Re: Our trip to Joshua Trip NP ( Not :-( )

A bit over a week ago we moved our daughter to LA. We live in northern CA. Since none of us had seen Joshua Tree and said daughter is into rock climbing, we thought why not add a day to the trip, visit JT, and then go back to LA, drop her off and come home. Being outside in a park, our own family, should be fairly safe. We had a short outside, socially-distanced visit with family in Orange County before heading out. Family member commented that he had been to the area a couple of years back and was surprised by the feel of the area, and for example, we shouldn't be surprised if people weren't wearing masks. I didn't think much of it.

I had never seen that part of our state, didn't even know where San Bernardino County was, so we headed out. A beautiful drive .. didn't know there were so many big mountains there .. very different terrain than what we are used to here in Northern California. Learned while driving that JTs are not technically trees, and were looking forward to exploring the park.

Arrived around 6 or so pm in 29 Palms. Went to check into our motel, very nice lady at check in counter was not wearing mask, though we were separated by a plastic panel. Asked if it was possible to have a room that was unoccupied the previous night, and she looked and said no, sorry. That's okay, we go, get our room, open the doors and windows, and wipe down all surfaces multiple times. Wait a while outside to air out room, husband goes to get pizza, comes back, we had ordered pizza from the wrong restaurant (two restaurants with same name), and no one was wearing masks in the restaurant, so we skipped pizza. Decide to just buy food from the quickmart. Same experience, no masks, and we get no food. While my husband is out trying to get food, I am sitting there reading about covid in San Bernardino county and freaking out. I'm doing math in my head and comparing their numbers to ours, and getting more scared.

Long story short ... we decided to not stay in 29 Palms. I knew I wasn't going to get a wink of sleep and was going to worry the whole night. We drove 2.5 hours back to LA, to the LA hotel where we felt much safer, and then came home the next day.

So never saw Joshua Tree.

Maybe another day.

Very sorry to hear all that. JT is a lovely little park with a really wide variety of environments, from literal oases to abandoned mining camps...mountains and deserts...crowded and deserted. The town of JT is also quite fun with a surprising number of wonderful restaurants (should clarify that it's about 7 years since we were last there...I sure hope those restaurants are still there...from the surprisingly good sushi place behind the Ramada where we stayed to Pappy and Harriet's roadhouse with great live music and everyone from 5 to 80 out together on the dance floor). And lots of really friendly people...even if they apparently aren't taking people's health concerns seriously right now.

I've heard that with recent shutdowns, there's been a lot of vandalism in the park...I really hope that nothing too permanent was done.

Once we come out on the other side of the pandemic, I'd really encourage you to tack that extra day on again if you're visiting your daughter. It's really mind-boggling to me how different the surroundings become within a couple of hours drive from LA!

Meanwhile, stay safe and look forward to less contagious times...

JT sounds lovely. Thanks for the description. Maybe some day we will go back and replace those memories with new ones.

An interesting trip, I hope you enjoyed it. There are a lot of beautiful places in Los Angeles, such as: Universal Studios Hollywood Theme Park, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Concert Hall and many other places. I'm going to go on a trip to Germany by train in the near future. I really want to visit Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt am Main and Leipzig with my son. My son has long wanted to get to these cities and see the sights. I also found a website for travelers where you can see the flights of all trains throughout Germany.






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this site https://www.dbfahrplanauskunft.net/de/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2021 05:48AM by emilyresmi.

Let me tell you about my recent trip. We went on a summer vacation after a productive month at work. We chose between seaside and mountain vacations and settled on the first option. We will go to the mountains in winter. Planning the trip began with choosing and booking a hotel. After that, we began to plan every day, studying the local attractions and the surrounding area. Our choice settled on Los Altos Beach Resort & Spa. Upon arrival, we were treated to local gourmet food and provided with a deluxe room overlooking the sea. The following days were very active and interesting. All family members enjoyed this vacation.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2022 02:26AM by RichSlaug.

I'm sorry to hear about your disappointing experience trying to visit Joshua Tree National Park, recycling1991. It's unfortunate when expectations don't align with the reality of a situation, especially during these challenging times.Considering that your post is from two years ago, I hope you've had the chance to plan new adventures and experiences since then. If you're still interested in exploring outdoor attractions, you might want to consider some of the popular theme parks. While your Joshua Tree trip didn't go as planned, these amusement parks can provide a fun and thrilling experience for your family, especially if you're looking for a change of pace.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/06/2023 06:50PM by AdonisOsborn.

That sounds like quite an adventure, even if it didn't go as planned. Exploring new places can bring unexpected surprises, both good and challenging. I remember a trip to Branson, Missouri, where we stayed at a lovely resort I've been to before. The atmosphere was welcoming, the staff attentive, and the accommodations clean and comfortable. It made our stay enjoyable, and we felt safe and relaxed. Places like Westgate in Branson can be a good option if you're planning another trip and want a reliable place to stay. They often have good amenities and service, which can make a difference in your experience.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2024 03:20AM by GreenieHops.