Straddling the Colorado and Mojave deserts, Joshua Tree National Park is full of its namesake trees, various species of cacti, rock formations and unpaved roads that take you off the beaten path. Photos by the author.
Rolling through Death Valley National Park, I have an eerie feeling that I am being watched. Passing a road sign indicating that I am below sea level, a glance at the GPS confirms it–150 feet below sea level, in fact! But who is spying on me" Pulling over to contemplate the situation and grab a few pictures of the amazing landscape, I have goosebumps, but it isn?t from the brisk February morning air since I?m wearing heated gear.
I am traveling alone and the uneasy feelings will haunt me throughout my three-week journey. As a birthday present to myself, I?ve hauled my 2018 Yamaha XT250 from Missouri to escape the crummy winter weather and research three desert parks–Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve. A map of the route taken, by Bill Tipton/compartmaps.com.
It?s not my first time here. In the 1960s, my father was stationed at Travis AFB here in California. He always had a scooter or a motorcycle and I was the kid who always darted outside at the sound of the engine. Dad and I loved exploring on two wheels, and now a mental image of him riding a Cushman and wearing an Air Force flight suit is coming into focus. 
In his senior years he enjoyed sitting on the pillion of my Honda Gold Wings, remini...