Every time I hear ‘Joshua Tree’, I picture the U2 album. Band members, looking cool in a desolate landscape, giving off a mysterious vibe. Weird-shaped trees (actually cacti) cover the desert. A moody setting, I’ve always wanted to experience.
But the name ‘Joshua’ doesn’t really suit the place. Why is it called ‘Joshua’? I googled it. The Mormons named it when they travelled through the area in the mid-19th century. But who was Joshua? Moses’s assistant and a kind of prophet/messiah who was meant to lead worshippers to the ‘promised land’. The Mormons’ logic, either: the shape of the branches pointed toward such a land; or the branches appeared to be reaching up to the sky in prayer (a famous Joshua pose). For whatever reason, the name ‘Joshua’ stuck.
Trails weave through the Cholla Cactus Nature Garden – more like a forest of mid-sized ‘Teddy Bear’ cacti – where you can walk beside the pastel-yellow blooms. Don’t touch the spikes – sharp and painful!
Flat, flat and even more flat desert for miles, until huge boulders pop up. Easy for climbing, great for views and even better for sitting and eating a sandwich. Can you make out the shape of a skull? ‘Skull Rock’. See that flat piece of rock sitting high atop a boulder? ‘Cap Rock’.
The massive space makes me feel small, and I suddenly appreciate how big the world is. A million miles of one park, appearing to go on forever. A place to be alone with your thoughts (except for all the people). Winter, the most comfortable but most crowded time to visit. Come in the summer – and you will probably melt!
Dana Petric's Blog 