108 degrees? Pfft, no prob . . .

California was nice but it was time to sober up and start Eastward. We camped out in the Joshua Tree National Forest Sunday night. I've always wondered why they were called Joshua trees and never did find a good answer. When we woke up in the morning there were no trees to be found so we packed up and drove around aimlessly until we stumbled upon a patch of these elusive desert trees. It was instantly apparent, once we saw the fruit that the limbs bore, why they called them Joshua trees.

The park is located right in the Mojave Desert and incidentally it was very deserted.

The drive east was pretty desolate as well except for the occasional hot vehicle and . . .

. . . this weird setup where they seem to be trying to cool down the desert. Seems like a waste of electricity to me.We're now in Phoenix hanging out with John and Dee Dee. It's approximately a bajillion degrees, give or take a gazillion. We had some delish mexican food last night and did a little lazing around in the mall today. We're about ready to head to northern AZ.