JOSHUA TREE

Alas, we have come to our last stop of this epic-one-week-thanksgiving-break-camping-road-trip.

Wednesday, November 22nd:

I woke up at 6:45 because the campers next to us left, and apparently, I’m a really light sleeper (or my back was in so much pain that my subconscious was looking for an excuse to get up). Regardless, I got up and went to lie in my hammock for a while, waiting for the girls to wake up. (Note to self: hammocks are so much more comfortable to sleep in than on the ground). After an hour I gave up and woke up Kate and Kat so that we could continue our adventure. Let me just say, we've got the packing up of campsites down, like we figured out a great routine to make the packing efficient. 

The drive to Joshua Tree was "super easy," and since we were driving from Arizona to California, we actually gained an hour back #timetravel. 

Arriving at Joshua Tree National Park was weird because it's so developed right around the entrance. We literally drove through a neighborhood right up to the point of entering the park (and yes, I mean literally as in literally, not just as an emphasis). This was so different from driving up to the Grand Canyon, where we had no service for hours. 

Anyways, we arrived at our site and for the first time in a week felt warmth. Naturally, we went to lie on the picnic table for a little to soak up the sun and defrost from our week in very cold temperatures. Even though all I wanted to do for the rest of the day was lie in the sun, Kate and Kat "encouraged" me to go on a little "walk" with them. This turned in to a 3 mile "walk" up a ridge because we decided the best idea would be to go off-trail and hike straight up to the peak, instead of following the path around the hill and up the ridge. Anyways, after a little time and a lot of strategic stepping, we made it to the top of the highest peak in our campground. We stayed up there to watch the sunset and then started our descent (sans headlights). 

Did I mention Joshua Tree has a lot of tarantulas and scorpions that come out at night (aka once the sun goes down)... Connect the dots? You could say I was a little paranoid walking down the ridge. To distract me Kate starting singing Down by the Bay, which goes like this:

"Down by the bay, where the watermelons grow,

Back to my home, I dare not go,

For if I do my mother will say:

'Have you ever seen a _______, _______ing a _______, 

Down by the bay?'"

And the words are supposed to rhyme.

Anyways, we sang this song the entire walk down, when we got to our campsite, during dinner, while we were setting up the tent, and while we were lying in our tent ready to sleep. We started doing themes like characters from the Office, Thanksgiving, characters from Friends... you get the idea. We had a blast. 

We went to bed at 7 PM. College students in bed by 7... tell me that's not a sight to see. 

I am so grateful to be in a place where my friends and I can financially afford such amazing experiences, and to be physically capable of going on all the mini-adventures we went on everyday during our trip. I am also so happy to live somewhere that has access to a shower/running water, a warm and soft bed, and heat. 

Life is good.

Also FYI, Kate and I almost died twice on the drive home. Not once, but twice!!! The first time, I accidentally turned into oncoming traffic, when going to drop Kat off at the airport (there were no markers on the road). The second time, the car in front of us got a flat tire... while we were going 80 mph in the HOV lane... So, I guess I'm also glad to be alive.

AND LASTLY, I had the best burrito in Santa Barabara (after not eating real food for 3 days). 

Here are pictures (again not all mine, and probably not in order):