OOO #20: Out of Office - Joshua Tree & La Jolla
The annotated itinerary from my recent trip to Southern California
A few weeks ago, my husband and I embarked on a trip to Southern California. I had never been to California before, and I was lucky that my first trip included a stop at what has become one of my favorite national parks: Joshua Tree. Then, we drove to La Jolla to attend a dear friend’s wedding.
I take making trip itineraries very seriously, so I thought I’d make a special edition of OOO where I share an annotated version of my itinerary with some of the highlights of our trip.
Joshua Tree
Black Rock Canyon Campground
As we have gotten older, my husband and I are gravitating more toward camping trips; we packed our tent, jetboil, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and other accoutrements into two checked bags for our trip to southern California. I still prefer a camping site with running water and bathrooms, so we booked a site at Black Rock Canyon Campgrounds. The campgrounds are at the northern edge of the park, so you still get cell service; it’s your call if you think that’s a negative or a positive. The Campgrounds abut the trail heads of a lot of fantastic trails (see Panorama Loop Trail below), and there are tons of Joshua Trees (and the occasional coyote) in your campground. It was such a delight.
If you’re big into National Park Visitor Centers (we are, as my husband loves to stamp the cancellation in his Passport book), the Visitor Center that is closer to the West Entrance is bigger and has more volunteers to answer your questions, but the Black Rock Canyon Nature Center was sold out of less stuff (i.e. stickers—very important).
A note on wind: our first night of camping was very windy, which made for a terrible night’s sleep (that being said, does anyone actually sleep well on camping trips?). We are still working on finding the best strategies to securing our tent so it doesn’t flap around as much in the wind. I really recommend reading/watching videos about how to best set up your tent for wind if you visit and camp in Joshua Tree.
Panorama Loop Trail
The first hike we did in Joshua Tree was the Panorama Loop Trail, which was recommended by a fellow Wellesley alum. The Panorama Loop Trail is a—you guessed it—loop trail of a little under 7 miles with about 1,000 feet of elevation. The trailhead is off of campsite no. 30 in the Black Rock Canyon Campgrounds. We struggled to find the trailhead for about twenty minutes, and needed to ask a volunteer.
This trail is absolutely worth doing. Not only do you get a beautiful range of flora as the elevation changed, but we saw lots of lizards and QUAILS (!!!), were challenged physically, and were rewarded with—again, you guessed it—a panorama view of the entire Joshua Tree/Yucca Valley area and beyond, including some snow capped mountains. I had been a little hard on myself about 10 minutes before reaching the summit because I was tired and out of breath, but when we reached the summit and it looked like we had hiked above the clouds, I felt a little less bad about it.
A note on signage: Joshua Tree gets an A++ for natural beauty, but a C for signage (still an A park overall). A few times on our hikes, Zach and I weren’t sure which direction to go in, and as I said before, struggled to find a trailhead. Take a map and talk to a ranger or volunteer at the Visitor Center before starting any hikes.
Fortynine Palms Oasis
The Fortynine Palms Oasis Trail is one of the most visually stunning and rewarding hikes I’ve ever done. It is an out and back trail that is only 1.5 long (3 miles total) and has an elevation change of 300 feet, which you have to do twice, as it’s an out and back trail. The terrain looks way different from the other parts of JTNP that we drove through (such as Discovery Trail and the Hall of Horrors); the terrain is mostly rocky mountains some desert vegetation, which reminded me of Oman. My favorite flora? The charming red barrel cacti.
Eventually, after hiking over the mountain, you get your first sighting of the oasis: the rounded tops of palm trees. The oasis, which is the water source for many fauna in the area, including Bighorn Sheep, is one of the most magical places I have ever been, and I didn’t want to leave. I often forget that hiking is not just a form of exercise: the reason you hike is because the summit or end of the trail is often a magical place. And Fortynine Palms Oasis is indeed magical.
