Joshua Tree

 Moving in with the kids is great!  But, lets be honest, its exhausting.  I'm not 25 any more, my body does not function as it did when I had kids.  It aches, it gets tired and it needs a nap.  

Beyond the physical demands of helping with our grandson's I've also realized that  I settled into our "empty nest" life.  

While I missed the kids a lot, Sean and I also enjoyed this new time together.  We filled our time with new hobbies, longer walks, lots of time in our yard, more outings, hikes, golf, friends and many facetime visits with the kids.  Our new lifestyle does allow for some of that freedom and the kids are great about making sure we get it, but its different.  We live with the best little distractions and we want to spend time with them and their parents.

Now we need to be more intentional about spending time together and getting out and about.  Our son in-laws parents were coming for a visit which was the perfect excuse to leave town and give them time with the grands.

Last week I joined Sean on a business trip to Southern California.  I had the trip all planed.  We were catching an early morning flight on Monday so we could spend most of the day in Joshua Tree National Park.  Tuesday and Wednesday I would help Sean with photo shoots, but squeak in a few new adventures in the late afternoon and evenings.  Thursday we would fly home, but visit Downtown Disney for breakfast first.

Little did I know that a cautious pilot for American Airlines would toss us into a never ending Monday of flight delays, missed connecting flights, arriving in Palm Springs 11 hours late without our luggage.  Tuesday didn't start much better.

Due to our luggage arriving later than expected we started our photo shoot four hours late.   I'm not sure how we did it, but we completed our work in record time, 3 hours.  This allowed us the time we needed to drive to Joshua Tree National Park and have at least 90 minutes to tour before the sun set.

While I didn't know it Monday or even most of Tuesday, seeing Joshua Tree at sunset and in the dark of the night surrounded by stars and planets is the best way to see this park.  It was spectacular!

We missed the visitor center as it closed at 5 p.m., but we found our way to the welcome sign and into the park.  Just as we entered we were astonished by the unique beauty of the Joshua Trees.  Each tree bends and twists to the harsh Mojave and Colorado deserts and their extreme temperatures, gusty winds and heavy seasonal rains.  The entire landscape is shaped by these conditions, not just the trees.

Sean and I could not get over the rock formations.  It is amazing how nature can form, erode and shape these massive rocks into monuments of beauty.

A Joshua Tree

I am not a fan of creepy things, but Skull Rock was impressive.  Nothing creepy about it, except its name.  If you visit this rock be sure to take a few steps back so you can take in the whole thing.

Skull Rock

At the Hall of Horrors I didn't see anything horrific.  Rather I fell in love with these two rocks that look like two faces nestled together.  And was impressed by the balancing rock in the distance.  Apparently rock climbers come to this area to practice their skills.  Good luck!

All nestled together

Balancing at Jumbo Rocks

Our favorite part of the day was Key's View.  We arrived after sunset, but even in the fading light we could see the peaks of San Jacinto and San Gorgoino, the Coachella Valley and the city lights of Palm Spirngs.  Unfortunately it was too dark for us to see the San Andreas fault.  There was a breeze which made the evening cool, but I loved every minute of our views.  

I find the best views are of  Sean doing what he loves, taking pictures.  He found a Joshua Tree all alone about to fade into the dark night sky.  His pictures captured the fading sunlight with the moon and Jupiter just above the tree.  It was beautiful.

The cold air ushered us to the car sooner than we wanted.  As we were driving out of the park I noticed a large dark shadow to my right.  I had Sean pull off.  The lights from the car illuminated it enough for us to realize we were about the pass Cyclops Rock.  My cell phone camera was no match for the dark night, but Sean was able to capture it on his camera.  I am impatiently waiting for his edited pictures.

Each national park displays its own unique beauty.  I find as I visit each one that I am in awe of this beautiful planet and our creator.  

I am grateful that Sean got us to Joshua Tree.  We needed time together to explore, discover, learn and just be us.  I think that is something we all need from time to time, to take a pause from life, connect with our loved ones and do what brings us joy.