Mr. & Mrs. Vandebilt + kids

This place was spectacular. I’m lying in bed now after our day spent at Joshua Tree and my mind is still a little scrambled from just how cool this place was. Jacob and I both agree that we have always loved seeing different kinds of nature on our travels, and it’s always the thing that stands out to us, and this place was no exception.

We spent the night just outside the lesser visited east entrance to the park. The kids had an absolute blast playing in the outdoor pool – they swam for three straight hours! I got to do my board meeting sitting in the sun, so really it was a win all around. After another Hampton Inn breakfast we hit the road and made our way into the park.

We made a quick stop at the Cottonwood visitor center where we grabbed a map and a magnet and then set off to see the “if you only have one day” sights. First up was Skull rock and the discovery trail. After about an hour in the car it was a great chance for everyone to get out and stretch our legs. The discovery trail gave the kids a chance to do some more rock scrambling and we finally managed to miss a sign on a trail. Luckily it spit us out in the main road just about a half a mile from the car.

After our visit to skull rock (if you look at it just the right way and squint you can see a skull) we continued through the park to Hidden Valley. We all climbed out again to go for another hike. Normally I would say it’s really not worth the hassle of in and out of the car and multiple hikes – not this time.

Hidden valley is just as the name implies. Apparently at one point some farmer took it upon himself to blow a hole through the rocks to allow his cows entry into the valley for grazing. The kids loved reading all the signs and I loved the landscape.