Most people who tour Joshua Tree either do it strictly by auto (which is still beautiful), stop at some of the many "points of interest" pullouts, or walk a couple of the well established nature trails. That is fine, but there are a lot of other great things, that are hidden in plain, or maybe just a little bit off the beaten path. Nobody is going to point them out to you.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present the ladies...
The Red Lady (pictograph)
This is probably the most "famous" pictograph in Joshua Tree. It isn't really hidden, but it might as well be, because very few people see it.
Enhanced photo of the Red Lady.
The Brunette Lady (pictograph)
The Brunette Lady, is only about a mile from the Red Lady. If you look closely at her hair line, you can see that she is clearly a brunette.
I have a lot of older photos of this pictograph, but my granddaughter told me that those old photos don't have her in it. So I took her two dollar bribe and said I'd post one with her in it.
The Modern Lady (Petroglyph)
I understand that "modern" is a relative term when it cones to old things. Still though, isn't this an "A-Line" dress?
The Modern Lady's vandalized twin
It seems that the only difference between this petroglyph and the previous one, is that some idiot followed the lines with a pencil. I have no idea when it was done, but it has been like this as long as I can remember.
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These last few are just for your viewing pleasure. The don't necessarily have anything at all to do with the ladies. There are from the same area, but that's all I'm saying.
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There are a lot more items in these areas, but in deference to the ladies, I didn't want to distract you from their beauty...
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It doesn't surprise me that most visitors stick to the well-blazed trails. Most lack any kind of spirit of adventure.
ReplyDeleteI would certainly go out of my way to visit anything as interesting as what you show in these pictures.
Amazing photos as always, Pat. I've missed popping by here!
ReplyDeleteHow cool! We're going to be heading up there sometime this month!
ReplyDeleteCheryl Ann
Treasure to find those! And they were very distinct.
ReplyDeletethe first one is my favorite. love that you can see her native dress. i hate that folks feel the need to 'enhance' these images - and not the way you do them in photos after the fact.
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed this series, Pat! Fascinating and different and distinct indeed! And what a lovely granddaughter you have! Glad you included her! Hope you have a great new week! Enjoy -- camera in hand, of course!!
ReplyDeleteLoved seeing your 'ladies' --especially the granddaughter. Beautiful young lady!!!
ReplyDeleteWe were looking for some pictographs when we were at Rock Cave in Arkansas last week--but couldn't find any. The signs said they were there --but we couldn't find them.
Hugs,
Betsy
This is my kind of beauty pageant! Love seeing these ladies, and your grand-daughter is in lovely company.
ReplyDeleteHaha!! That is awesome. The people that drew those, they were way ahead of their time. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's upsetting that someone would want to ruin a pictograph. Great pictures though Pat. I do really enjoy these pictograph posts.
ReplyDeleteVery cool.
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool Pat. Drawing on walls still goes on today!
ReplyDeleteNice pictures - in Northern Australia there are images from first contact (your modern lady made me think of this) - the people have very big feet - because they are wearing boots - and have no hands - because they have there hands in their pockets!
ReplyDeleteFunny really!
Cheers - Stewart M - Scottsdale, AZ (and Melbourne!)
PS: I've managed to get out into the desert (just a little) - wow!
Your granddaughter is adorable, and I feel sure your taking her to see these phemonenal pieces of art will have her returning to the area for years to come. My favorite one today is the Modern one. She looks like some of my quilting patterns. It is so upsetting someone would deface this. Very sad.
ReplyDeleteI like your granddaughter in the picture as she gives a nice size perspective to the size of the pictograph. Thanks for sharing your "ladies". Very interesting!
ReplyDeleteMore great photos of this unusual area.
ReplyDeleteAwesome ladies, including the young one! Hi, Tay!
ReplyDeleteSo full of history and memories!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to have you granddaughter provide a perspective, it helps grasp the scale. When you think about it, there are untold treasures that have probably never been discovered.
ReplyDeleteMakes me lonesome for Joshua . Good to get your granddaughter walking ..really catches the feeling of being amid those giant boulders! I love the pictos and petros as always.
ReplyDeleteNice to see your lovely Granddaughter again Pat.. ,Lady in Red' the song came to mind. Incredible to see such ancient drawings.. I would definitely get out of the car and walk miles to see these :)
ReplyDeleteDennis - I'm with you Dennis! Either people don't know that anything is off the trail, or they are afraid to look because of the reputation of the Mojave desert. They are smart to be afraid. It is beautiful place, but it is also brutal and unforgiving. I go there by myself pretty often and spend most of my time off trail. If I was to break my leg or get a snake bite, I'd still be there...
ReplyDeleteTalli - Hi there Talli! Nice to see you out and about. Thanks so much for the nice words. I know you have been very busy and I really do appreciate it when you do have time to stop by.
trav4adventures - That is awesome! Are you still staying at Hidden Valley? We're currently in the Mojave, but about 140 miles from there.
