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Heading north into the Preserve, it soon was was time to stop and take a better look at the landscape. |
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The next stop was the old town of Kelso. About all that's left is the handsome old Union Pacific Railroad station. Plans are to make it the visitor center for the National Preserve. |
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A nice view down the colonade along the front of the station. |
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There's not much left in Kelso but some old abandoned buildings and the railroad with its sidings. |
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Baker, California, at the north edge of the Preserve on I-15, is home to the "World's Largest Thermometer." It's a convenient place to stay while exploring the area. |
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A morning walk up Teutonic Peak took us into more vegetation, particularly chollas and Joshua Trees. |
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This is one of the densest stands of Joshua Trees, even more than in the Joshua Tree National Park. |
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Close up, the leaves of a young Joshua Tree have an interesting pattern. It's a member of the lily family. |
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While climbing Teutonic Peak, there's a great view over the desert region to the north. |
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The Mojave Road is an old route that crosses the Preserve from east to west. In the 1860s there was a series of military outposts to protect travelers and the mail route. It's a 4WD route now, snaking across the desert in the distance. |
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Interesting views of the desert and many different distant mountain ranges were found any place we stopped for a walk. |
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