What difference a week makes! We came back through Joshua Tree National Park and the place has exploded with flowers of all colors, so much so that we encountered a couple of flower jams along the way. Come on people, pull off of the road all the way. Leaving half your car on the pavement makes it an interesting process trying to pilot a small house down a narrow two-lane road when an even bigger house is approaching from the opposite direction. Further on were valleys full of Joshua Trees just bursting with blossoms that should be opening by the end of the week.
We left the park at the Twentynine Palms entrance traveling north from there towards Amboy on old Route 66. The historical gas station/motel in Amboy, has long been vacant for many years. An enterprising individual in just the past month purchased, renovated and re-opened Roys for business once again. A side trip along the original Route 66 from Ludlow off of I-40 east of Barstow is only 8 miles longer than driving the Interstate and a lot more interesting.
We crossed under I-40 and continued north into the new Mojave National Preserve staying the night at Kelso where the park service has restored the old railroad depot there. This entire area nestled between interstates 40 and 15 eastward to the Nevada border deserves some more exploration in a future road trip, but for now, onward to Death Valley and see what surprises it holds in store for us.

The Future is already here!