Okay. We have some catching up to do – it’s been a hot minute since I’ve updated the blog and a few things have happened since then. Before we jump into Joshua Tree stuff, I want to give you a breakdown of events that happened leading up to Joshua Tree. If you’re new here, hi! You can get to know us here.
- Adrien and I are engaged! We plan to get married this September in Vancouver. It doesn’t feel *real* yet, but I’m sure it’ll all kick in next month. We’re excited to see family and friends that we haven’t seen in a long time.
- We will be in France for a few weeks after the wedding to see family and we cannot wait.
- We will be homeowners in 2024! We signed for a 2024 completion pre-sale unit in Vancouver.
- And the biggest change… The reason why the blog has been neglected for a while is because I’ve taken a new job. If you may not know, digital marketing is my “daytime” job. After the pandemic hit in 2020, I decided to quit my e-commerce marketing job and decided to pursue freelancing for a year, that’s when I also started this blog. In addition to freelancing and ambiguous soul-searching (a common theme among those who took part in the Great Resignation), I’ve taken a position at Destination Vancouver, the official tourism organization for the city! Starting this blog made me realize that I wanted to learn more about the travel/destination space
Needless to say, everything sort of happened all at once. And now that things have simmered down, it’s time to get back up on the good ol’ saddle and keep riding on.
And if we’re going to re-start, I’d like to re-start here. I’d like to take you to Joshua Tree National Park, where I ended by 2021 and began 2022.
New beginnings, new destinations
We first landed in Los Angeles, while it was much sunnier than when we left Vancouver, it was quite chilly at night. My optimism for warmer weather led me to under-pack for the surprisingly colder-than-expected weather. After spending a few days in Los Angeles, we met up with Adrien’s friend and made our way out to Joshua Tree.
After a pitstop and a few hours of driving, we finally made it to our Airbnb, right in the heart of Yucca Valley. Ah, paradise.
After settling in, we decided to head out to check out Joshua Tree National Park, which brings me to the first tip.
Tip #1. You’ll need a car to access the park
To get to Joshua Tree National Park, you’ll pretty much need to drive a car. There are three main entrances to the National Park; one in the city of Joshua Tree, one in the city of Twentynine Palms, and one down along the south, near Palm Springs. Each of the entrances has a visitor centre where you can pick up some maps that will be very useful when exploring the park.
Unfortunately, there are no buses that run through the park; most hiking trails and attractions are pretty spread out and will require a vehicle. Also, note that there is an entrance fee pass to get in – we paid $30 for our vehicle and our pass was valid for one week. You can review the Joshua Tree National Park site pass fees here.
Most of the roads are very well paved, but there are a bunch of backcountry roads that might offer some attractions you might like to see. In that case, make sure you have a four-wheel drive vehicle for the dirt roads.
Tip #2. Don’t be fooled by what you think seven degrees is like in the desert
On the first day, we had plans to visit the Desert Hot Springs for the Discovery Trail hike and to check out the infamous Skull Rock. Unfortunately, none of us were dressed for the weather – the wind was chilly and we didn’t stay too long to do either of the trails. What a total fail!
Seven degrees weather in the desert? The Vancouverite in me is saying, “seven degrees out in the desert sun shouldn’t be bad at all” but boy was I wrong…
Seven degrees weather in the desert during winter was not what I thought it would be. Don’t be fooled by the sun, the desert, too, can get real chilly! The chilly winds were blasting from all directions and our attempts to take refuge between giant boulders did not help at all. The true victims of the strong winds are the ears, so I highly recommend some headgear to keep warm.
After arriving at Jumbo Rocks Campground, we froze our butts off for as long as we could before making our way to the nearest store to grab some gear. Because I didn’t pack properly for this trip, I ended up buying a cheap “down” jacket, gloves, and some thick socks. It was poor planning on my part – I ended up having to donate the jacket as I didn’t have enough room and it wasn’t a coat I wanted to keep. Aside from a warm jacket and winter accessories, I also recommend:
- Sunscreen & sunglasses
- Some gloves
- A hat that can keep your ears warm
- Comfy shoes/hiking shoes
- Snacks and water
Tip #3. Download your Google Maps
Cell phone service was a problem when we reached the park so I highly recommend you pre-download your Google Maps before you get the the park.
So the next day, with proper apparel and accessories in tow, we drove back but this time to the Hidden Valley Nature Trail loop.
Cheers.
Cheers!