Pioneertown~Yucca Valley, CA~Joshua Tree National Park

We love RV’ing and seeing the local sights and learning all we can about the places we visit. There are so many gems out there and we try to see as many as we can during our stay. We headed out on a very overcast day to see Pioneertown, an old movie set up near Yucca Valley, CA and for a drive through Joshua Tree National Park, all just up Hwy 62 from Desert Hot Springs, CA. We did not see any snow on this day but there was a snowfall within a couple of days of our visit.

Main street in Pioneertown, CA

Pioneertown, CA was founded near Yucca Valley, CA in 1946 by several Hollywood personalities as a permanent 1880’s town for film making. Roy Rogers broke ground with the help of the Sons of the Pioneers, from whom the town’s name was taken.

Storefronts in Pioneertown, CA

Over 200 tv series and movies were filmed here as well as being the backdrop for several films. Many buildings on Pioneertown’s Main Street were built to be used as homes for the actors while filming here and are still used as homes today.

 

Pioneertown Post Office

This Pioneertown post office is said to be one the most photographed in the U.S. There are 350 permanent residents in Pioneertown and surrounding area, so this is their official post office.

Pioneertown Church

The history of Pioneertown, CA is very colorful and Constance Walsh wrote a great page on it that is fun to read and learn about the ‘old days’ there.

Rocky formations on hills

The drive to Pioneertown, northwest of Yucca Valley is a winding scenic 6km (4mi) drive off California State Route 62 and has been designated a California Scenic Drive. Although the Sawtooth Complex Fire raged thru this area causing lots of damage in 2006, the rock formations are incredible to see. Pictures do not do it justice.

Climbing rocks in Joshua Tree Park

Joshua Tree Park is part of the Mojave Desert (elev. 900’ to 5000’ (275 – 1524 M). and is north of Desert Hot Springs, CA. We planned on visiting the park with friends who had never seen it before. As luck would have it, we had the rain to contend with so that meant our sightseeing was done from inside the truck but the sights were still breathtaking ! We will get back for the blue sky normally seen in Joshua Tree Park, but these huge rocks were all shiny and clean for this visit, which makes for some great sights, too.

Joshua tree

Legend has it that the Joshua tree was named by the early Mormons who travelled through these deserts many years ago. They named the trees after the prophet Joshua because they appeared to have outstretched arms guiding them on their travels.

The Joshua tree will grow up to 40’ in its lifetime. They show no growth rings like other trees but they grow about ½” per year so their age can be determined that way. They do not branch until after they bloom and don’t bloom every year. The Joshua tree, a yucca brevolia is of the giant lily family and their large cream-colored blooms are said to be spectacular in February.

Field of cholla cacti

One of the predominant of the desert cacti is cholla cactus but there are over 700 species of vascular plants and we hope to find some blooming cactus if we time our next visit right. Wildflowers usually begin with the Joshua tree blooms in February, then the lower elevations colorful annuals are out in March. It is usually April or May before the cacti bloom, though.

There are over half a million acres to the Joshua Tree Park and paved roads wind around the large rocks, which on a sunny day will usually have climbers working their way up their rock faces. There are several picnic areas and also some locations are available for overnight camping. Birdwatching, horseback riding and hiking on some of their many trails are all good reasons to visit Joshua Tree park. (clik on park name to see more).

Myrtle Beach ~ Huntington Beach State Park, S.C.

We set off to leave Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on a beautiful sunny morning. We love rv’ing in any weather, but it isn’t easy to leave when the sun is shining for the first time of the visit. It just makes me want to go see those things we missed, like the beaches, or even see some of the same things again. It is all in the timing !

In this case, we were commited to move on and while I regretted not being able to see more of Myrtle Beach, SC, I did notice there was a State park just ahead and suggested we stop to have a look at that. That turned out to be a good thing. It was beautiful.

There is a fee to pay to gain entrance to state parks so we paid as we went thru the gateway and hoped we would at least see something good for that! I had no information other than having seen the park on the map.

Bird sanctuary

We followed the road and within a short distance we were enjoying the park. We drove over a causeway with water on either side of the road with a peaceful bird sanctuary. One side is freshwater lake which is also home to alligators but we didn’t spend any time looking for them. The other side of the causeway is a salt marsh and is therefore subject to the tidewaters.

Birdwatching viewpoint

We see lots of people with cameras and binoculars walking along the roadside and birdwatching from designated spots. Huntington Beach consists of 2500 acres filled with diverse coastal habitat with sand dunes and beaches as well as the salt marsh, freshwater impoundment and maritime forest.
                               

Bird marsh in Huntington Beach State Park

We weren’t sure what birds we were looking at but these look like they are egrets, the tide was out and they were enjoying a lunch buffet from the marshy ground. Some of these birds appeared to have pink on their wings. The park offers nesting areas and food and shelter for about 300 species of birds, and is known to offer some of the best bird watching on the east coast.

Huntington Beach on the Grand Strand

This was exactly what I had hoped we would see ! Rare coastal plants are seen all over the park but we’re enjoying the grasses on the beach as we approach this beautiful scene. There were miles of sandy beach and several people enjoying the warm fall day.
                                           

Surfing not for Maggie

There is no way that we could get onto this gorgeous beach without getting into that water. We weren’t going swimming, as others were doing but we wanted to get our feet wet and enjoy the feel of the sand between our toes. I took video pictures trying to get Maggie playing in the water, too, but she was having nothing to do with that . When those waves came her way, she headed back and seemed confused about it all.

Maggie liked this view better

Maggie made her point when she got to the end of her leash and sat with her back to the waves. She is not a water girl and was having nothing to do with it.

Three miles of beautiful Huntington Beach, SC

This three mile beach on the Grand Strand is enjoyed by many of the locals as well as campers and RV’ers who stay in the campground available at the State Park. Imagine camping near this beach and feeling the sea breeze on your face day after day. Learn more about the campground and you may wish to make your plans to include this beautiful park.

Huntington Beach State Park is available due to the generosity of Archer and Anne Hyatt Huntington who left the park and the adjacent Brookgreen Gardens as their legacy to be enjoyed by the thousands, and more likely millions of visitors who come into the park. There is an Environmental Education Center that offers field trips March thru November and information for everything in the park.  We enjoyed our visit at Huntington Beach State Park and it was absolutely worth the entrance fee, there should have been no doubt.