Elephant Tree Trail

3/12/2010


We spent the morning retracing our sightseeing route of yesterday looking for my lost glasses. Unfortunately we were unable to find them. I am so glad I still have my old pair or I would be lost and unable to function. After lunch we decided to do the Elephant Tree Trail.
Elephant Tree Trail - Easy, but rocky, you need to watch your footing or you could sprain an ankle.A barrel cactus starting to bloom. I need to find out from my photographer daughter, Alisha how to get shots without my shadow!
Buckhorn cholla cactusThe buckhorn cactus just beginning to bloom. # 1 marker up a wash to start the trail. A few yellow & pink flowers along the sides of the rock wash. Blue & yellow flowers with a red hummingbird bush and mountains in the background. I think this is a fishhook cactus. More blue, yellow and red to brighten up the desert A interesting rock in the wash. Beavertail cactus The Elephant Tree, which is a rare tree, named after the short stout trunk and branches, resembling elephant legs and trunks. The leaves of the elephant tree. Even though this trail was only a 1 mile loop, we really enjoyed the hike as we felt the real feel of the desert here, compared to the last two days wild flower run. Hedgehog cactus. I only saw a couple of these small cactus on the elephant trail. On the hike, I told Joe we were enjoying God's Garden this year, and we didn't even have to do any of the gardening work, like we had done, while living at Willowbend Rd. After our short hike, I remembered we had stopped at a market in Anza Borrego the day before and I had suggested to Joe we should go back to that business to see if anyone had turned in my missing glasses. On the way to the market we stopped at a privately owned park to view these metal pieces of art. You are welcome to camp on this private owned park, of course with out hook ups. These statue's are located on Borrego Springs Rd. It was a gorgeous sunny day in the mid 70's. At the market, my glasses were not smashed in the parking lot, nor in the lost and found basket, so we started to back out of the parking lot to head back to our Nest. Next thing I know I hear Joe yelling, "What are you doing." I looked up to see a big SUV backing up into the drivers side of our Honda, and I found myself screaming. It felted like the SUV smashed the whole side of our car. We got out, and Joe and the other driver exchanged insurance information. The SUV's trailer hitch had hit our car preventing more damage. We had just got that side of the car door fixed in December, from our previous flying tire ordeal. I guess we will have to fit in time for a another body shop visit once again. We are just glad it is not as bad as we thought it was going to be.