Sarah BL Healing & Meditation
While we were in the desert, Zach and I tried something new: a sound bath and guided meditation with Sarah BL Healing & Meditation. This experience/practitioner was recommended by someone with whom I went to highschool, and since I like meditation, we decided to go for it. The sound bath took place in a tented pavilion in the practitioner’s backyard, which was in a beautiful area of Yucca Valley with loads of gorgeous desert plants. Caroline (Sarah’s mom), led us through a guided meditation and then performed the sound bath. As much as I like meditation, I still struggle to completely empty my mind and notice thoughts rather than explore them, but the sound bath was so overwhelming (in a great way) that my brain chatter stopped. It was a great experience, and I definitely recommend it (just put on some sunscreen before you do!).
Joshua Tree Distilling Company
If you’re looking for a place to grab a drink and do a little souvenir shopping, Joshua Tree Distilling Company is the place to go. There was a ton of cute goods made by local artists (that didn’t feel overtly touristy), and we both tried cocktails made from the spirits distilled there. The cocktails were fantastic, and the staff was wonderful and very friendly. Also, their branding is on point and meant to mimic a sunset in the desert. Perfection.
If you need to stock up on snacks or need to pick up something you forgot (in our case, an ace bandage), I recommend stopping by the Yucca Valley Walmart. It might be the nicest Walmart I have ever been to; it has skylights, and the store is tidy and clean. There were no Clarence Thomas sightings, though.
La Jolla
Sea Kayaking
My husband was looking forward to sea kayaking more than anything else on our vacation. Despite growing up next to the ocean, I had never gone sea kayaking before, and despite the 60 degree and overcast conditions, I had a blast! We kayaked through a sea cave (where I spotted some Garibaldi fish in the water), watched some pelicans, hung out with the sea lions sleeping on the rocks. I love doing some physical activities while on vacation, and this was a really fun way of getting some exercise while learning about the ecological diversity of La Jolla Cove! I am also very thankful to the invention of wetsuits; Everyday California made the whole process quite easy.
Dough Momma Pizzeria
I was pretty hungry after sea kayaking, and we stopped at Dough Momma Pizzeria (not affiliated with Clintonville’s Dough Mama Cafe), which was blocks away from the beach. This was some of the best pizza I have had outside of New York. In general, I would love to see more well-made and well-priced by-the-slice pizza parlors around the United States.
Beard Papa’s
I also stopped in Beard Papa’s: a bakery that sells cream puffs. I ordered a matcha frosted and vanilla filled cream puff, and it was nothing short of divine. Someone actually stopped me on the street and asked me where I got it.
Beard Papa’s is a chain (and is originally from Japan) with stores throughout the United States, Canada, and East and Southeast Asia, and you should DEFINITELY go if there is one near you.
Peter Lik
I saw a familiar name outside an art gallery in La Jolla Village: Peter Lik. Peter Lik is an Australian photographer who prints his work in a way (and I have no photography experience so I will not even try to explain it) that makes it wildly vibrant and crisp. I first went to a Peter Lik gallery about 11 years ago in Miami (hi, Dan!), and I fell in love with his work. His photographs are from everywhere: the American southwest, East Asian forests, southern Africa grasslands (with some great shots of zebras, elephants, lions, and cheetahs), France’s lavender fields, and undisclosed tropical beaches and waterfalls that are absolutely dreamy. I have had it in my head to own one of his pieces since that Miami trip, and this gallery visit reminded me why I wanted to in the first place.
Our Airbnb
We stayed in the loveliest Airbnb while in La Jolla. It was a small cottage (a bedroom, bathroom, and closet with a fridge) that was in walking distance from pretty much everything in La Jolla Village. The owner was wonderful (the cottage was in her backyard), and it was clear that she put a lot of effort and love into her property. She even had coffee pods, trail mix, and chocolates for us in our room. She was kind and hospitable, and if you’re looking for an Airbnb in La Jolla, check this place out first!
All in all, it was a great trip, and I would love to make my way back to California someday.
That’s it! Have a great rest of your week.