2018 Road Trip - Joshua Tree National Park

Though sharing the same region as Death Valley, Joshua Tree's inviting desert juxtaposes the latter’s desolate desert. It was Jamie's and my favorite of the new parks we visited. It was no surprise that the park was filled with the unique and picturesque Joshua trees. Of all our stops, the Hidden Valley loop hike was the most beautiful. Filled with rocks, cacti and, of course, Joshua trees it was like walking through a giant cactus garden. The park was too hot for camping, so we stayed in Desert Hot Springs. After spending time exploring the park during the daytime we returned in the evening to view the night sky. This evening visit was an entirely different experience. It started with a beautiful sunset enhanced with a red glow thanks to smoke from wildfires which were unfortunately devastating parts of Northern California. As the evening darkened we encountered nighttime wildlife including bats, coyotes and kangaroo rats. We stopped at the Cap Rock picnic area to watch the stars. It wasn't a perfect viewing thanks to light pollution from Palm Springs and the wildfire smoke, but it was good enough to view constellations and shooting stars. One shooting star flamed across the sky very brightly and for long enough for everyone to see. That was an unique experience for us all.