Grand Canyon II & Joshua Tree National Park

First of all, I would like to defend the Grand Canyon National Park today :). Since I have heard from so many people that the park is nothing special and boring after you have enjoyed the view for a short time, I have to end this prejudice: The Grand Canyon National Park was beautiful even on the 2nd day of our visit! We actually visited the main tourist viewpoints on day 2, which were very nice but crowded. We noticed that the Grand Canyon looked completely different than the previous day because the light was different and the perspective was completely different.

But I hadn't had enough of this natural wonder yet: I wanted to do another hike (South Kaibab Trail) down into the canyon because I had heard that it is the most beautiful hike in the whole park. And in my opinion, there is absolutely something to it! I can highly recommend anyone who gets the chance to visit the USA to visit the Grand Canyon National Park and then take the South Kaibab trail. The trail is steep and even I reached my limits on the way back up. But it is so beautiful and you can only go a short distance down. It is a magical feeling to go down into the Grand Canyon, observe the bright, colorful colors, and immerse yourself in nature. No matter which direction I looked, I couldn't stop smiling and enjoying the surroundings. The calf pain when climbing back up the canyon was absolutely worth it!

Anne, on the other hand, had some muscle soreness and no more desire to hike after the quite difficult hike in the Grand Canyon the day before. But she didn't complain at all that I wanted to hike through the park for a second day. Anne sat in the car and drove to a few viewpoints that she enjoyed. After three hours on separate paths, we met again with joy, told each other about our experiences, and started our drive to California. Such experiences show me how good relationships should work. Of course, sometimes you have to make compromises when you are with other people. Hiking for 2 hours instead of 5, spending only 4 days in national parks instead of 8. But these compromises can be fun when you have a loving person by your side. At the same time, I think it is important for a well-functioning friendship to accept the other person as they are. Even if Anne may not always understand my hiking-nature drive and I find it difficult to understand how someone cannot be completely fascinated by such natural beauty, we accept each other just as we are. Sometimes you have to go separate ways and spend time alone to do what truly brings you joy. Forcing the other person to always join in is not really helpful. But letting the other person be and appreciating them for who they are is so beautiful! It is such a valuable feeling to be able to come back together after separate adventures and feel accepted, even if you are different from the other person. Even with outdoor quirks and other quirks, you can be loved, and that's just beautiful!

Today we visited Joshua Tree National Park in California. Before our beach tour through L.A., it is the last national park that Anne had to endure with me :D.

Even Anne was impressed by the park at times because Joshua Tree is somehow special. It represents a desert landscape but is not just a boring endless sand landscape.

Joshua Tree is the transition between the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert. This means that within one park, you can find completely different desert landscapes, along with different plants, rock formations, and animals. One part of the park is covered with Joshua trees, a type of Yucca palm that has its very own charm. You will also find many bare, yellow rocks that are mostly broken up into rock formations. They look super fascinating and you can hardly believe that nature created them.

On the other side of the desert, you will find cacti, dark brown sand, and smaller mountains. It's amazing how different deserts can be. Anne even did 3 small hikes through the park with me, which made me very happy. The most exciting one went up a mountain from which we could look out over the desert and its different sections. And the sunny warm weather, just a dream!

We are very excited to see what else California has in store for us in the coming days!