To the casual observer, Joshua Tree National Park is a hot, dry, barren and forbidding land full of prickly, poisonous inhabitants; a "drive-through" park with few sights beyond some interesting rocks, a strange cactus garden and weird looking "so-called trees". But, to those who love her, those willing to spend time with her, she will reveal her hidden treasures.
Her secrets lie in the cracks of massive boulders where small desert animals sleep through the day and wildflowers bloom in the spring. Where imaginations can turn inanimate objects into the tortured faces of giants, frozen in time.
Her secrets are in her broad, dry washes which, if you take the time to explore, transform into hidden lands of steep twisty cliffs, rich and moist, teeming with life. Seek out her cool shady spots beneath the giant boulders. Sit quietly, letting the gentle breezes caress you. Smell her clean, dry scent. Embrace the smooth, cool curves of her rocks. Spend the night with her, enveloped by the starry sky, until you lose all sense of perspective and balance and are swept away by the magnificence around you.
Leave with regret, promising you'll be back to see her again and again.
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