The open road is my obsession. If too much time passes between outings, I need a fix. Perhaps a mere two hour drive ascending along the magnificent Kolob Reservoir Road for an indescribable view and breath of fresh air is all I need. But sometimes I just yearn to cleanse my mind and sweat it out along a desert highway. The enormous diversity of the Southwest landscape is my addiction. I clearly recall the first time I crossed the desert alone. It was 1979 and I was 17 years old. Behind the wheel of my 1976 Ford Pinto, I headed out from my home in Parker, Arizona, to Southern California on Highway 62, better known as the Rice Road. This two-laned stretch of asphalt was built in 1933 and lacked engineering to say the least. The twists, turns, bumps, and hills were like an "E" ticket Disneyland ride in my Pinto. Conditions across this part of the Mojave Desert are harsh. General George Patton set up a military training facility here in 1942 to prepare troops for action in the deserts of North Africa. I, too, was fairly prepared (but mostly naive). I knew how to change a tire and crank a wrench. The car was loaded with water, blankets, snacks, and my favorite Led Zeppelin 8-track. I was ready for the three hour adventure and the …show more content…
I stopped to view any distraction that caught my eye; random historical markers, abandoned buildings, and pullouts where the scenery was most majestic. As Highway 62 veered slightly north, the road took me through what would later become the east side of Joshua Tree National Park (1994). My eyes were wide open as I passed thousands of the iconic trees with their branches extending towards the cerulean skies. Who knew that the countless rock formations I witnessed would become a haven for world class climbing? It was just me and the desert in an intimate space. It was here that Highway 62 showed me how to love the open road and left me with a profound respect for nature, history, and