Joshua Tree

Last month brought us to Joshua Tree National Park.

We’re fortunate to have this pretty close by and even though we’re definitely mountains > desert kind of people, I really appreciate all this environment has to offer. The fact that it wasn’t a billion degrees outside really helped too.

We drove in pretty late on a Friday night and decided to stay on some public land and explore some areas we hadn’t before. Though we weren’t very far off the highway, it felt as if we had the world to ourselves.

The following morning, we began our usual routine. Kelsey made some coffee and started breakfast, I got Elliot ready for the day and we went on our morning “hike” to do some exploring. I really enjoy watching Elliot exercise his curiosity. I like to walk away from him to see what he does, how he overcomes obstacles, and how he get’s distracted by rocks and sticks. These morning “hikes” are cherished.

After breakfast, we loaded up, cleaned up some trash left by previous visitors and headed into Joshua Tree National Park. We entered through the less popular south entrance and really took our time driving through the park and stopping wherever something caught our eyes.

We knocked out a few trails on this trip. We achieved our goal of exploring new areas and gaining a greater appreciation for this landscape.

I’d glad places like these exist. I’m glad my son gets to experience them.. and I hope one day, if he decides he wants a family of his own, that he’s proud and able to make similar memories with them.