Joshua Tree

Like Channel Islands Joshua Tree was extremely windy. On our way there we encountered a dust storm and had many moments of wind driven fear. We picked up a rental car since we had heard the park was not easy to traverse in a large RV. We are so happy we rented, the parking lots were small and we would not have had many opportunities to stop in the RV.

We camped at Cottonwood which we found to be quiet (no peacocks) and secluded. Although the sites are thin and we could not fully open our slider we had a nice desert view. On our first evening we met a family who happen to live about 10 minutes from us. It is such a small world sometimes. We ended up around the fire having a wonderful evening with them. Meeting new people is one of the best parts of campsites.

On our first full day in Joshua Tree we packed the car and headed out to drive north and see as much as we could. We stopped and hiked at Ocotillo Patch, cholla Cactus Garden, Jumbo Rocks, Skull Rock, Discovery Trail, as well as a few other small stops along the way. We saw a lot of cool desert plants and animals, including 4 species of ants and the infamous Joshua Tree. Watching the landscape change from the Colorado Dessert to the Mojave was definitely worth the drive down Pinto Basin road. By mid afternoon we were all wind blown and bit red and ready to head back and enjoy dinner. It was an early night for everyone after the miles of hiking all day.

The wind finally died down on our second full day we spent the morning hiking Cottonwood Springs and Mastodon Peak. We saw the old Mastodon mine and buildings two oasis areas, some new animals and plants we had not seen in the rest of the park. After the hike we had lunch back at the RV then headed to the visitor center for our badges. This was the 31st park badge and around badge 45 overall. We then went back to enjoy a restful afternoon and evening at camp.

The rest of our day was enjoyed reading, riding scooters, playing ball, and for the big kids walking through the desert collecting two bags full of trash. In the evening we had Brussels sprouts and sausages over the campfire. Ending the day with s’mores and star gazing.