In Palm Springs CA for a conference for a couple days gave me a chance to do something different in the wee morning hours when I tend to awaken. I decided on an impromptu road trip. This time into the San Jacinto mountain range just south of the city I was based in.
The name for this mountain comes from a saint of the Spaniards. The mountain peaks at a summit of almost 10,000 feet but my objective was to drive some distance while gaining altitude that would afford a good morning view of the towns in the desert below. Below is the scenic wonderland as seen in the 6 to 7 am hours looking north from the mountain for the most shots.
The road that traverses the mountain is scenic highway 74 which runs over a 100 miles all the way from the desert through the high mountain and descends to the coast in Orange County CA.
Spotted a random bohemian from Oregon practicing his guitar in the early hours along the highway. Said he wants to experiment playing it amidst the mountains to hear the natural acoustics. Good on him to find his passion.
I stopped at a bunch of scenic vista points along my 50 mile trip that morning. While there is immense beauty in looking at what nature can do the inevitable also happens when man intervenes. Remnants of a alcohol filled night were spotted along the highway.
As I drove back I stopped at a Visitor Center that has a bunch of bird feeders out to quench the thirst of the avian wildlife that amazingly thrives in the dry air. It was a grand start to the morning.
Yucca brevifolia is a plant species that is the name of the cactus like plant that grows along the desert valley. Commonly known as Joshua tree the limbs are often splayed out.
The name for this mountain comes from a saint of the Spaniards. The mountain peaks at a summit of almost 10,000 feet but my objective was to drive some distance while gaining altitude that would afford a good morning view of the towns in the desert below. Below is the scenic wonderland as seen in the 6 to 7 am hours looking north from the mountain for the most shots.
The road that traverses the mountain is scenic highway 74 which runs over a 100 miles all the way from the desert through the high mountain and descends to the coast in Orange County CA.
Spotted a random bohemian from Oregon practicing his guitar in the early hours along the highway. Said he wants to experiment playing it amidst the mountains to hear the natural acoustics. Good on him to find his passion.
I stopped at a bunch of scenic vista points along my 50 mile trip that morning. While there is immense beauty in looking at what nature can do the inevitable also happens when man intervenes. Remnants of a alcohol filled night were spotted along the highway.
As I drove back I stopped at a Visitor Center that has a bunch of bird feeders out to quench the thirst of the avian wildlife that amazingly thrives in the dry air. It was a grand start to the morning.
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