Jonathan and I set out on a journey to Joshua Tree National Park.  We first visited the Jumbo Rocks and witnessed a beautiful sunset against the silhouette of the Joshua trees.  It was getting dark however and we headed back to the hotel after stopping at our favorite creepy thrift store in the desolate Mojave town.

Jumbo Rocks

The next day our first destination was the Barker Dam, which at times holds actual water, but on our visit was bone dry.  Nevertheless it was a lovely hike through boulder-strewn passages, cliffs, and caves some with primitive Native American etchings within.  We stood on a scenic overlook, gazing at a joshua tree covered plain. It was hear that Jonathan proposed to me among the towering monoliths. (I said yes of course).

Driving on, we descended into a long valley which in fact was also a crossing into a new desert.  The upper part of the desert is the Mojave and we were now entering the lower portion which is the Colorado Desert. It began to rain, a rare event in this environment and a unique experience for us.  The highlight of this lower desert was the Cholla Cactus Garden.  These other-worldly plants are a shocking greenish-white, in stark contrast to the drab barren soil that surrounds them. We walked silently through this surreal landscape in awe of these strange surroundings, unlike anything I had seen before.

Cholla Cacti

We continued down the road, rain pelting the car heavily.  We made a final stop at the Cottonwood Spring Visitor Center to buy a few postcards.  As we drove home we passed the “Valley of the Million Windmills” outside of Palm Springs on highway 10. When we returned to civilization I called my mother and a few close friends who responded with excitement about our engagement. Joshua Tree National Park was already my favorite destination in Southern California. But now it will hold an even more sacred place in my heart.

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9 thoughts on “Proposal in the Desert”

  1. Every time I come to your blog, I am amazed by the natural beauty we have here in the US. When we lived in the UK, I spent a lot of time exploring the country, but I have not taken much time to explore here in at home. We’ve GOT to do better. Thanks so much for sharing your travels with us. 🙂

  2. Congratulations, you two!! What a magical spot for a proposal, and to think it will always be your very special place to remember(and re-visit).
    Love,
    AN

  3. Hi there Trish,

    So great to hear your exciting news on your engagement! You seem to fit each other very well. I hope you really enjoy your next few (3) months as Park Rangers out in the Western states. Hope you can continue to keep us all updated . . . !
    I look forward to seeing you back in New England also – hopefully sometime relatively soon!

    Love,’

    Lee
    P.S Arizona was nice. Especially the Univ. of Arizona neighborhood! I’ll have to fill you in on it more later on . . . !

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