My First Time in Joshua Tree

I've been nagging my friends to go "to the desert" with me since 2016. For real I have the receipts. Being from New York, I'd heard about how magical Joshua Tree, Palm Springs, and the surrounding ares are forever. The prospect of going for a bit, relaxing by a pool, and creating a ton of content always sounded so incredible. This week I finally made it.

When Jack suggested we go a few weeks back it sounded perfect - get out of LA in the middle of quarantine. A little reset. A step away from work. And an opportunity to create some amazing content. We booked a place and were joined by Colin, Talia, and Kayla.

With no traffic, it took just over 2 hours from Westwood. We got in at 1pm Monday, and grocery shopped a bit before heading to our Airbnb. Technically we were staying in Pioneertown, which was 20 minutes from the downtown area of Joshua Tree.

The trip was equally restorative and exhausting - we spent the entire trip, Monday to Wednesday, in the scorching desert sun - absolutely not eating enough and not drinking enough water. In regards to quarantine, we got pretty lucky. Joshua Tree National Park opened the day before we got there, and most of the restaurants in the town has opened for sit-in business right before we arrived. We sat down and ate in a restaurant for the first time in 3 months.

This is where we ate (the only place we ate the entire time we were there somehow) - Pappy and Harriets. Food was BBQ and was delicious. Totally recommend checking it out if you make the trip.

This is the link to the airbnb we stayed in if anyone is interested in checking it out. - INDIGOTOPIA

The space was great - small but spacious at the same time. And incredibly clean. The hosts were amazing.

I didn't totally know what to expect with the trip or National Park, and it was definitely not really what I was expecting. I don't really know how to explain it, but there isn't much to see. Compared to the other parks and trips I've been on, it was so much less centered on sights, and more on feelings. It was about being surrounded by nature - the deafening silence of the barren desert, the loud hum of the millions of bugs, the soft cotton candy lights of the sunset and sunrise, the sky empty of clouds.

Overall it was a hell of a trip. I can't wait until I can get back out there (but next time I'll pack a bit differently).

Here's the video I compiled from the trip -

Song is You And I (Saint Weekend Remix) by LEON

Doodles were created by Lucy