We are actually about 50miles out of needles. 
Joshua Tree
As a family we have been trying to "Walk" ride bike, swim etc... to Tybee island... Starting in L.A. at Aaron and Bethany's house....So I added up all of the reported miles (200.1) and we are now deep in the Mojave dessert. Inside of the Mojave national preserve. These are pictures of the desert. So nice and warm...walking to Tybee island...
From the Mojave National Perserve web site:Desert solitude in Southern California
Singing sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones, Joshua tree forests, and carpets of wildflowers are all found at this 1.6 million acre park. A visit to its canyons, mountains and mesas will reveal long-abandoned mines, homesteads, and rock-walled military outposts. Located between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Mojave provides serenity and solitude from the crowds of major metropolitan areas.
Singing sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones, Joshua tree forests, and carpets of wildflowers are all found at this 1.6 million acre park. A visit to its canyons, mountains and mesas will reveal long-abandoned mines, homesteads, and rock-walled military outposts. Located between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Mojave provides serenity and solitude from the crowds of major metropolitan areas.
Visitors to Mojave National Preserve should expect bright, clear skies, seasonally strong winds, and wide fluctuations in day-night temperatures. At low elevations, temperatures above 100 degrees F. typically begin in May and can last into October. Annual precipitation ranges from 3.5 inches at low elevations to nearly ten inches in the mountains.
Three of the four major North American deserts are found at Mojave National Preserve: the Mojave, Great Basin and Sonoran. Dozens of seeps and springs coupled with varied elevations and soil types create microhabitats that support a diversity of plant and animal life. Cactus gardens, relict plant communities of white fir and chaparral and the densest, largest Joshua tree forest are all found here.
Three of the four major North American deserts are found at Mojave National Preserve: the Mojave, Great Basin and Sonoran. Dozens of seeps and springs coupled with varied elevations and soil types create microhabitats that support a diversity of plant and animal life. Cactus gardens, relict plant communities of white fir and chaparral and the densest, largest Joshua tree forest are all found here.
