Joshua Tree and The Stars Above Us
With the demands and shut downs that social distancing has produced over the past few months, we have taken to the road and into nature. Trees and meadows are not bothered by pandemic outbreaks, and are actually the better for it. We have been able to check off a significant portion of our list of California must-sees - with Joshua Tree included. The park opened up just in time for Memorial Day weekend, and without a second thought, we drove the 7hrs to get there. We were able to find a private campsite just outside Joshua Tree, that had an outdoor shower and sink. When we arrived, it was 3am in the morning. And when we woke, the desert sun was above us.
It was our first time staying longer in the desert, and it educated us greatly. For one, we set our tent on the wrong side of a barrier, and the sun heated up our tent so that we couldn’t sleep in. Secondly, we hiked at Indian Cove and learned about how different desert plants are, and how nutritional they can be. We discovered how the Indians used different parts of plants for medicinal reasons, food, and basket weaving. It is fascinating how diverse the desert really is, and how many creatures and animals not only have adapted, but thrive in its environment.
Driving through Joshua Tree is stunning. A sea of short spiky trees blanket the dry, cracked Earth. Rocks the size of buildings lean against each other, and are the most inviting for a mid day nap or adventurous climb. Jamie and I climbed each day we were in the park, hoping boulders and squeezing into tunnels and crevices. Joshua Tree, as we found out, is a Mecca for rock climbers. We visited paths that had not only the infamous Joshua Trees, but had mojave plants, aloe trees, and cacti. We climbed above a dam to an abandoned water reservoir. We napped by an oasis. Jamie’s camera tripod finally gave out on us, which was unfortunate, because one night we went back into the park for star gazing. It is said Joshua Tree is one of the best places in the world to view the sky at night. We sat by our car and drank wine, ate spray-can cheese on crackers, and pistachios. Jamie tried to photo the surrounding cacti and the night sky, but without a tripod, her photos did little justice to the intergalactic vastness above us!
After two full days in the park, we started back home, stopping by Pioneertown. This place was so fun - built for Hollywood Western movie making, it was a complete and functional town, and still is today. We got to see its bowling alley, its wide porched saloons, and the quaint strip of stores that peeped out of bath houses and liveries. We watched a video showing us the past business of the town, with three movies being shot simultaneously on the main strip on any given day. It was a place that Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and Russell Hayden invested in creating, and still produces weekly western shows for the public. While it was shut down due to Memorial Day and Covid -19, we were still able to walk about it and dream.
