A Weekend in Joshua Tree

Last weekend was the most peaceful, relaxing weekend I've spent in quite a while! We drove out to the desert and camped in Joshua Tree National Park. Once your eyes adjust to the barren starkness of the landscape, all of the interesting beauty this place has to offer really comes alive. We set up camp at Jumbo Rocks, an area of the park known for its-- you guessed it-- jumbo-sized rocks. After an afternoon of playing on giant outcroppings of stone, we started up a campfire and took in the luminous night sky... three-quarter moon, shooting stars, the works! Following an admittedly troubled night of sleep (we made sure to drink a bit more wine the next night), we grabbed the trail mix and went on a fantastic hike through Lost Horse Valley, the fabled land of horse thieves and gun-slinging cowboys. What a nice walk-- early spring in the desert means wildflowers are just starting to bloom and the weather is breezy, mild and not too desert-like. The landscape was so picturesque, the photos look like they could be paintings! I'd recommend this experience to anyone--  It was immensely refreshing to be so far away from my iPhone for a couple days! Some memorable photos from the trip: