The experience of visiting Joshua Tree can be compared to the likes traveling several decades into the past. You’ll want to put your smart phone away and any other internet connected device or Bluetooth device you rely on every day. You won’t be needing any of that stuff. Where you’ll be going, there is no internet or 4g. Heck there isn’t even 1g or 1xRTT. When the park ranger asks if you need a map upon entry into the park, you best be saying yes because that’s about all you’re going to have to go off of, unless you were smart enough to come equipped with a hand held GPS. I almost forgot to mention, a ham radio will be your only ticket to the outside world for the duration of your stay. Oh come on, it’s not that bad. Remember the days when your car broke down how you’d have to walk miles to find a pay phone to get help? Well if you’re a millennial you’ve never had to do this, but the rest of us all had to go through this at some point in our lives before cell phones existed.
The Cholla Cactus Garden is a popular spot deep within Joshua Tree. The only sign of civilization near by is the road that gets you there and the small parking lot at the trailhead. The Cholla Cactus earned it’s nickname as the Jumping Cholla due to how easily the needles detach if you rub up against one. It’s as if they jumped out at you. I can certainly attest to this considering I still have part of a needle embedded in my thumb. I have accepted that this needle is now a permanent addition to my thumb. I could have stayed on trail like the signs suggested, but venturing off through a maze of jumping cholla ment capturing a much more interesting composition. I’d say its a small price to pay for a cool shot. It was all worth it in the end.
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