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For Spring Break, my family and I flew to San Diego to stay with family. During the trip, we decided to venture on over to Joshua Tree National Park on our quest to visit all 63 National Parks. Joshua Tree is about a 3 1/2 hour drive from San Diego, depending on which way you go. On the way there, we got there quicker, but the roads through the mountains made me so car sick that we took a different way back through Palm Springs. We entered through the South Entrance and headed to our first stop, Chollas Cactus Garden. The trail was closed, but you can park along the side of the road and still walk around. I captured some pretty photos of the cacti. Then, we were on our way to the White Tank Campground, where we parked our car. Here, you can do Arch Rock Trail and Heart Rock Trail. My boys, ages 1 and 7, had a really fun time scrambling among the rocks. We had the most fun at the stop and spent over two hours here, playing, exploring, and hiking. The boys were pretty tired, so I had my husband drop me off at Skull Rock to take some pictures before heading to the Joshua Tree Visitor Center in Twentynine Palms. I recommend getting an AirBNB or any other lodging near either Twentynine Palms or the town of Joshua Tree. We got one near the "downtown" of Joshua Tree. They have a lot of electric shops and restaurants there. We had dinner from Sky High Pie before heading back to the park to attempt to see the sunset and stargaze. Unfortunately, it was cloudy, so that didn't pan out, but seeing the Joshua trees and the rest of the park under the dusk sky and twilight hour was truly beautiful. We parked our car at Intersection Rock, opened up the tailgate, brought along some snacks and drinks, and enjoyed nature. I wish we could have seen the colors of the sunset bounce off the rocks and the twinkling sky, but it was still worth it. In the morning, we walked to breakfast at Crossroads Cafe and then, of course, had to stop back in the park for a picture in front of the Welcome Sign and one more stop to Keys View, a scenic spot offering panoramic views of mountains, the San Andreas Fault & Coachella Valley. I've heard this is a good spot to watch the sunset. Overall, this park exceeded my expectations. Our crumudgeon (but funny) tour guy for Death Valley said while in DV, "Oh, look, there is a Joshua Tree. Now you don't need to go there." I don't agree. I think this park is a separate entity and needs to be viewed. However, to me, this park doesn't need to be more than 1-2 days. Where should we go next?
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