Joshua tree
I think I heard it as a U2 album title before I heard it as a National Park, but it’s hard to avoid Joshua Tree when you live in California. People go there. People camp there. People talk about the times they camped there. And it makes you want to go yourself. Which is why this was on my list for 2022.
It astounds me the different types of scenery this world produces. California is itself astounding in its variety—of temperatures, of climates, of scenery. I haven’t spent much time in desert areas, and when I have, it’s really just the standard cactus that dots the roads and fields. But Joshua Tree was something else entirely. The tree really does look a bit Dr. Seussian, all twisty and fuzzy. So it is both the uniqueness of the tree’s look and the sheer number of them (they are EVERYWHERE) that had me so amazed. It’s a sight you won’t see anywhere else. Even the type of cactus featured in the cactus garden inside Joshua Tree is not your typical cactus. You’ll have seen nothing like that either. And seeing things that are so unique feels, for lack of a better term, special.
Despite looking at the maps, I had underestimated the sheer size of the park, and how long it actually takes to get from one side to the other. What this means is I didn’t see everything there is to see on my weekend trip, but it also means there’s plenty to see on a return trip, which I definitely plan on taking.
I find that connecting with nature helps with the creative process. Getting out of my comfort zone, clearing my head, and focusing on the beauty and variety we find on this planet are all helpful to feeling creative. Certainly re-energizing, to say the least. And I’m not just talking about that adrenaline-laced panic that you won’t get to the spot you want to get to by sunset or that you will but that you’ll then be so far in the park that you’ll have a long and winding drive back out in the dark or that should you have a medical emergency there will be no aid quick enough to save you or that you can’t even find the entrance because the GPS led you to a campground and there is not an actual address provided on the website aside from going “5 miles south” of a particular intersection and how are you even supposed to know what direction is south.
So, yeah. Nature is good. Calming. Clearly I have a very active mind that can use some occasional quieting. Look for a future suspense novel from me about being lost in a National Park. No. I’m totally kidding. I could never write fiction. I’ll just include this weekend in a future collection of stories. To anyone considering a visit to Joshua Tree, it’s worth it.