Last week was spring break for Rocket Kid, so we took a few days to go camping at our favorite place to camp: Joshua Tree National Park.
We were in a campground we haven’t stayed in before, and most of the places we explored were also novel. The park is enormous, and I feel like we could go there a couple of times per year for a really long time before we ran out of places to check out for the first time.
To kick it off, four versions of one photo of the park’s namesake.
![](https://i0.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8349-768x1024.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8350-768x1024.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8352-768x1024.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8351-768x1024.jpg?ssl=1)
Which is your favorite?
A closer look at a joshua tree, with a bird heading out:
![joshua tree with a black bird taking off with a mountain in the background](https://heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/dsc_0661-1024x683.jpg)
They’re funny-looking trees, really.
Near our campground was an abandoned ranch. I’m always amazed that people came through the desert and thought, “This would be a great place to raise cattle.”
![](https://i2.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8464-768x1024.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i2.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8472-768x1024.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i2.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8447-768x1024.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8466-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i2.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8490-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8485-1024x596.jpg?ssl=1)
Man-made and not abandoned? Camp fire. It was colder than we expected (and colder than it’s typically been this time of year).
![](https://heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8436-1024x1024.jpg)
The place is enormous and if you have any wonder in you at all, you’ll be taken in by it all.
![](https://i2.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8377-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i2.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8362-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/dsc_0672-1024x683.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i2.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8506-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1)
Of course, I can never pass up a good cactus skeleton. This is a cholla.
![](https://heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8471-1024x1024.jpg)
In the distance, snow-capped mountains.
![](https://i2.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8487-768x1024.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8493-768x1024.jpg?ssl=1)
Sunset. My view from the camp site.
![](https://heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8427-1024x768.jpg)
In my defense, I didn’t take pictures of most of the dead trees. Just a few of them.
![](https://i0.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8363-768x1024.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/dsc_0659-683x1024.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/dsc_0680-683x1024.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/dsc_0669-1024x683.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8379-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i2.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/DSCN0684.jpeg?ssl=1)
The rocks are as breathtaking as anything else and are a ton of fun to scramble around on.
![](https://heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/img_8393-1024x768.jpg)
We agreed that this particular joshua tree looked Seuss-like, and that we could enhance it’s oddness by messing with the settings on the photo.
![](https://i1.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/dsc_0667-1.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/dsc_0667.jpg?ssl=1)
Trailhead across from our campsite:
![](https://heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/dsc_0650-683x1024.jpg)
And one macro shot
![](https://heat-weirdlastname.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/DSCN0712.jpeg)
A beautiful place! Highly recommend.