Joshua Tree

We went to LA a few weekends ago. I told Steve we were going on a vacation for his birthday but I didn't tell him where we were going. He guessed Hawaii or Alaska, so he was a little disappointed when I handed him his ticket at the airport and he saw he was going to LA. Nonetheless, I think we both had fun.

I would say the 2 highlights were going to Joshua Tree and renting a convertible. The joshua trees were unusual, and the jumping cactuses were bizarre and beautiful. Pictures say it best.

From 20100523_JoshuaTree_Starred

From 20100523_JoshuaTree_Starred

From 20100523_JoshuaTree_Starred

From 20100523_JoshuaTree_Starred

Another major highlight was that we did a 4 mile round trip hike up to an abandoned mine, and neither my foot nor knee hurt afterwards. It's been a few years since I've gone hiking on hills/mountains, so it seems a few doors are open to me that were closed before.

From 20100523_JoshuaTree_Starred

From 20100523_JoshuaTree_Starred

We also encountered a rattlesnake. We did not become aware of it's presence until it rattled at me from about 4 feet away. It stared at us for a few seconds then slithered away. I screamed and jumped, helpfully right into Steve. I then recovered and stepped a little closer to take pictures. I learned from my dad how to put yourself near dangerous animals so that you can get a picture to brag about. 2 out of 2 times, nothing bad has happened.

From 20100523_JoshuaTree_Starred

From 20100523_JoshuaTree_Starred

Anyhow, about Joshua Tree, I must say that spending a day learning about nature and hiking away from the crowds can't be beat.

I'll write a bit more about the rest of our trip in a separate blog post.