Z Traveling Wizard: Joshua Tree National Park

I was able to drive from Santa Barbara to Joshua Tree in good time and found a camping spot that was 30 minutes closer to the entrance than I originally intended! I flipped the truck into low gear 4WD and we rode through some sand and rocks to find a perfect spot on BLM land. The sunset and sunrise here were breathtaking and a great reminder of why I love this life.

The first day in JT made me feel like a true desert dweller with the sand sticking to my sweaty skin. It was time to take the insulation off the trailer windows and let in some sunshine! This was short-lived as rain greeted me the next day for my hike. Someone needs to tell Mother I've seen enough clouds for the year.

My first hike was the Lost Horse Mine Loop, which took me on a trail to one of the gold mines in the desert mountains. It is said that this location where gold was discovered, was first found when a cowboy went looking for his lost horse (but we all know there were plenty of others who came before this white man). I got to experience wind, rain, snow, and sunshine while being mesmerized by the beauty that is this desert. After the trail, I ventured to Skull Rock and climbed around until I found a place for lunch before heading back to camp.

Luckily, my hike the following day gave me a lot more sun with still the desert wind whipping around. I completed the Maze Trail, which did turn me around slightly and led to me missing about a half mile of the hike. This was the beginning of me considering paying for a subscription to AllTrails to use the trail map while offline.

I don't know what it was about this park, but I just did not want to leave.

While on this trek across the country, I have a slight mission in the back of my mind to see if I find a place that I would want to settle at for a while. The idea of buying a house and being stagnant is daunting, but I feel like it may be because I have not found a place that makes me feel like I want to. I just feel like I want to see everything and be able to experience new places, but maybe this drive for constant change will dim after my solo adventures.

Joshua Tree was one of the places I truly considered having land, purely due to this internal draw and calmness I have when I'm there. Realistically though, I am not a desert guy. I don't like the idea of having land and being far away from my neighbors, yet still being able to see them along the flat, scarce land. Trees, man, they give life and apparently my much-needed privacy.

After three nights spent at JT, it was time to head to Santa Ana to see my old roommate, Lauren, whom I miss dearly, and see one of my favorite bands, Evening Elephants!