Favs...

We were talking yesterday about which has been our favorite adventure...and it's difficult to pick one.  Each has special meaning...sometimes it is a feeling, something from deep within while being present in the moment, sometimes it is the simple awesomeness of the sight.


I might be able to narrow it down to maybe two visits which provided special significance...

Joshua Tree National Park is one...Arches is the other.  And Joshua Tree surprised me when it came to mind.

Down in the south-east edge of California...Joshua Tree and Death Valley NP were the two destinations requiring a stay in California.



Actually, we both very much like California...having spent a fair amount of time there for work, plus Judy visited a few times during one of the engagements.

It's just that there are too many Californians in California.  It's the same as New Jersey.

It's an "I'm the most important person in the world" attitude.

As much as Californian's and New Jerseyan's proclaim they care about illegal aliens...they truly only care about themselves.

We saw it first hand in Joshua Park...although did not allow it to negatively affect our visit.

So obviously, when one visits Joshua Tree National Park...one expects to see Joshua Tree cactus.

They are trees which could have easily been created by Dr. Seuss.



So now you know what a Joshua Tree looks like...and what a Wild Woman looks like.




[No Joshua trees were injured in the making of this picture.] 

But the surprise for me at Joshua Tree are the rocks...big as buses...big as houses...big as office building rocks.

Smooth and piled up, as if a giant child had been playing with them and just got up and stepped away.

A favorite location in the park is called Skull Rock.  

If you look closely at the center of the above picture, you may be able to see why they call it that!

Of course, this is where most of the Californian's were found also...all darting in and out bucking for position to take selfies in front of the skull!!!

But what makes Joshua Tree National Park unique is evident in this picture also.

Many of the National Parks have "stay on the trail" requirements...with reminder signs and tightly bordered trails.

But not Joshua Tree.  People are encouraged to go climb, to go play on the rocks, go explore...anywhere...everywhere!

And imagine 100 plus acres of these big jumbled up play rocks...huge rocks...many of them Seussical shaped.

And just what would you name this big guy, zoomed in from the center of the picture above?

 

It's a place you can let your imagination run free...and it's a place that you can roam free...anywhere you desire!

Joshua Tree and Arches, both parks are where I felt closest to being eight again.

Running from rock to rock...climbing...leaping...no boundaries...no limits...truly magical...and transforming.







And it was not just rock scotching...even technical rock climbing is encouraged at Joshua Tree.

Look closely at the distant slick rock face in the center of the picture below.  It is easily 700 feet high.

And it was easy to miss, even first-hand in person looking at the scene...but there are two rock climbers scaling that rock face.

Look closely at the very center of the below zoomed in picture...the ant looking speck is a rock climber, with another below and slightly right of him on the crack that runs at an angle below the visible climber. 

And on the way out of Joshua Tree, we stopped at the Joshua Tree Saloon for burgers.

Fun place...not that we frequent saloons...but we were hungry for some good "pub burgers".

They may have been the best we've had on our adventure.



And we were famished...which made them taste even better!
















Almost forgot to mention...we nearly lost the Fox on this day also...she thought she'd found her soul-mate.

He said to call him "Sarge".

He's a bit older, and more..."experienced"...

Life is good!

Let the adventure continue...