Another first for me was visiting Joshua Tree NP. We stayed an hour away from the park at an RV resort in Desert Hot Springs, that had a great pool and mineral springs hot tub. While there we enjoyed checking out Palm Springs and their Thursday night street fair, and great restaurants.

Joshua Tree was something special. The weather was crazy-hot (desert much?) so we didn’t do much in the way of hiking but more of a motor tour. It was strikingly beautiful- the thousands of acres of these tree-like yuccas, each one unique and reminiscent of the human form with stretching arms. We visited an oasis within the park and also drove to the highest peak, where one can view two deserts coming together in a stunning valley.

Although my plans included visiting more national parks until we winter in Florida this year, the excessive gas costs and campground fees made us rethink whether it might not be a good idea to try out work camping, where you work for a few hours a week in exchange for a camping spot. Ray was a bit tired of the idle life, and he was offered a work camp job in Yuma at a huge 55+ RV park with a ton of amenities and activities.

So that ends my national park journeys for now… I’ll keep you posted on our nomad life as we adjust to staying in one spot for awhile!