Alex - Yep! I recently heard that they might be representations of the wife of Bill Keys. Keys was the most famous of the characters associated with JTNP. His old ranch house and associated buildings and equipment have been meticulously protected by the park service. Tours of the place are given daily. I'm not sure I agree with that, but it's an interesting thought.
TexWisGirl - I agree with you on both counts. I'll do another post on the areas around these images fairly soon.
Sylvia - Thanks Sylvia! I will tell her you said that. You have a great week also!
ReplyDeleteBetsy - Yes she is! Pictographs can be VERY hard to see. I've seen "enhanced" photos of them from places that I could swear had none at all.
Robin Andrea - Mine also! My granddaughter and I get along very well. She is a great kid. Very confident also.
Baby Sister - Way ahead of their time! I can't imagine taking the time to peck or gouge images into solid rock though. Oh well, I guess they didn't have Facebook or video games.
TS Hendrik - I totally agree Tim. There are even people out there who use power tools to try and cut them out of the rock! I'm glad you like them Tim. We're out in the desert again for a couple of weeks. I'm trying to find a way to get to some petroglyphs that are only accessible by boat. Well, we could hike to them also, but that would mean hiking about 20 miles each way. No thanks!
Kay - Thanks Kay!
ReplyDeleteBrian - You are right Brian! There is even a thing called "historic graffiti" or "historical vandalizing." It's when a prospector or somebody like that scratches their name and date (or something like that) a couple hundred years ago on top of Indian petroglyphs.
Stewart - Thanks Stewart! That is funny! There are a few spots out here that show men on horses. They relate to the first time that the native Indians saw the Spanish in the area. I'm glad you're getting out. I wish I had some good stuff to send you to, but I wouldn't want to recommend a place I hadn't personally visited. The desert is a "wow!" experience. A huge chunk of the southwestern part of this country is desert. Even on the coast. If it's not totally arid, it's semi-arid!
Genie - Thanks Genie! That is my intention. I want her to be one who doesn't only accept what people want her to see in these places. I agree that the modern one would look good in a quilting pattern.
Sally - I like her in the photos also. I hope they are shared with her children and grand children also. It's my pleasure to share this stuff Sally. Thanks so much for always following along and commenting. I really do appreciate that.
Al - Thanks so much Al! I've read that there is Indian rock art in your great area also. Someday....
ReplyDeleteMs. A - Thank you so much! I will tell Taylor you said hello...
Ladyfi - You are so right! It's in my granny's history, it's in mine and I hope the same will be true with my granddaughter.
Wayne - There is so much that is undiscovered! There is also much that was discovered and then never spoken about (that is what bugs me the most).
Sallie FTL - I think it's time you made it back out here Sallie. Of course, it's a long long detour down the coast on your way to Florida. Thanks so much Sallie! I appreciate it.
PerthDailyPhoto - It is also nice to have you see her! It always amazes me to see them. I know you would be exploring right there with us.
that last photo really is the prettiest
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos! Wonderful views of the ladies of the past!
ReplyDeleteI've found that getting off the beaten path really is the best way to see things. When I think of all the times I wasted just seeing the "touristy" things in Europe (as cool as the Colosseum was) when I could have explored, it makes me sad.
ReplyDeleteI ran into this article and you, of course, were the first person I thought of: http://travel.yahoo.com/photos/hauntingly-beautiful-ghost-towns-across-america-1394143079-slideshow/
ReplyDeleteThe Red Lady is really pretty and colorful but your adorable Granddaughter by far more beautiful, Pat.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great adventure and info.
DEZMOND - Thanks! I also like it.
ReplyDeleteLeovi - Thanks Leovi!
Al P - I agree with you! I haven't been to Europe, but I think I'd have to see a lot "touristy" things before I started exploring.
altadenahiker - I thank you so much! I will be checking it out in just a couple of minutes.
Pam - Thanks Pam! My pleasure...
altadenahiker - I went, I saw, I'm back! I've been to half of them, but it was a long time ago! Thanks so much for the link...
ReplyDeleteI like all of these ladies, except for the vandalized one of course. However, the picture of your granddaughter smiling is priceless!
ReplyDeleteIcy BC - Yep, she is certainly the youngest of the group!
ReplyDeleteSee ladies are everywhere, even in stone..
ReplyDeleteWow your granddaughter has really grown since I started reading your blog (5 years now).. $2?? Good deal ;-)
Some great shots here Patty.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you're passing the mantle. Your granddaughter looks very happy. Perhaps in 40+ years she will return.. and so on...
sixdegreesphotography - They are everywhere! You are right, she has is taller than my wife and looks like she is going to catch her mom soon.
ReplyDeleteAnthony - Thanks Anthony! I sure what you said is true. She seems to really like this stuff.
All of the ladies are beautiful, including (especially) your granddaughter.
ReplyDelete