March 31st

Today we have a very long drive ahead of us — through the desert all the way to the Grand Canyon. We have a route of over 400 miles planned for today.
We get up early and first visit Joshua Tree National Park. By the way, the name of the park comes from the giant yuccas with their branching trunks that stretch upward like praying hands — Joshua Trees.
You can reach all the sights by car, though there are also marked hiking trails. We start the drive through the park at the Joshua Tree Visitor Center. There are pull-offs and photo stops everywhere. The absolute highlights are: Hidden Valley, the Keys View (from here you have a spectacular panorama that includes the San Andreas Fault) and on the way there you see the largest Joshua Trees. The route continues to the Jumbo Rocks with the main attraction, the Skull Rock — and be sure to also make a stop at the Cholla Cactus Garden. We exit the park through the Oasis Visitor Center entrance.
It is always worth talking to a Park Ranger: among other things, he gave us a great tip for the onward drive. At the park exit we continue along Amboy Road, passing through the Sonora Desert and driving a stretch of Route 66. By the way, not every section of Route 66 appeared on our maps — there are always shorter segments missing since the road is no longer fully intact (one section was even closed). Driving all of them obviously means taking detours! We do recommend the Route 66 stretch starting from Kingman, which passes through Valentine — it is genuinely romantic and scenic. There are several roadside diners and cafés that are truly iconic, some with old vintage cars on display. A stop, even just for a photo, is well worth it. You also keep driving alongside railway lines with trains stretching for miles — just wave to the engineer and you will almost always get a wave back!
We do not arrive at our hotel near the Grand Canyon until 9 p.m. A tiring day with many miles behind us. We take a quick look around the immediate surroundings and then head to bed.
Those with more time will find additional sights along the way. Lake Havasu, for example, where the London Bridge from 1550 now spans a canal on the Colorado River — there is even an English village built for tourists! Or you can visit the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge. Before Flagstaff there is the Kaibab National Forest. In Flagstaff itself there is a meteor crater (168 m deep), and the Walnut Canyon National Monument features ancient cliff dwellings. There is also a Bearizona Drive-Thru Wildlife Park near Williams.