Great Regulars: It is hard not to identify with the Joshua tree,

which gives the park its name. It is misnamed--it is not a tree, it is a cactus; it reproduces rarely and with difficulty; its comfort zone is narrow, somewhere between 2,000ft and 5,000ft; it looks angry, waving spiked fists in the air; finally, it can become structurally unsound and fall over. So, an awkward beast, but fields of them in the park represent one of the most strange and enchanting sights in the world.

In fact, everything in the park is strange and enchanting. It works just driving around in the car; it works much better if you get out. Walk one mile round Hidden Valley, a ring of the park's Henry Moore-ish granite boulders that creates a microclimate of lushness and peace.

from Bryan Appleyard: from The Sunday Times: Back Where I Belong--Joshua Tree

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