2015-03-21 - A Day Out With Fonda and Ed

Fonda invited me to go with her and Ed to the farmer's market in Joshua Tree and up into the National Park for a picnic and a visit to the Cholla Garden. We spent a couple of hours at the market and looking in the stores on the main drag. I have lived here 11 years and have never explored Joshua Tree. It was interesting to see what the shops there offer. Fonda bought some cheddar cheese at the farmer's market and found a nice $2 sweater and some candy bars at a thrift store. She and Ed got coffee at a cafe next to the NP Visitor's Center (I had brought a small container from home):

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We drove up into the park via the "West" entrance and made our way to Quail Springs which is about 6 miles east of the entrance station. The picnic tables were all in use. Fonda walked over to ask a couple if they would share and it turned out they were leaving so we took over. We had very tasty chicken sandwiches, mango fruit juice and some Triscuit and the cheddar cheese from the farmer's market which was delicious. We finished by sharing 2 of the large candy bars Fonda had found at the thrift shop and some Hershey's dark chocolate she had brought. Very good!

We left for the Cholla Garden but decided to detour up to Desert View which is the high point on the roads in the park and offers views of Mounts San Jacinto and Gorgornio (tallest peak in SoCal), the Coachella Valley, the Salton Sea and south into Mexico (on a clear day which this was not):

After admiring the view and the wind we drove on to the Cholla Garden which is on Cottonwood/Pinto Basin Road about 15 miles from the "North" entrance station, the 29 Palms entrance/exit. The cholla plants were all budded out but we only found one open flower. Fonda went off the trail and got a batch of needles in her shoe and at anothr point her hat blew off and landed on a fallen segment of plant which gave her an second needle removal project:

Not Cholla but beautiful none the less:

After our interlude at the garden wen drove back into 29 Palms. I had mentioned the Roughly Inn B&B to Fonda previously and since we were passing near it I suggested we stop in which we did. We drove through the parking area and around some of the bungalows then parked in front of the main building and walked into the yard to have a look. Ed went inside the main building and I followed. The staff was preparing diner for a group that was spending the weekend. I inquired about buying a gift certificate for friends who live in Apple Valley and need a stress free weekend. The proprietors were not on the premises and the temporary caretakers did not know where the certificates were kept so I offered to return another day. We went outside and were sitting on a bench beneath a beautiful tree when one of the ladies brought us a glass of ice water, a very nice gesture. After enjoying the environment and checking out the main house garden/yard we departed and came back to the RV park where Fonda prepared us a great dinner of salad, pasta with chicken and fresh baked brownies. A great end to a very fine day: