Joshua Tree: Day 2

This morning Tom and I made a ranch style breakfast and we all ate together in the screen-in porch.

Our kids said this was better than any breakfast a restaurant could have served. We all concurred. We will make breakfast every morning, and our kids will make dinner every evening.

Off to Joshua Tree National Park again. Seth and Christian decided we'd visit Cholla Cactus Garden first. It was amazing to see swarms of cactii that were so distinctly different in color and texture from those we saw yesterday.

We took a long stroll among the cactii where the Mohave desert meets the Colorado desert. The change in flora from Joshua trees to Cholla cactii was striking.

We then drove on backroads not on the map. We drove until we had to stop due to the majesty and grandeur of the mountains made up of huge boulders.

We began climbing the boulders higher and higher until the sheer height scared me.

Danielle and I found a shelter from the rain while we were waiting for the boys to come down. It was cozy. The rain did not deter us from having snacks and just enjoying the moment.

After a long wait, we decided to join the boys. We climbed and climbed until we ran into Christian and Seth. They had seen something beyond description. We wanted to see this. Seth led the way. As we came to the top of the mountain, suddenly there were no more rocks and boulders. At our feet was a small stream flowing through a flat bed of sand and vegetation. In the center was a Joshua tree. Beyond that were walls of huge boulders as if to protect this oasis from any harm.

Poor Tom. He missed so much. He stayed behind because he was sick today.