Joshua Tree National Park: Sunday, March 21st

Dave took the other three with him to spend the day with the Godwin's at Joshua Tree National Park. We were camping about 10 minutes from one of the Park entrances (Joshua Tree Visitor Center), so it made sense to meet at the Visitor Center there, quite early by our weekend standards!

They spent some time climbing over the rocks in Rattlesnake Canyon, much to Dave’s disappointment though, they did not see any rattlesnakes. I found this to be rather unsurprising given the less than stealth-like footsteps of 5 children! They also drove out to Keys View to get incredible views of the Park, as well as the cities below: Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs, where the Godwin’s were staying. From this vantage point, they could also clearly make out the San Andreas Fault line, which crosses between the two cities. It’s quite interesting to spot, as water flows up through the earth to provide sustenance for plant life, giving a random green line of trees and bushes in the middle of the desert-like conditions.

After that they hiked the Jumbo Rocks loop trail, which took them up to the famous Skull Rock. They weren’t sure if they’d easily be able to spot it but once they saw it, they realized there was no mistaking it! Any trail, which involves climbing rocks, is a hit as far as the kids are concerned.

After a stop to look at the Barker Dam area and discovering that the little ones were not in the mood for any more hikes, they all drove back to our camper. Thankfully Caitlin was feeling quite a bit better so was able to mingle a bit with the kids, who still had plenty of energy left to run around and play tag – amazing how that happens! They did however crash a couple of hours later – the wonders of exercise and fresh air.