Joshua
Tree: The Complete Guide: Joshua Tree National Park
,
by James Kaiser
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Piles
of boulders in Joshua Tree National
Park
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A
rare snowstorm in Joshua Tree
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I've now reviewed four of James Kaiser's
"Complete Guide" books, Acadia,
Yosemite,
Grand
Canyon and this one. I can tell you a compelling
reason that you ought to purchase this third edition
of Joshua Tree: The Complete Guide. I don't know
of any other guide book gives you so many stunning color
photographs for $20. The author has captured so many
gorgeous images that I love to pick up his books periodically
and take a five-minute virtual adventure. The fact that
Kaiser also provides detailed maps, hiking guides, historical
background and tips for visiting Joshua Tree National
Park is all "gravy" on top of these wonderful
photographs.
Joshua Tree, like Kaiser's other
guides, is organized into six primary sections. The
first part provides an excellent overview of the park,
a list of campgrounds, a brief discussion about the
surrounding towns, the historical background of the
area, and great descriptions of the flora and fauna
of the area. (Wait until you see the photograph of the
western diamondback rattlesnake! You've got to wonder
where the camera was for that shot!) The second section
holds the meat of the guidebook, detailed visitor information
for twenty places in the park. I've been to a few of
them over the years, but most were new to me. One place
I will certainly explore after reading this book is
the Geology Tour Road south of Queen Valley. The promise
of spring wild flowers, prehistoric Indian camps, abandoned
gold miles and interesting geology is very intriguing.
The last section of the book deals with
the Sonora desert region of the park, another area I've
never visited. One of the attractions in this part of
the park is the Cholla Cactus Garden nature trail. What
draws most return visitors is the chance to scramble
among the amazing boulders deposited over the millennia.
This is a rock climber's haven during the winter months
when other climbing areas like Yosemite are covered
in snow. It can snow in Joshua Tree, of course, but
it's a relatively rare event. What's not rare are stunning
silhouettes of Joshua trees at sunset and awesome night
skies full of more stars than city dwellers can imagine.
The photographs in this book make it an outstanding
armchair experience. Kaiser's prose and insider tips
make it a must-have for anyone heading to Joshua Tree
National Park.
Mark
Sedenquist
6/26/09
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