LYFE IN TOW

When my friend, Alfredo, helped me navigate my route around Arizona (he lives there), he informed me that he would be at one of his favorites - Lost Dutchman State Park in the coming weeks. We stayed in touch, and it ended up working out that I could meet him there for a few days.

Alfredo and I first met on Instagram, as he and his wife are fellow Airstreamers. We met in person back in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in early March. When I left Texas in May to hit the road after sheltering in place, Addie and I crashed at their house outside Phoenix en route to California.

I was excited to join Alfredo at Lost Dutchman - from all of his Instagram stories and posts, I knew it was one of his favorites. This Arizona State Park sits right at the base of the Superstition Mountains. This was my campsite view. Not too shabby!

Alfredo was sure to bring only the best service for Addie.

***no Addies were harmed or given alcohol in the taking of this photo***

In the morning, we met up for a hike up the Superstitions. The weather wasn’t the greatest, but it was still beautiful - and seemed appropriate for visiting the Superstition Mountains.

I left this part out of my last post, but part of determining my route through Arizona involved the timing of when I needed to be in Las Vegas. A dear friend bought a plane ticket to Las Vegas to meet me on my travels. I was picking her up on a specific date, which needed to factor into my travel schedule.

That said, one of the other places I skipped in the spring was Joshua Tree National Park. Again, it was too hot there by May when I picked back up my travels. Since it’s close to Arizona, I determined months ago that I’d visit Joshua Tree when I went to Arizona. And it was now my next stop.

After Addie and I bid Alfredo farewell, and after a quick stop to my new favorite coffee shop, Dutch Brothers, we hit the road west for Joshua Tree. It was about a five-hour drive, but I was in no rush.

Upon arrival at the park’s northern side, I went inside the park to scope out any available campgrounds. There are many campgrounds in Joshua Tree, but I found all sites at all locations occupied. Exiting the park to the north, I managed to find some dispersed camping land for the night. I’d leave the next morning and find a place inside the park for the following night. I wanted to stay at least one night inside the park.

In the morning, entering through the west entrance (from the north), I got my first view of the iconic Joshua Trees. Joshua Trees only grow in this desert - the Mojave. And, they are not technically trees. They are the world’s largest Yucca (which is considered a succulent).

We stopped at a few different campgrounds before finding a spot at Belle Campground. It was early, and it was cold. Once we got the Airstream settled, the first thing on our agenda was to find Arch Rock. After being at Arches, this arch wasn’t super impressive, but it was entertaining to rock scramble a bit to find it - it was off the trail and hidden.

On the way to Hidden Valley, we pulled over to - literally - play in the rocks. We had a little photoshoot, too.

I’m happy I explored Hidden Valley. The trail is short but very scenic. And along the path, I caught some rock climbers, so it was fun to see them in action.

We took a short ride to Keys View - the most popular viewpoint in Joshua Tree. You can see where the Mojave Desert meets the Colorado Desert and as far as Palm Springs and the Santa Rosa Mountains.

Belle Campground afforded us a vast playground. We headed back to do some exploring. As Addie and I were walking around, we met another solo female traveler with a vintage Airstream. She and I got to talking and ended up having a ton in common. Instagrams were exchanged. Who knows where we may run into each other again!

We departed Joshua Tree through the south entrance, near Cottonwood Visitor Center. On the way out, I took a short walk through the Cholla Cactus Garden. Although this hike is flat and only .25 of a mile, it’s dangerous. The Cholla Cactus has exceptionally sharp (and painful) needles - and they’re abundant. The Chollas are cool, though. They have a hombre look to them, which I found pretty.

I also stopped to take a walk through Cottonwood Spring. This area hosts a water source, which is rare in the desert. Trees and other vegetation grow here in the desert because of this spring.

Our desert journey would continue long after Joshua Tree. We were off to Vegas to pick up my friend before heading to Death Valley - another place we postponed visiting until now due to the hot temperatures in the spring and summer.

This may sound ridiculous, but since Joshua Tree is so renowned in pop culture and song lyrics and things like that, I anticipated a “spiritual” experience. I expected more fireside song singing, weed-smoking, and zen-forward activities. Maybe it was just too cold. :)