as much use as chocolate fireguards. After some shopping by our son we stopped off for lunch at a Mexican restaurant where the tacos were superb.</p><p></p><p>We took a sightseeing drive around the area to get ourselves oriented and then returned home in mid-afternoon where we spent time catching up on emails and just lazing around. Dinner that evening was chili con carne prepared by Younger Son. As I make a pretty mean chili myself I know a good one when I eat one, and I had to admit that his efforts were well worth it. It had been a Mexican-flavoured day</p><p></p><p>The following morning Younger Son was going to drive us to Joshua Tree National Park where we would spend the day exploring. I had no idea what a Joshua Tree looked like, but our son told us that they only grow in this region, so they’re not exactly thick on the ground in Europe.</p><p></p><p>We drove from Cathedral City towards the mountains north of their house. We stopped off at a mall to buy sandwiches, wraps and water for lunch as the park we were making for did not have diners or restaurants. We drove for longer than expected as the mountains look closer than they are in reality. Just one of those optical illusions that occur in the high desert. However, we arrived at the entrance to the National Park, bought our tickets and chatted to the rangers manning the office and store.</p><p></p><p>We took a walk around the ticket office to see some of the desert plants which were growing in the sand. Some were quite remarkable, both in colour and in form. We took some pictures of the more unusual ones before we headed deeper into the park.</p><p></p><p>Joshua trees are not trees in the sense that we know them but belong to the genus Yucca. They have longish stems, up to about 10 feet and are topped by the bayonet-like spikes usually associated with yucca plants.</p><p></p><p>As we moved deeper into the desert I was amazed by the variety of plant life, mostly cactus and succulents. We went off road a couple of times, driving across the sandy flats. We only did it because our son’s vehicle is a Subaru 4-wheel drive and can go where a normal rear wheel driven car would have problems.</p><p></p><p>We loved seeing the strangely shaped rock outcroppings, wandering through them and climbing up to catch a view of the surroundings, stretching for miles. We came to a Joshua tree forest where we parked the car and wandered among these strange-looking plants. At one point we discovered an area where tiny little furballs were spread around underneath the Joshua trees. I learned that these form on the bigger plants then drop off as they develop. The wind blows them around until they are caught in the soil where, after a period of germination, they start putting down roots and eventually grow into the full sized trees we could see around us.</p><p></p><p>Around midday we arrived at a parking area where the land rose up to one side. A path looped upwards to an area where a couple of seats were situated. We ate our lunch, put the remnants into the bins provided and hiked up towards the high point that we could see. Breasting the rise we were astonished at the sight that greeted us. The mountainside fell away below our feet; we could see the desert stretching away and then, unbelievably to my eyes, there was Palm Springs and Cathedral City laid out miles away, but plain to see in the crystal clear air.</p><p></p><p>We took in the view, almost unable to believe our eyes. There was the harshness of the desert and the arid lands. Then we could see a road that cut across the scene in a dead straight line towards the cities. This was nature at its most raw, while Palm Springs was a symbol of how mankind was able to tame his environment and create a habitable oasis in the midst of one of the harshest landscapes on the planet.</p><p></p><p>We carried on around the park, viewing the extraordinary plant life that is able to live and generate in this climate. The range of vegetation was incredibly diverse proving, if proof were needed, that life always finds a way.</p><p></p><p>Dinner that evening was barbecued spare ribs and once again I wondered how America produced such large, meaty ribs while on our side of the Atlantic they are half the size.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="BillB, post: 1000954, member: 9985"] Thank you Blondie, I'll try my hardest not to disappoint. Later on we sat down to dinner of bangers and mash (they had found real British bangers nearby) and after coffee our sons went for a dip in the pool. The three dogs, not to be left out, promptly joined them in the water. Being set in the desert the daytime temperatures are pretty high (108 F or 42 C) so the pool, I was assured by Elder Son, was like a warm bath. Feeling delightfully relaxed and mellow from good food and wine, I sat and watched, just taking it easy after the long drive. The next day Elder Son drove us to a nearby Mall where Jackie and I bought new sunglasses as the ones we had been using had proved to be as much use as chocolate fireguards. After some shopping by our son we stopped off for lunch at a Mexican restaurant where the tacos were superb. We took a sightseeing drive around the area to get ourselves oriented and then returned home in mid-afternoon where we spent time catching up on emails and just lazing around. Dinner that evening was chili con carne prepared by Younger Son. As I make a pretty mean chili myself I know a good one when I eat one, and I had to admit that his efforts were well worth it. It had been a Mexican-flavoured day The following morning Younger Son was going to drive us to Joshua Tree National Park where we would spend the day exploring. I had no idea what a Joshua Tree looked like, but our son told us that they only grow in this region, so they’re not exactly thick on the ground in Europe. We drove from Cathedral City towards the mountains north of their house. We stopped off at a mall to buy sandwiches, wraps and water for lunch as the park we were making for did not have diners or restaurants. We drove for longer than expected as the mountains look closer than they are in reality. Just one of those optical illusions that occur in the high desert. However, we arrived at the entrance to the National Park, bought our tickets and chatted to the rangers manning the office and store. We took a walk around the ticket office to see some of the desert plants which were growing in the sand. Some were quite remarkable, both in colour and in form. We took some pictures of the more unusual ones before we headed deeper into the park. Joshua trees are not trees in the sense that we know them but belong to the genus Yucca. They have longish stems, up to about 10 feet and are topped by the bayonet-like spikes usually associated with yucca plants. As we moved deeper into the desert I was amazed by the variety of plant life, mostly cactus and succulents. We went off road a couple of times, driving across the sandy flats. We only did it because our son’s vehicle is a Subaru 4-wheel drive and can go where a normal rear wheel driven car would have problems. We loved seeing the strangely shaped rock outcroppings, wandering through them and climbing up to catch a view of the surroundings, stretching for miles. We came to a Joshua tree forest where we parked the car and wandered among these strange-looking plants. At one point we discovered an area where tiny little furballs were spread around underneath the Joshua trees. I learned that these form on the bigger plants then drop off as they develop. The wind blows them around until they are caught in the soil where, after a period of germination, they start putting down roots and eventually grow into the full sized trees we could see around us. Around midday we arrived at a parking area where the land rose up to one side. A path looped upwards to an area where a couple of seats were situated. We ate our lunch, put the remnants into the bins provided and hiked up towards the high point that we could see. Breasting the rise we were astonished at the sight that greeted us. The mountainside fell away below our feet; we could see the desert stretching away and then, unbelievably to my eyes, there was Palm Springs and Cathedral City laid out miles away, but plain to see in the crystal clear air. We took in the view, almost unable to believe our eyes. There was the harshness of the desert and the arid lands. Then we could see a road that cut across the scene in a dead straight line towards the cities. This was nature at its most raw, while Palm Springs was a symbol of how mankind was able to tame his environment and create a habitable oasis in the midst of one of the harshest landscapes on the planet. We carried on around the park, viewing the extraordinary plant life that is able to live and generate in this climate. The range of vegetation was incredibly diverse proving, if proof were needed, that life always finds a way. Dinner that evening was barbecued spare ribs and once again I wondered how America produced such large, meaty ribs while on our side of the Atlantic they are half the size. [/QUOTE]
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