Joshua Tree
No, its not the U2 Album, but the National Park. Last time I was there was back in 2004. I remember the time for two specific reasons: My wife and I were students and was doing a camping trip around California, and it rained and rained non-stop during the entire month we were there. Secondly, it was 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, we heard it in radio was we were camping in the Yosemite. We heard the news and thought okay, that is sad, and we were sick and tired of the rain! Where can we go to escape the rain? Well, Joshua Tree National Park. That was my first time there. I was positively surprised by the remoteness of the park while within 2 hours from LA. That didn't make sense at all. This time around in 2024, 20 years later, I thought, it is still not a very popular park, but let us take kids there, and they might like the granite boulders. They did!
This time around we didn't camp, but stayed at a condo around Palm Desert, CA, which is a nice little town by itself, if you haven't been there. It takes, just about 45 min drive to hit the Cholla Cactus Garden from there, a place that our kids enjoyed. Although the rail through the garden was closed, there was enough things were see along side the park highway.
Boulders
Joshua Tree will full of granite boulder. The deep monzogranite batholith that got slowly denuded and exposed created a lot of exfoliation joints and fracture. Over time with erosion and enlargement of fracture the landscape created numerous boulders, and it become one of the best bouldering/climbing destination of the world.
Not only for professional climbers, but also for kids, these boulders gives them ample opportunity to explore and just let them spend time outside without a care in the world. These boulders are not particularly tall, so if they fall, it is typically minor scratches with not broken bones, which is great for the parents!
Sunsets are usually gorgeous and the place commonly features beautiful lenticular clouds that we rarely get to see in Houston. All in all, our family had a great time to unwind and recharge.
I've wanted to go there for a long time, camping and hiking, but I'm not sure I'd like all those people around.
Ha ha, agree, but you won’t!
You will rent a Toyota Land Cruiser 4WD. This place is big and has a lot of trail. This is a fabled Sonoran desert. If you don’t want to see people you won’t and end up in Baja California!
I am sure you are aware of Baja 500 :)
I am almost seeing the broad grin on your face!
Haha! You know me well...yep I've heard if the Baja 500 and would like me a car that'll do it.
One of the things I love about off roading is getting places others cannot, the day trippers.
Strikes me as a really really cool place to take photos!
Over the years the area has become a major art scene.
Yeah I've heard a lot about the area. Quite a cool place by all accounts!
Such a beautiful, strange and almost otherworldly place. We used to go there a lot, because my mother-in-law actually lived in the village of Joshua Tree. We'd stay at the Harmony Motel in Twentynine Palms (actually where U2 stayed when doing the promotional filming for the album) and just enjoy the strange beauty of the place.
The rocks definitely are amazing... I bet your kids liked "Skull Rock," if you made it there.
yeah, this place was absolutely mobbed, so I didn't post this picture :)
Wow, that's crazy! I don't think I've ever seen that many people there... in at least 20+ visits.
its well more than 20. The place is not on the map. Plus this was Christmas day. 2 hours drive from LA doesn't help it either. Way too many people compared to 20 years back when I visited.
I find it fascinating how much of these awesome landscape there are in America
Granite batholiths will do this landscape if placed in the right climate:)
A really cool place to spend time with family.
In 20 years, it has rained a lot; time flies. Besides the rain, the landscape has changed significantly?
The boulders look out of this world (like a Martian landscape according to Hollywood 😅). It's like a natural climbing park on a grand scale. Btw I love the sunset photo.
What a lucky opportunity to visit it, and I can imagine your kids enjoyed it immensely
No, it almost never rains here. If it rains here it will be massive flash flooding. The rain I was talking about was up further north around Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Park. We were camping there and came here to escape the rain.
My mistake, my English failed me a bit 😅. Joshua Tree look pretty unique
It is a really good album though... :) Looks like a beautiful place. I'm looking forward to getting back out west with my wife one day.
Of course it is. I did visit the Harmony Motel in 29 Palms where the group stayed. Mentioned the whole story to the kids.
That is very cool!
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I really like this desert full of boulders... it reminds me more of a scene from the movie Tremors!
