The drive through Arizona heading to Joshua Tree was beautiful. The area around Flagstaff made me want to linger. Then there was Lake Havasu, it is enormous. The main area was busy with boats and more people than I like to be around, but we drove for miles around this vast lake of turquoise water. There were areas that were peaceful and serene; the first image below is of one of these areas. Entering California, our path took us though the Mojave desert. The miles of barren land was quite a contrast to the desert oasis of Havasu.

We camped in the Black Rock Campground at Joshua Tree and loved camping there. I’d wake in the middle of the night with a smile, hearing the coyotes communicating with each other. Overall, I was underwhelmed with Joshua Tree National Park. It is a place I had wanted to visit for a long time. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting.  I couldn’t help but compare it to Death Valley, which we fell in love with years ago. We had an enjoyable time here and it is a beautiful place, but doubt we will return. Our visit here made us both want to go to Death Valley.