The main attraction of our first two days in California was my favorite place on earth: Joshua Tree National Park.
It’s another one I can’t explain, but Joshua Tree is just deep in my soul for some reason. Basically, if it wasn’t a 5+ hour flight to get there, I’d be hiking that stretch of desert every month. It’s gorgeous and spacious and wild and HOT, but the kind of heat that just warms you and doesn’t make you want to retreat into the air conditioning.
And it’s my happy place.
Of course, we did all the usual things you do in Joshua Tree.
Brought our stuffed spider named Spider on hikes.
Posed with my Terrible Towel on top of giant rock formations.
Had picnic lunches after long hikes.
Photographed every flawless ocotillo in bloom.
Leapt in front of giant rock formations.
Felt completely at peace and also overwhelmed with emotion in the presence of my dear soul plants.
Woke up to the sight of Joshua trees IN OUR OWN DAMN BACKYARD.
Lounged around in the sun eating a variety of flavors of Doritos.
And of course, photographed every Joshua tree we encountered, on the hunt for the Most Perfect Specimen in the park.
But after the sun went down, the magic of the park truly began.
Oh yes. We stargazed.
Last year, we tried to bring you stargazing photos from our trip, but the high winds (gusting up to 70mph at some points during the night!) prevented us from getting any good photos. (The long exposure required for these shots was basically impossible due to the wind rocking our tripod.)
But this year, the weather was PERFECT. (90+ degrees during the day, 40ish after dark, with still, cool, desert air. Mmmm.) And here are the photos of our delightful night sky shoot.
There is no more beautiful place on earth. These photos were taken in the first week of April, when the moon was about a week out from being full. Someday, I will visit in the summer, during a new moon, when the Milky Way is at its full capacity. And someday, we will visit in winter, and see Orion, Gemini, and Taurus. And someday, it will be fall, so we can see Pegasus. You can stargaze in Joshua Tree literally every day and see a completely different scene.
For now, I will enjoy these photos, over and over, as they transport me back to my favorite place on earth, which I’m so glad we could share with you.