travel tuesday: joshua tree

in an effort to write more, record more, and plan more, i decided to start a few little series-type posts here...

and this is the first one.

from now on you can look in the little side bar to the right ------>
and click on

to see all of the posts in this series.
as more series are added, you will be able to find icons on the right as well!

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From the minute we returned from our inaugural trip to the desert town of Joshua Tree, we have been trying to make it back. Sadly, merely trying never gets me anywhere. Thoughts of moving states (and even regions!!!) have made us look more closely at what L.A. still has to offer us, and helped us become slightly more spontaneous. Our little family (cats not included) finally made it back to the desert last week, for one short day.





While on our last trip we spent hours and hours and hours exploring the national park, this time it was far too hot to do any real hiking. Instead we conquered the town as much as possible (everything in Joshua Tree & Twentynine Palms closes early), went swimming in the motel pool, scrambled over the little mountain to a yard sale in Pioneer Town, and eventually drove deep into the park in the dark of night, although a rogue coyote and a few too many scary stories made me too wimpy to actually get out of the car.





The most magical (and I don't use that word lightly, or really at all) part of the weekend was the night sky show that we stumbled upon at the rangers station in the park. Once or twice a month, all year long, two park rangers set up high powered telescopes and spend the evening explaining what the gps is pointing the lenses at. Yes, telescopes have gps now. Who knew.

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I can't even put into words what it is like seeing Saturn in real time. Not a photograph or discovery channel program or planetarium field trip, but actually there to be seen in real life, all of its rings, its biggest moon a dark spot in the brightness. It was moving in a way that I don't usually feel (like a hallmark card commercial), and me and B both walked away stunned and speechless and small. Although seeing the swan nebula, a bright star cluster, and individual rocks and craters on our moon was great too, nothing will compare to seeing that huge planet look so shiny and far away with my own eyes.

If we do end up moving away from here, I will sorely miss Joshua Tree and the natural beauty it has to offer. If only I could get the desert night sky over the city of L.A., then I would be less inclined to ever leave this place.

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trip time:
motel: super 8 twentynine palms (less than $50 a night, clean, and they let doggies stay with you for $10 extra. none of the "hip" hotels allow pets, and we don't travel lightly these days!)
vegan eats: natural sisters cafe, crossroads cafe, joshua tree health food
fun stuff: pioneer town, night sky program, park info