Visiting all the major national parks has been on my to-do list for a while now. So when we planned our trip to Southern California for spring break, I just knew we would have to make a quick trip to the California desert to tick Joshua Tree National Park off my list. So after spending our first few days in San Diego, we made the 2.5 hour trek to Palm Springs which became our home base for our day-trip to Joshua Tree.
Just one of many spectacular Joshua Trees
Joshua Tree National Park is about an hour drive from Palm Springs. The park straddles the Colorado and Mojave Deserts and overlooks the Coachella Valley. I have to confess that my inner Capitol Hill policy nerd came out and I was completely fascinated by the city of windmills dotting the farmland as you enter the Coachella Valley. There are 4,000 of them to be exact (I looked it up) and they produce enough energy to power the entire valley including the cities of Palm Springs and Palm Desert. It’s quite a sight.
Before You Go
I’d be remiss if I didn’t suggest a couple of tips before heading to the park. First, make sure you have a completely full tank of gas (there’s really nothing around but desert wilderness). Second, pack a picnic lunch and lots of water because just as there are no service stations, there are absolutely no places to purchase food or water once you are in the park. And, in case you missed the part about this being a desert, it is extremely hot and dry and you’ll want to have plenty of water with you for this excursion.
Geography of The Park
You can enter the park from the North entrance (which I highly recommend) or from the South. We wrongly chose the South entrance having not done any research (because that’s how we roll). While it was nice to drive through the entirety of the park, the majority of the sites you will want to see are clustered near the Northern entrance and you could use your time more efficiently by entering there.
When you enter the park from the South (as we did) the area is completely desolate apart from a national park marker indicating the park entrance. This contributed to some of my mild anxiety during our time in the park. I couldn’t keep the “what if” thoughts from creeping into my mind. What if we run out of gas and get stranded in the desert without any cell phone service? If we had entered from the North I would have seen the little town just outside the Northern gate which would have offered some assurance that we wouldn’t be alone in the wilderness. Yes, I’m a city girl at heart. And this is primarily a fashion blog so keep your expectations in check.
What to See and Do
Once you are inside the park, it is a sight to behold. The terrain varies, and along with it, the desert landscape and vegetation. There are incredible rock formations and boulders and an area called the “chula garden” which is filled with chula cactuses as far as the eye can see. And, of course, the Joshua trees which are also a spectacular sight to behold.
Chula Garden
The beautiful desert in Joshua Tree National Park beckons rock climbing and hiking. There are several easy hiking trails that are perfect for families. We never intended to camp on this trip but if we ever go back I would certainly want to do that. I couldn’t help but notice that all the campgrounds were full so I would plan to book far in advance if that’s your intention.
Ours was purely a day trip, but if you have more time to stay and explore the area you might want to plan a visit to the Integratron which is about 20 miles from Joshua Tree. The dome was constructed by a ufologist in 1959 and the blueprints for it were allegedly provided by aliens from Venus. It might be worth a look just for kicks.
Because this was a family excursion I did not get to indulge in a personal shopping adventure but if you are on your own or on a girls trip, I am told that on the road back to Palm Springs you’ll drive through Yucca Valley which is home to the local boutique Hoof & the Horn. If you are into vintage and Bohemian clothing at affordable prices, this is your place. I hope to get there next time when I’m hopefully on my way to the Coachella music festival. A girl can dream.
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