Joshua Tree Park and Box Spring Canyon Road

After visiting Palm Springs and the hot pools, we wanted to get back into nature. Since rain was forecasted for the afternoon and we were already awake at five in the morning (is this already the senile bed escape?), we decided to get up and see Joshua Tree Park at sunrise. 

Due to the current government shutdown, the park was still open but there were no staff on site and certain services were unavailable. However, we still saw other visitors and campers along the way. It seemed very peaceful overall, but unfortunately we later learned through media reports that some visitors were not following the park rules, such as camping illegally, letting dogs run loose, and even cutting down trees. I truly cannot understand why people would behave so foolishly and disrespect such an impressive natural environment.

Joshua Tree Park is largely accessible by car, and there are even special areas for people with disabilities at some viewpoints - a great approach to making nature accessible for everyone, in my opinion. We followed the main routes, and some of the highlights were the beautiful colors of the sky at sunrise, the quirky beauty of the Joshua Trees, the view from Keys View over the Coachella Valley, and the Cholla Cactus Garden.

After crossing the park, despite road closures, we drove back towards civilization and home via the Box Canyon Road. The little adventure turned out to be more exciting than expected - the Box Canyon Road eventually just ended because it had been washed out so severely that it collapsed. However, since we have a somewhat off-road capable car, we continued on. I must admit, I had a few moments of near mental breakdown - a broken axle in the middle of nowhere, on a road that was officially closed and with no cell phone reception, definitely not on my bucket list - but Gregor seemed to be enjoying it. Well, now that we're back in civilization, I have to say it was worth it. The dry riverbed felt like a completely different world or a different planet - if it weren't for the occasional plants, it could have felt like being on the moon. And the looks we got from some Americans driving past us in their off-road jeeps were priceless.

Joshua Tree Park - we'll be back (with more time and a better camera)! :)