Weird California
Weird California
Weird California - By Joe Parzanese

Addresses

Joshua Tree Muffler Man Map
61943 Twentynine Palms Highway
Joshua Tree, California 92252

Love Signs Map
80501-80549 Twentynine Palms Highway
Twentynine Palms, California 92277

Metal Dinosaurs Map
62842 Twentynine Palms Highway
Joshua Tree, California 92252

Skull Rock Map
Park Boulevard
Twentynine Palms, California 92277

World Famous Crochet Museum Map
61855 CA-62
Joshua Tree, California 92252

World's Largest Desert Tortoise Map
Twentynine Palms Highway Highway 62
Joshua Tree, California 92252

Map All Addresses

The Livermore Cowboy only comes out for the yearly rodeo!
The Livermore Cowboy only comes out for the yearly rodeo!

Joshua Tree


You might only think of the national park and its myriad of trees when you hear the name "Joshua Tree", but in addition to the national park, the nearby town of Joshua Tree is filled with weird!

Our first bit of weird is Murtle the Turtle. Murtle is a giant statue located on Twenty Nine Palms Highway that is branded as the world's largest desert tortoise. Murtle now lives on Turtle Island. A metal sign spelling out "Joshua Tree" sits to her left, along with a metal Joshua Tree. Turtle Island sits on the south side of the highway, between Sunset Road and Hillside Road, in front of a small strip mall. She clocks in at about four feet tall and ten feet long.

Murtle the Turtle in Joshua Tree
Murtle the Turtle in Joshua Tree
Murtle the Turtle
Murtle the Turtle
Murtle the Turtle
Murtle the Turtle

Down the street from Murtle, located down a path to the left of the salon museum, Beauty Bubble, is a little green former one hour fotomat booth. And inside this itty bitty building is the World Famous Crochet Museum! The Crochet Museum is stuffed with, you guessed it, crocheted animals, and lots of them!

World Famous Crochet Museum
World Famous Crochet Museum
World Famous Crochet Museum
World Famous Crochet Museum
World Famous Crochet Museum
World Famous Crochet Museum
Joshua Tree Muffler Man
Joshua Tree Muffler Man

Joshua Tree has it's very own Cowboy Muffler Man. The Muffler Man was most recently from Mecca, California having stood near the Salton Sea since the 1970s, but was sold in May 2017 and relocated to Joshua Tree in February 2018. He is named Big Josh and stands outside a renovated 1946 service station, simply called The Station.

Several metal dinosaurs stand along Twenty Nine Palms Highway in Joshua Tree. They stand outside a former real estate office. There are two golden brontosaurus, and three carnivores. Sadly the dinosaurs have deteriorated and are in fairly bad shape.

East of Twentynine Palms are the Love Signs. There are three double sided signs stating love in six different languages. Unfortunately two of the three double sided signs have fallen down, leaving only one standing. The other two can be found laying on the desert floor.

Love Signs
Love Signs
Love Signs
Love Signs

Joshua Tree Rocks: Skull Rock Love Signs Metal Dinosaurs Muffler Men World Famous Crochet Museum World's Largest Desert Tortoise

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