Joshua Tree, finally!

So it's been busy here in Santa Barbara, and I'm still not over that pesky cold, but I'd like to finally post the last leg of our journey. On Saturday, September 17th, we crossed into California and drove through an amazing desert landscape. I may have expected desert in New Mexico and Arizona, but this was quite different: barren and yet majestic.

We drove through this utterly isolated land for about 2 hours before coming to the first sign of human habitation: shacks, tiny houses with huge trucks next to them, seemingly desolate homes miles well-apart from each other and miles from a town. Amy and I kept wondering what these people do for a living. In many parts of the southwest we drove through cattle farming was the thing, but that was clearly impossible here. We're still wondering!

Finally we came to 29 Palms, a sizeable town and the site of Joshua Tree National Park Welcome Center. We went in, were welcomed, and found out some information about camping in the park. After lunch we bought some "necessary supplies": firewood, hot dogs, beer and "twang" (it's a southern thing, I'm told) were key among them. Then we camped at the Jumbo Rocks campground and enjoyed our new landscape.

Joshua Tree NP is yet another desert landscape of surprising beauty. Perhaps I'm being unfair, or I just don't have much desert savvy, but my concepts of beautiful nature haven't really been associated with the desert before. But Joshua Trees are really cool, and the rock formations are so huge and varied that you really feel like you're in an earlier epoch of the world. I almost expected some dinosaurs to come 'round the bend!

Amy and I enjoyed an evening next to our roaring fire and a night in the tent (never the best sleep, but OK!). I woke almost before the sunset, and watching the sun peak over and gradually illuminate the rocks was wonderful. The pictures don't do it justice, but I'll post a few anyway.

Before heading out, we took a short hike (mercifully, a 1-mile loop) in Hidden Valley, which was apparently a hideout for cattle rustlers back in the day. It featured a lot of interesting plants and a ton of lizards. We managed to briefly lose each other for a few nerve-racking minutes, but I finally caught up with speedy Amy after asking people and shouting her name. "Amy!"

We left the park, got a quick bite and headed north through LA and up to Santa Barbara! It was an easier drive than expected, but we were both a little sad to be ending our road trip. It was a whirlwind ride, but a really great time!

Let me finish off the official trip log with a tribute to Kuro, the best car ever! Isn't he stunning? I am so happy I was able to do this trip thanks to my 9 year old companion of the road.