Joshua Tree National Park, California

Several weeks ago, I drove out to Joshua Tree National Park to camp. It was fun, strange, uplifting, scary and beautiful. Joshua Tree National Park is a wilderness park and there is no cell phone coverage, coffee shops, gift shops, no food, nothing but desert beauty. On my first night camping in the park,  I drove for about 30 minutes until I was almost outside the park and waited in the dark to  to make an appointment on the Internet at exactly 9pm  to see my son, Jon, in prison. What a night. So many stars. No one else around. Unfortunately I didn't get the apt, as I was 2 minutes late, and ended up somehow cracking my windshield all the way across. When I got back to camp,  a strange couple had camped in my campsite, parked their jeep in my parking spot and were asleep in their tent. I shouted at them, and finally the guy came out, with long blond dreadlocks down to his waist, bargaining with me to stay. I finally agreed to letting them stay for one night if they left in the morning.

When I woke up the next morning the rocks were just beginning to turn a soft pink with the sunrise. I quickly threw on my clothes and raced out to take pictures. The rocks are so fun to climb on, even for me. No ropes or gear involved. Just climbing and crawling over the granite boulders. Yes Joshua Tree is famous for rock climbing and just about everywhere you look, there are young and old hauling their gear around and climbing up these terrible looking sheer cliffs. However, I just crawl and climb. When I came back to my camp, the couple was still there. Thinking they would leave, I took off for a hike up to Barker Dam. 

 The above picture is from the hike I took to Barker Dam in 2016. Lots of water and so pretty.
The picture below is how Barker Dam looks now, 2019, with not a drop of water in it.

All of southern California has been in a drought, but just seeing this dry lake bed made me realize just how bad it is out here. The rains are coming, but it will take years for out dry land to recover. When I came back from the hike the long-haired, hippie, New Age, Namaste driven guru and his girlfriend had to be booted. He finally packed up his stuff, gave me a chocolate brownie and was gone. Yes I ate every bite of that delicious creation, (after I checked the ingredients!)

Another morning shot of the rocks, vegetation and mountains. Joshua Tree National Park is such a unique place. Unlike any other place I have ever been.

Put on your shoes and climb out on the rocks. Just make sure your shoes have some tread on them so you don't slip. The blond campsite crasher went out on the rocks barefoot!

The Joshua Tree is actually not a tree but a giant Yucca plant. It has no growth rings, so it is difficult to determine the age of the tree, but it can live hundreds of years or even longer in some cases. In springtime, the evergreen spiky leaves cradle gorgeous, creamy-white bunches of flowers. The Joshua tree only grows in the Mojave desert at elevations between 2000 and 6000 ft. 

The cliffs grow more interesting with age and weathering. The artist in me appreciates the creativity of our Creator God and the natural forces He has put into place to create such beauty.

Sometimes I just need to see things, natural things, and know they are still out there, surviving, even if they are no longer alive. The dead trees always speak to me, (not with a voice!) but just with their enduring presence. 

Heres wishing you a wonderful day! I hope you get outdoors and enjoy some natural beauty, whether it be in your own garden, or a National Park, or local river or stream. It is so healing to our souls to be in the natural world. May God be with you and bless you each day!