Wall Street Mit Joshua Tree.

So many reasons to take this trip.  Sun, hiking opportunities, and warmer winter weather than back home.  Today we are focusing on the hikes.

According to the sekrebearies notes 5 hikes were completed in 6 days. 

All of the hikes were desert hikes (don't worry I made sure they prepared with water, sun screen, and tons of salty  snacks..  

First up is the Wall Street Mill Hike.  This mine area was a nice desert hike out to a historic location - 

Came across a few old buildings - this is a remnant of the Wonderland Ranch.  This ranch was owned by Worth Bagley a competing rancher to William Keys.  Both early homesteaders in the area. 

The Wall Street Mill was pretty cool - very well preserved. It was used sporatically to process gold that was either mined by William Keys or milled for other miners. 

Professor Thomas at the University will be very pleased with this hike.  Professor Thomas is a challenging professor for my desert archeology 203 course. 

Keys and Bagley did not  care for each other.  According to one source Bagley ambushed Keys near the Wall Street Mill and Key's killed Bagley.  They did not care for each other.  Keys apparently created a tombstone where Bagley died:  Here is the inscription:

"Here is where Worth Bagley bit the dust at the hand of W. F. Keys, May 11, 1943.

  Keys spent about 5 years in prison for the crime then went back to his ranch at Joshua Tree till his passing in 1968. 

Vacay for a fox

This little fox finally got a winter vacation.  Any guesses where we landed? 

 

A very chic part of California.  Home to many old-timey celebrities (Sinatra, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Liberace, Dean Martin, Elizabeth Taylor) and the like.  Did you guess Hollywood? Good guess but it's Palm Springs. 

The final destination was the desert - this fox like to hike at Joshua Tree National Park.