Showing posts with label california adventures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label california adventures. Show all posts
Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
3 Quick Hikes at Joshua Tree
The unexpected thing about Joshua Tree is it's size--it's actually bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island! So driving in and around the park takes up a surprising amount of time. But, a lot of the trails are short and easy--more "nature trails" rather than actual hikes, which allow you to experience a lot of the park's features without requiring a whole lot of time. We only had a few hours before it got dark so we only got to check out three trails, but I feel like we saw a lot--would definitely recommend these if you only have a half day to spend at the park.
Arch Rock is a short, not even half-mile there-and-back trail that mostly features a bunch of cool, prehistoric-looking rocks. Walking around here totally made me feel like I was on the set of The Flintstones or something. The trail starts at White Tank campground and the main feature is a cool, arch-shaped rock. I wasn't brave enough to climb onto it so here is a picture of my fiancé being a goof.
You can see chollas all over the park, but nowhere so magnificent at the Cholla Cactus Garden. The coolest time to see them is when the sun is lower in the sky, because it kind of illuminates them and gives them a nice glow. The trail isn't too exciting but it's a nice place to take some pictures. In the spring, you do have to worry about bees pollinating.
We actually walked around in circles before finding this place, and barely got there before it got dark. It's right off of the Wall Street Mill trail, so we parked at the Barker Dam lot. The instructions I found online on how to get there said it was only about a-tenth of the way into the trail, which is why I kept thinking we had passed it. But we had started on the trail from the paved parking lot. There's actually a dirt overfill lot that is much closer to the ruins. And if you start on the Wall Street Mill trail from that parking lot, you only have to walk a few minutes before seeing a trail off to the left that leads to the ruins. The trail is quite wide and well-traversed so you can't really miss it. And you can even see the ruins from the main trail. Not really sure what this building used to be (someone told us it was possibly an old dairy house), but the ruins are pretty cool!
Arch Rock
Arch Rock is a short, not even half-mile there-and-back trail that mostly features a bunch of cool, prehistoric-looking rocks. Walking around here totally made me feel like I was on the set of The Flintstones or something. The trail starts at White Tank campground and the main feature is a cool, arch-shaped rock. I wasn't brave enough to climb onto it so here is a picture of my fiancé being a goof.
Cholla Cactus Garden
You can see chollas all over the park, but nowhere so magnificent at the Cholla Cactus Garden. The coolest time to see them is when the sun is lower in the sky, because it kind of illuminates them and gives them a nice glow. The trail isn't too exciting but it's a nice place to take some pictures. In the spring, you do have to worry about bees pollinating.
Wall Street Mill - Wonderland of Rocks Ruins
We actually walked around in circles before finding this place, and barely got there before it got dark. It's right off of the Wall Street Mill trail, so we parked at the Barker Dam lot. The instructions I found online on how to get there said it was only about a-tenth of the way into the trail, which is why I kept thinking we had passed it. But we had started on the trail from the paved parking lot. There's actually a dirt overfill lot that is much closer to the ruins. And if you start on the Wall Street Mill trail from that parking lot, you only have to walk a few minutes before seeing a trail off to the left that leads to the ruins. The trail is quite wide and well-traversed so you can't really miss it. And you can even see the ruins from the main trail. Not really sure what this building used to be (someone told us it was possibly an old dairy house), but the ruins are pretty cool!
Joshua Tree, California, USA
Desert Vibes
Took another trip out to Joshua Tree recently, and the second visit was possibly even more magical than the first. LA is definitely lucky to be just a short two-hour drive from this special place. It often gets quite chilly during winter in the high desert, even snowing sometimes (still preferable to a desert summer in my opinion--except that the Milky Way is best viewed during the summer) but we were blessed with perfect, cool weather. We stayed in a cute little Airbnb cabin on rural land with jackrabbits and roadrunners and this glorious Joshua Tree right in front. At night we took advantage of the prime view of the stars and tried shooting some star trails!
Long cardigan, Sole Society (sold out). Denim camp shirt, Madewell (old). White tank top, Fabletics. Olive fedora, H&M. Black skinny jeans, Gap. El Paso ankle boot, Minnetonka.
Joshua Tree, CA, USA
Desert Dreams
It's been a longtime dream of mine to witness the beauty of the Milky Way, which is impossible in most places that humans dwell because of the light pollution. It's incredible to think that people used to observe this wonder all the time, but for the past few centuries it has been hidden to those of us who live our lives in urban/suburban areas. The best time to see it is during the summer, when it's directly overhead, so we headed out to the desert this past Memorial Day weekend and were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of it before the moon rose. I can't even remember the last time I saw the stars sparkle so brightly and it made me feel tiny and insignificant for sure. At the same time, the beauty of the desert and the sky above us reminded me what a gift it is to be alive on Earth.
I definitely want to practice my astrophotography more, so hopefully another trip to Joshua Tree soon is in the stars (hehe)!
Black Carlin Romper, Urban Outfitters (sold out but they still have a ton of cute styles here). Fringed cardigan, LA Made. Wool hat, H&M. Hiking boots, a vintage brand called Kinney Colorado. Tan bucket bag, Old Navy (old). Double pendant necklace, c/o Happiness Boutique (check out their great selection of necklaces.)
Indio, CA, USA
Coachella 2016
Coachella has become a bit of a spectacle in recent years but that doesn't mean it's not still a great time. Somehow despite the heat, the dust storms, and the crowds, tickets continue to sell out every year before the lineup is even announced. It's also the top-grossing music festival in the world which is saying something. This year, I attended Weekend 2 which is supposedly more relaxed, though I still thought it was pretty darn packed. My fiancé and I weren't in the mood to brave the heat or the mobs so we relaxed in our air-conditioned rental until late-afternoon before heading to the festival each day and found ourselves unwilling to brave the tents (especially the crush of people inside and around the Sahara Tent after a couple of our friends got pick-pocketed there the first night). Instead, we mostly just hung out by the main stages after dusk where there was a lot of open space. FYI, that's where Alessandra Ambrosio likes to hang out, too. We saw her dancing with her daughter there and they were so cute. Didn't get to see all of the acts we wanted to see but we still had a great time and experience overall. The thing about Coachella is that no matter how you feel about the line-up, there's bound to be a set or two that will blow your mind and make your weekend. For me, that was probably Zedd! I also enjoyed catching snippets of amazing performances by artists I previously hadn't heard of like Lemaitre and Alessia Cara (yeah yeah, what do I, live under a rock??)
Playsuit, Spell Designs. Sandals, Skechers. Fringed crossbody, Rebecca Minkoff. Wool hat, H&M.
Tank top dress, Free People. Belt, Loft. Knit bucket bag, Boohoo. Suede ankle boots, Zara. Wool hat, H&M.
Navy gauze top, Free People. Denim shorts, One Teaspooon. Knit bucket bag, Boohoo.
THE FOOD
Pinches tacos...this was pretty good. I would've rather have had Mexicali but it was a trek so I made do with Pinches in a pinch...hehe.
You know how much I love my fried chicken sandwiches from Free Range LA! Somehow, it tasted even better in the desert.
Anyone who goes to Coachella needs to try the Spicy Pie! Although I'm not personally a big fan of spicy pizza, I'll admit it's pretty good and more importantly, it's a Coachella tradition!
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