{"id":26338,"date":"2022-01-26T02:45:38","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T07:45:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=26338"},"modified":"2022-01-26T02:45:38","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T07:45:38","slug":"short-end-of-the-tree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/snappingtheglobe.com\/?p=26338","title":{"rendered":"Short End of the…Tree"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u00a92022 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When planning my trip to Palm Springs, I was rattling off a list of some of the places and attractions that I had hoped to visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While I am pretty adept at discovering everything there is to see and do in a city, I had missed one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joshua Tree National Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was my middle son who mentioned that I should venture out into the desert to see this national treasure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elevated to National Park status in 1994, Joshua Tree is located one hour east of Palm Springs and approximately three hours from San Diego, Los Angeles and Phoenix…very easy to get to one of the park’s three entrances from any of these cities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About a year ago, I had visited the Badlands National Park. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had with each part of the park offering something totally different and I expected the same thing from Joshua Tree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dating back to 1936, when Minerva Hoyt, a Pasadena resident tirelessly worked to protect the cacti and other plants of the area, 825,000 acres were set aside as the Joshua Tree National Monument. With its large population of Joshua trees…the tree that mid-19th century Mormons believed to look like the biblical figure Joshua with his outstretched arms (tree’s limbs) guiding them westward…visitors are reminded through exhibits within its Visitor Centers of the role it played in helping homesteaders succeed in building and establishing their new lands. Well paved roads, scenic overlooks and well-maintained trails attract those near and far…Joshua Tree National Park brings in over two million visitors from all over the world each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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While of course, I expected to see a LOT of Joshua Trees…I wasn’t sure what else I might see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Probably desert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Probably rocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Probably trails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, they were all there. But as beautiful as the scenery was, I expected a little more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Okay, you can hate me for that. But…I kept remembering the Badlands with its spires, its rainbow colored hills, its bison herds, Prairie Dog town, thousands of valley overlooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no doubt that I thought it a stunning and diverse place and I enjoyed the few hours we spent there. And…maybe that was the problem. We only spent about four hours in total driving through the park, as my travel companions had to be back in Palm Springs for an event later in the day. We made the most of our time in the park, examining the exhibits at the Joshua Tree Visitor Center near the West Entrance, climbing the rocks at Hidden Valley, gazing out of the Coachella Valley from Keys View, a little hiking at the Hall of Horrors and a longer hike to Skull Rock from Jumbo Rocks campground before exiting at the North Entrance near Twenty Nine Palms…all while constantly keeping an eye on our progress through the park and on our watches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our first views of Joshua Tree National Park after the West Entrance Station.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Hidden Valley<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Hidden Valley<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Keys View<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Keys View<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Keys View<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Keys View<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Cap Rock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Big Trees Trail<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Big Trees Trail<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Big Trees Trail<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Hall of Horrors<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Hall of Horrors<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Hall of Horrors<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Skull Rock Nature Trail<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Skull Rock Nature Trail<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Skull Rock <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Skull Rock and Nature Trail<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Those four hours paled in comparison to my entire day in the Badlands. There, I was one of a handful in the park due to it being extremely cold that winter day and I was alone in my car. Don’t ever discount being alone in a National Park! While I chose to not do any lengthy hikes because I was solo, I did do some short ones and I stopped whenever and wherever I felt like it to take thousands of photos! There was nothing keeping me from returning to Rapid City except the darkness at the end of the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SO…would I go back to Joshua Tree? Yes, absolutely! But this time with much more time to explore! It is a great place to enjoy hiking, camping and the great outdoors. It’s perfect for solo adventurers, groups and even for families! Much like us, children will love spotting formations in the rocks that looks like other things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Can you spot the snake?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Can you spot the shark and the dog?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Can you spot the four sharks?<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Sleeping giant on the hillside?<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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His name must be Rocky!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Yep…I won’t highlight this one. Definitely not for children!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I feel a little like I got the short end of the stick…er…tree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Next time, I want to have sufficient time to truly experience this natural wonder, see some of the historical places in the park like the Kellogg House and Keys Ranch, hike to the Wall Street Mill and Desert Queen Mine and go back to see the fascinating Skull Rock…but this time, do it the easy way…park along the road and walk the few feet to the rock! Next time, I want to stay in the Yucca Valley so that I would be near the entrances for an early start. Next time I want to visit the Cholla Cactus Garden!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next time…more time!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Joshua Tree National Park<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n