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April 24, 2013 at 7:51 AM

Another beautiful day in sunny California ... Our first visit to Joshua Tree National Park was this morning; the first shoot at the park was at Lost Palms Oasis near Cottonwood Spring.  What a beautiful location, the palm trees found here are called Fan Palms. This region was inhabited by the Cahuilla Indians then later by gold prospectors who knew of this region to stock up on fresh water.

Who would have believed that you could go from desert and mountain rock then turn the corner and be in an Oasis?  Green lush trees and they were full of many species of birds.  We left the Oasis and hiked the canyon photographing at many stops along the way.  There were some humming birds flying around these beautiful red flowered plants which made for some great shots.  There are many types of cactus and other plant life within Lost Palms.  There was a nice breeze this morning which made it comfortable.

We had some free time this afternoon, then went into Palm Springs tonight for some urban photography and dinner.  While in the city centre we visited and photographed the 26 foot tall metal and aluminum statue of Marilyn Monroe.  It was a fun evening finished off with some good italian food.

Tomorrow we will be visiting the Sultan Sea, which is located close by Desert Palm.  After you have browsed through tonight’s images, there is more of a description of the Sultan Sea.  It sure will be an interesting place to visit.

A must first photo at the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park.

The road leading between the mountains into Joshua Tree National Park.

Welcome to Lost Palm Oasis.

As you can see from the wide angle shot, a true Oasis in the desert.

This gives you an idea of the height and age of the Palms.

The Cahuilla Indians used to pass through this region.  The holes in this rock were caused by the Indian women grinding and pounding mesquite and other seeds into flour.

Do you recognize any of these photographers.  We were trying multiple exposures.

The path leading into the canyon area away from the oasis.

This sort of cactus, yuccas and small Joshua trees were all along the trail.

More of the lush green as we climbed higher out of the first canyon.  What a contrast.

More of the round boulders, similar to Black Canyon in the Mojave.  There were more to be seen here.

The light catching some of the cactus shrubs, the red adds some interesting contrast.

A busy humming bird feeding on a tropical plant called the Ocotilo plant, as we hiked up the trail. This flowering plant shows it’s colour in the spring and again in the fall if there has been moisture.

Red cactus.  They were very plentiful in this area.

More of the beautiful landscape.  Interesting to see the splash of colour.

Spring is in full bloom here and there was plenty of flowering cactus to be found.

Whops Ben crossing through my shot!!! This one’s for you Dan.

There are two regions were the oasis can be found on Lost Palms Oasis Trail.

As we hiked back towards the first oasis.

This beautiful bird was busy jumping from limb to limb as we passed through the green and lush area.

This 26 foot 34,300 lbs statue called “Forever Marilyn” was done by the artist Seward Johnson, grandson of the Johnson & Johnson family.  It stands in the Palm Springs square.  Marilyn Monroe was discovered in Palm Springs.  This sculpture was inspired by her movie “the Seven Year Itch”

The city center of Palm Springs.

The cooling misters are very common along the streets here.

Merv Griffin’s star on the Palm Spring walk of fame.  344 stars on the walk here in Palm Springs.

This statue is dedicated to Mayor Sonny Bono.

Well we have come to the “end” of today’s images.

That’s it for this evenings photographs and blog entry.  Tomorrow we are going to spend the day photographing around the Sultan Sea.  For anyone that is not familiar with the Sultan Sea, it is a large lake region near Palm Desert that for the most part is abandon of habitants.  You see the lake contains 15% more salt content than that of the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.  Some wildlife have adapted, but the decay of a once popular holiday region is the main attraction for photography.  Check back tomorrow to see our postings and stories from the Sultan Sea.  Good night from the Trekkers from just outside Joshua Tree National Park in California.

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