Tremors was shot in Lone Pine, CA; not too far from here :)
Woooow! I love It! A film that marked my adolescence! 😊
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Great pictures! One of the clouds looks like an eye in the sky!
It does! Good observation
There is a bunch of Joshua Trees on I-15 on my way down to Vegas that I like to stop and take pictures of. They are such cool trees, but I would hate to get pushed into one.
The Joshua Tree National Park is not too far from you either. Visit it over any quiet weekend.
This plant looks quite peculiar, very different from the cacti I've seen before. After doing some research, I found out it's called the jumping cholla(Cylindropuntia fulgida). Its branches easily detach and attach to nearby objects or animals, which helps them take root and propagate in different locations. So the scattered pieces on the ground must be its broken-off branches, which will continue to grow and reproduce. What an eye-opener!
Yes, that is the Cholla Cactai. It is native to Sonoran Desert, parts of southern California and northern Mexico. I can confirm that the branches easily detach and get stuck to your clothing :)
Yup, that is proper cowboy country, I love cacti, fantastic plant architecture, survivors, no matter what the terrain and climate.
yes the sonoran desert: legends are made there:)
Amazing landscape that you share here. I've never been in the American Continent, but this landscape reminds me Tenerife, and the Teide surroundings!
I also remember the particular last month of 2004. It was so cold and rainy. I was in one of those weekends, 26th day of the month, I was in a friend's weeding, and we talked about the Tsunami catastrophe...
Have a great week, my friend.
That's Canary Islands, I have never been there but likely that is all volcanic rocks :) But yeah landscape can be quite similar
If you never been there, consider in putting in your "bucket list" destination. I can assure you that you wouldn't regret!
That is a very long time 2004 till now is like twenty one (21) years ago.
I love the photos
Thanks for sharing
it is now a long time
The rocks seen in the photo sometimes remind me of Aravali Hills and sometimes of Hampi. Are these cactus plants?
After becoming parents, people think 2-3 steps ahead of the injury for the safety of their children.
Hampi is the best example of this landscape. It is similar granite batholiths there.
I lived in LA for a year and really wanted to go out there but it was right when COVID hit and everyone was playing it safe. I'll try to make my way out there at some point because I'd also like to visit the town you mentioned - Palm Springs. I had a family member who lived out there for a bit and loved it so it seems like a nice way to knock out two birds with one stone. Glad you enjoyed your trip!
Palm Springs is a nice town. Has a great visual and performing art scene. It is totally down your ally
What a beautiful place! I love how unique and generous nature looks on that part of the globe! Makes it such a beautiful experience for sure.
Visit sometime. I think you will like it
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Very beautiful place my brother, you managed to share beautiful pictures ♥️
I’d probably spend hours climbing them too! The Cholla Cactus Garden also sounds super unique
What a great picture and experience of yours with your families. Those memories that is nice to treasure.
Wow that is a cactus forest a place we rarely find on earth. Beautiful
This one is most scenery I have seen on your posts. Lovely clicks and the view. I must wants to capture my aesthetic pictures on this location 😉
When I see beautiful pictures like these, I sometimes feel sorry my country is completely FLAT 😅 while it's practical in daily life, it's a bit boring the only difference being grass fields or forests really.
Thanks for sharing!
Wow this is really very beautiful, I saw it and was very entertained when I enjoyed it, a truly amazing view ❤️
Awesome place you've got there! Reminds me of cowboys and indians movies. Only daytime !BBH
What a nice place to go! Especially if you are trying to avoid rain. Thank you for sharing this images. It's so wonderful.
I still need to go to Joshua Tree! I live in Phoenix, so it isn't too far away. There is a fairly large grove of joshua trees on route from Phoenix to Las Vegas, but nowhere near the splendor of the actual park.
this is surviving tree awesome
It's a very fun trip my friend, lots of beautiful scenery there, very beautiful cactus garden, I love this one:
!discovery shots
!PIZZA
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You are wonderful. Like you, I always include a view of the sky in the photos I take of nature. Look at my posts and you will notice this.👏👏