JOSHUA TREE
In line with most LA transplants, Joshua Tree is one of my favorite places to go space out for the weekend.
The National Park itself is fairly manageable since it’s essentially a massive loop where you can hit the highlight reel in a day.
Instagram favorite Cholla Cactus Garden is always my favorite spot in the park just because I think in a past life I was a cactus? Whatever. There’s a nice walking path into the thick of these cactuses (this is me, refusing to say cacti). These are all naturally growing which prompts me to give another shout out for how cool this planet actually is if you ignore the people.
Up next on my list is Key’s View, the highest point in the park. This peak overlooks the entire Coachella Valley at 5,185 ft. From here you can see EVERYTHING, even the Salton Sea if it’s a clear day. And that’s the beauty of the desert, it usually is a clear day.
Also, pro tip, don’t skip around on the sidewalks up here too much or you’ll fall down over a rock like I did and risk falling to your death.
Anyway, a quick one-mile loop you’d be crazy to miss is Hidden Valley. It’s entirely enclosed by a rock wall, which is pretty wild how these trees are just chillin in here. So safe, so protected.
Another cool thing to do is to go into the park at night. If there’s a new moon, the stars will be in their full glory. If there’s a full moon, you can see the trees in the valley totally illuminated and it’s super cool. You can also just feel yourself gathering moon powers, but ya know. I don't have any equipment that's real, so I set my Nikon up on fence posts and did what I could in a pinch with my shaky hands. Whatever, still love the shots.
Outside of the park itself, Joshua Tree is home to a number of weird restaurants, weird art galleries, and weird Airbnbs that people from LA love to go do drugs in. And I’m so along for the ride and the photos.
Another outdoor art favorite of mine is Noah Purifoy’s Outdoor Desert Museum. I don’t know who he is, nor do I know why this is out among trailer parks but it’s my dreamland.
That’s a wrap. These are old. And I’m tired.
