If you are like most people, you have heard of the Mojave Desert, but your association might be limited to images of barren landscapes dotted with military bases. The Mojave definitely represents some of this, but it also has so much more. The Mojave Desert is a massive area encompassing large portions of California, southern areas of Nevada as well as small sections of Utah and Arizona. It’s expansive area includes Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park and the Mojave National Preserve.
All these years in California I have heard about the Mojave Desert but didn’t really know what or where it was. I had vague inklings that it was out in the middle of nowhere on the way to Las Vegas, and that it pushed its way into portions of Joshua Tree National Park, but that was the extent of my knowledge.
On our recent trip to Death Valley, passing the Mojave National Preserve on the way home, our interest in the park was kindled. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to stop, but I promised my son I would get us back there soon. Less than a month later and there we were, checking off another national park (preserve) as well as finally checking out the JUCY mini-RV!