Heating Up In The California Desert

While slowly driving towards our happy place in Baja, we hit Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave desert of California. You would not want to visit these hot, dry places in the summer - we were even pushing it visiting them at the end of May.

We climbed the Kelso Dunes in Mojave National Preserve as the sun was setting and were stunned by the views, lighting, and of course jumping opportunities (pictured below).

The weirdest surprise was the sound we heard while walking at the top of the dunes. It has been termed "singing sand" or "booming dunes". As you walk across the sand, it sounds like a loud, roaring, low-pitch rumble - like a large aircraft is about to crash land on your head. Apparently this happens in only 35 desert locations across the world.

Joshua Tree NP is famous for the copious amount of places to rock climb and of course, the Joshua Tree (pictured below). The name "Joshua Tree" was termed by traveling Mormon settlers in the Mojave Desert in the mid-1800s. The tree's unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story where Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer.

We worked our way south towards San Diego where we picked up our summer toys (surfboards, kiting gear, wetsuits, etc.) from a storage unit. Stuffed with toys and good beer (well-hidden of course), we crossed the border to spend a couple of months at Punta San Carlos, Baja.

All of that needs to fit in the box?!