Aside from the heat, we were able to get some rest and get on the road for a short drive to Palm Springs, finally arriving in California. Deciding to stop and do some hiking in Joshua Tree National Park, we stopped by a Petsmart AND a Petco in search of a more back friendly doggie carrier, but had no luck. It was at this point that we realized Phoenix’s glut of suburban strip malls.
One could stand on an interstate bridge, and literally see at least three Target signs, four Best Buy stores, and numerous pet stores. If poor economic times and scarcity of water are really issues, Phoenix seems to be ignoring both! Apparently most citizens cannot be bothered to make the half mile trek from their home any further than humanly possible. And they HAVE to drive to these stores; it is just too damned hot to walk. BUT, we did manage to drive by the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, where the NFL’s Cardinals play, as well as the BCS Fiesta Bowl is now held.
The new stadium is a testament to modern construction, needing a domed building in such a god forsaken landscape. We decided that the University of Phoenix, a FOR-PROFIT educational source, is asking too much for tuition if they can sponsor such a massive, brand spankin new stadium. At this point we headed West, to reach the Golden State. First, however, we went in search of the Saguaro. Angela wanted very badly to get a picture of these tall cacti before we left their natural range of arid desert. We found some stately cacti at least 30 feet tall just off the interstate.
A short drive later, we came upon the California state line, and an agriculture inspection station. This state likes to micro-manage their citizens with rules, and we broke one immediately by smuggling some house plants into the state. The price of gas promptly rose a bajillion dollars, to nearly 5 bucks a gallon. This place was starting to get on my nerves, but enjoyed a brief visit to Joshua Tree National Park.
This is a beautiful state, and drove up a seemingly abandoned incline into barren hills. Instead of hiking, the heat was too intense, we checked out a visitor’s center. This little excursion covered AJ in cacti spurs and a realization that the main entrance to the park was hours away along with the cool things to see, such as 40 foot tall Joshua Trees, a variant of the yucca plant, and oases.
Some locals invited us to camp with them, but decided we had enough of the tarantula infested desert for one day and headed into the resort paradise of Palm Springs. Here we encountered rich youngsters from nearby LA, but stayed in a nice Holiday Inn thankful for government rate. During peak season, these rooms could run as high as 600 bucks a night!
Aside from the heat, we were able to get some rest and get on the road for a short drive to Palm Springs, finally arriving in California. Deciding to stop and do some hiking in Joshua Tree National Park, we stopped by a Petsmart AND a Petco in search of a more back friendly doggie carrier, but had no luck. It was at this point that we realized Phoenix’s glut of suburban strip malls.
One could stand on an interstate bridge, and literally see at least three Target signs, four Best Buy stores, and numerous pet stores. If poor economic times and scarcity of water are really issues, Phoenix seems to be ignoring both! Apparently most citizens cannot be bothered to make the half mile trek from their home any further than humanly possible. And they HAVE to drive to these stores; it is just too damned hot to walk. BUT, we did manage to drive by the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, where the NFL’s Cardinals play, as well as the BCS Fiesta Bowl is now held.
The new stadium is a testament to modern construction, needing a domed building in such a god forsaken landscape. We decided that the University of Phoenix, a FOR-PROFIT educational source, is asking too much for tuition if they can sponsor such a massive, brand spankin new stadium. At this point we headed West, to reach the Golden State. First, however, we went in search of the Saguaro. Angela wanted very badly to get a picture of these tall cacti before we left their natural range of arid desert. We found some stately cacti at least 30 feet tall just off the interstate.
A short drive later, we came upon the California state line, and an agriculture inspection station. This state likes to micro-manage their citizens with rules, and we broke one immediately by smuggling some house plants into the state. The price of gas promptly rose a bajillion dollars, to nearly 5 bucks a gallon. This place was starting to get on my nerves, but enjoyed a brief visit to Joshua Tree National Park.
This is a beautiful state, and drove up a seemingly abandoned incline into barren hills. Instead of hiking, the heat was too intense, we checked out a visitor’s center. This little excursion covered AJ in cacti spurs and a realization that the main entrance to the park was hours away along with the cool things to see, such as 40 foot tall Joshua Trees, a variant of the yucca plant, and oases.
Some locals invited us to camp with them, but decided we had enough of the tarantula infested desert for one day and headed into the resort paradise of Palm Springs. Here we encountered rich youngsters from nearby LA, but stayed in a nice Holiday Inn thankful for government rate. During peak season, these rooms could run as high as 600 bucks a night!
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