SO - there I was. OK, I’m just joshin’. Ha, right, that reminds me of this time that I was in this place. The craziest things happened and then I got drunk.
None of that happened - but there I was... Flown out last second to Hollywood, California USA after spending a few weeks on the road. I was on tour with the band Friday Night Fever and I was filming a documentary called “Dreamin’,” a short film based on their life, goals and journey thus far. As the tour was coming to an end, the band members had an offer to record with a well-known producer. The guys, who had become family to me by this point, flew me out there to find out that nearly all of the filming ideas that we had generated would not actually happen due to multiple reasons. (Photo above by David Mays/iStock)
None of that happened - but there I was... Flown out last second to Hollywood, California USA after spending a few weeks on the road. I was on tour with the band Friday Night Fever and I was filming a documentary called “Dreamin’,” a short film based on their life, goals and journey thus far. As the tour was coming to an end, the band members had an offer to record with a well-known producer. The guys, who had become family to me by this point, flew me out there to find out that nearly all of the filming ideas that we had generated would not actually happen due to multiple reasons. (Photo above by David Mays/iStock)
On the third day of roaming around L.A. by foot, I decided that we needed to rent a car and at least snag some important desert-scenery footage for b-roll. That next morning, I was off to the first place I could think of - a place that was far enough outside of the sprawling metropolis. A little over 3 hours driving east, I was met with consistent, beautiful, rolling desert. I couldn’t tell you how many times I stopped to snap some shots of the scenery on the way to the great Joshua Tree National Park (earlier, I mentioned that I was just joshin’ - get it :-p)
History in a nutshell
Humans have occupied the area encompassed by Joshua Tree National Park's nearly 800,000 acres for at least 5,000 years. The first group known to inhabit the area was the Pinto Culture, followed by the Serrano, the Chemehuevi, and the Cahuilla.
In the 1800s, cattlemen drove their cows into the area for the ample grass available at the time and built water impoundments for them. Miners dug tunnels through the earth looking for gold and made tracks across the desert with their trucks. Homesteaders began filing claims in the 1900s. They built cabins, dug wells, and planted crops.
Each group left its mark upon the land and contributed to the rich cultural history of Joshua Tree National Park. The park protects 501 archeological sites, 88 historic structures, 19 cultural landscapes, and houses 123,253 items in its museum collections.
(cited from History & Culture of Joshua Tree National Park http://www.nps.gov/jotr/historyculture/, 2012)
My thoughts
Joshua Tree National Park is pretty HUGE - after entering the park, it took me 45 minutes of driving down winding paths until I reached many of the park’s attractions. Some of the most notable ones are Keys View, Jumbo Rocks and the Cholla Cactus Garden. Not only does Joshua Tree offer wondrous camping, hiking and climbing opportunities, it also provides a relatively untouched insight into the great American desert from when it was once the last frontier.
If you ever find yourself near Los Angeles or in need of a sweet visit to the desert, I recommend visiting the Joshua Tree National Park. I loved my visit and would definitely visit again - but I will make damn sure to bring a lot more water with me next time.
Fun fact
The park is named after the yucca brevifolia, also known as the yucca palm tree. The trees (shown in the above photos) are unique desert plants which take on tree-like qualities, as I’m sure you can see.
Travel information
Best time to visit - March and April - Joshua Tree is good to visit nearly year round, but during this time period you can catch the fresh blooms at pleasant temperatures
Prices - Vehicle permits range $5-15 for a 7 day pass, $30 for annual pass - senior, day access and volunteer passes are also available
Hours - Open all the time, all year - visitor centers are open 8a-4 or 5p
More travel information - http://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/
Website - http://www.nps.gov/jotr/
My recommendation - Unfortunately, I only had enough time to visit for a few hours - I recommend staying a weekend, 3 days - and camp!
History in a nutshell
Humans have occupied the area encompassed by Joshua Tree National Park's nearly 800,000 acres for at least 5,000 years. The first group known to inhabit the area was the Pinto Culture, followed by the Serrano, the Chemehuevi, and the Cahuilla.
In the 1800s, cattlemen drove their cows into the area for the ample grass available at the time and built water impoundments for them. Miners dug tunnels through the earth looking for gold and made tracks across the desert with their trucks. Homesteaders began filing claims in the 1900s. They built cabins, dug wells, and planted crops.
Each group left its mark upon the land and contributed to the rich cultural history of Joshua Tree National Park. The park protects 501 archeological sites, 88 historic structures, 19 cultural landscapes, and houses 123,253 items in its museum collections.
(cited from History & Culture of Joshua Tree National Park http://www.nps.gov/jotr/historyculture/, 2012)
My thoughts
Joshua Tree National Park is pretty HUGE - after entering the park, it took me 45 minutes of driving down winding paths until I reached many of the park’s attractions. Some of the most notable ones are Keys View, Jumbo Rocks and the Cholla Cactus Garden. Not only does Joshua Tree offer wondrous camping, hiking and climbing opportunities, it also provides a relatively untouched insight into the great American desert from when it was once the last frontier.
If you ever find yourself near Los Angeles or in need of a sweet visit to the desert, I recommend visiting the Joshua Tree National Park. I loved my visit and would definitely visit again - but I will make damn sure to bring a lot more water with me next time.
Fun fact
The park is named after the yucca brevifolia, also known as the yucca palm tree. The trees (shown in the above photos) are unique desert plants which take on tree-like qualities, as I’m sure you can see.
Travel information
Best time to visit - March and April - Joshua Tree is good to visit nearly year round, but during this time period you can catch the fresh blooms at pleasant temperatures
Prices - Vehicle permits range $5-15 for a 7 day pass, $30 for annual pass - senior, day access and volunteer passes are also available
Hours - Open all the time, all year - visitor centers are open 8a-4 or 5p
More travel information - http://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/
Website - http://www.nps.gov/jotr/
My recommendation - Unfortunately, I only had enough time to visit for a few hours - I recommend staying a weekend, 3 days - and camp!
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