09/10/2019 - Joshua Tree -> Route 66 -> Grand Canyon -> Flagstaff / USA (862 kilometers)

From Anaheim we now started our tour and drove the first kilometers to Joshua Tree National Park. We were already there before the park opened. Fortunately, the road that passes through the park is accessible 24 hours a day. The national park is a desert landscape and was named after the Joshua tree. It is the largest species of the genus and is also called Joshua tree. We walked through the desert landscape of bare rock formations and saw many of the striking trees. Our drive on the endless road continued and the landscape changed after just a few miles. We stopped at the Cholla Cactus Garden. Suddenly, thousands of Cholla cacti grow in a small area. They are also affectionately called teddy bear cacti, but they are not so soft. We made one last stop at Skull Rock. When viewed from the right side, you can actually see a giant skull that nature shaped.

We drove the next kilometers on historic Route 66. The highway system, totaling 3,945 kilometers, ran from Chicago to Santa Monica and was considered one of the first continuously paved road connections to the West Coast starting in 1926. Just before entering the charming town of Oatman, we were greeted by curious donkeys on the roadside. We climbed a few meters on winding roads and enjoyed a wide view of the landscape in southeastern California. In Kingman, we made a stop and visited the Route 66 Museum and gained insights into the history of the famous road.

We continued east on the freeway until we reached a viewpoint in the Grand Canyon. Just in time for sunset, we were able to enjoy the view into the huge and long gorge of red rock layers.

Now we covered the last kilometers of the day to Flagstaff.