Yuccas, Yoga and a COVID-19 Thanksgiving

Joshua Tree, California

November 17th-19th

We said goodbye to Huntington Beach with little hesitation, knowing our stay there cut into our time in Joshua Tree, but for good reason. It was about a three hour drive and luckily Berk slept the whole way. It was refreshing to get away from the hecticness and out of the overwhelming traffic as we began to approach the desert. Prior to arriving in Joshua Tree, I spoke to a handful of people regarding camping in the park and was told that all campgrounds within the park are first come first serve. I was also told they couldn’t tell me much else when it came to availability, but that this time of year tended to be the busiest.

We waited in a ten car line to enter the park. Ahead of us, two girls in flowy dresses and white chunky sneakers hopped out of their cars to snap a quick photo of the official Joshua Tree National Park welcome sign. Totally instagrammable. Meanwhile, I’m wearing the same shirt I wore the day before and Mike’s questioning if he put deodorant on that morning. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. After approaching the booth, the park ranger informed us that all campgrounds were full. So, in Travel the Fernweh fashion, we respectfully ignored the park ranger and headed into the park to see for ourselves. As we entered Hidden Valley, we quickly learned that our instinct was right. The campground wasn’t full, but unfortunately for us, the space was only equipped for truck bed campers and camper vans. Sunset was quickly approaching, so we decided to turn around and book a reservation at the local Sportsman’s Club, a camping area right in the town of Joshua Tree. 

When we arrived, there was no check in, front desk or sign that said anything remotely regarding camping. We pulled in and a young woman with purple hair and a space galaxy mask came walking across the yellow sand toward us. She checked us in, charged my card and gave us a small key to use the water hookup. That evening we ate dinner, watched a couple episodes of the office. (The wedding episode is epic, I don’t know how this was our first time seeing it). Then around 10pm we headed back into the park around to gaze at the “famous” mojave desert stars in peaceful silence. The stars were incredible, but we weren’t the only ones looking for a peaceful stargazing evening. Cars and trucks zoomed past us, as Michael set up his camera to capture the scraggly Joshua Tree with the stars brightly illuminating behind it. The tree branches leaned over us and millions of stars flickered in the sky above it. Little tiny cactus pieces stuck to the bottom of our rubber soled shoes which we learned were extremely painful when they stuck into your bare skin. Despite the fact that I vacuum our camper at least twice a day, they stuck into everything. We even caught Berk trying to eat them, which looked painful when he realized they weren’t food crumbs that we dropped beneath the table. 

We slept well, ate cereal for breakfast and crushed a couple turkey and cheese sandwiches in the bed of the pickup, before venturing out into the desert. We met a friendly, buff dude named Mark in the parking lot who just finished up his second hike of the day. He spoke with a thick Irish accent and told us he was in Joshua Tree because he had paid time off of work. He drove seven hours from another part of California to experience the beauty of the bizarre trees and giant rocks. He told us we looked like an “Instagram travel couple”, so we gave him our handle and a Travel the Fernweh sticker that I had kept in my backpack for moments like those. We wished him well and headed past the “Lost Horse Mine Loop Trail” sign, beginning the hike backwards, in an attempt to avoid the other hikers as best as we could.

The first three miles or so consisted of walking along a fairly flat terrain, surrounded by Joshua Trees big and small, all of them unique in their own way. I think that’s why I loved them so much. Visually they look odd and imperfect, but they carry the ability to give life to almost every other plant and animal we could see in the desert. Joshua Trees are actually considered Yuccas, which is not a tree but rather, a plant that offers numerous health benefits. They can survive and usually thrive off only one rainfall a year. When early mormon settlers came to the area the tree reminded them of the prophet Joshua raising his hands to pray, which is where the name was derived. The park is a vast desert landscape, littered with cholla cactus gardens, jumbo rust colored rocks that resemble a children’s playground and countless numbers of yuccas. As we approached mile three, up over a knoll we came across a tall, stone fireplace that stood beside an old, mangled, rusty cot, that was once slept on by someone who was living on the land, mining for gold. The wind picked up as we made our way across skinny, dirt switchbacks that eventually led us to the abandoned mine. The name came about because one man was searching for his lost horse in the area. He discovered gold as he was searching, which led to the establishment of the Lost Horse Mine. Michael was explaining all of the parts to me, which was interesting, but also made me wonder how he knows so much about the anatomy of a mine. 

 The rest of our hike was gorgeous even though the wind picked up a bit. We admired the colorful vistas and sharp terrain as we made our way back to the parking area. It always feels good to finish a hike together. We feel so blessed to experience all of these amazing places all at once. Before heading back to town, we stopped to admire the rocks in Hidden Valley and wondered if the ranch dressing was made there. Probably not, due to the fact that there’s nothing but giant rocks, some balancing on top of one another, as if a child placed them there that way. The rocks are mesmerizing and seem as if they’re begging you to climb them. We did climb and took a few pictures on top of them. I took Berk man for a long walk through the park beside our campsite, despite the fact that we hiked six miles and I was so sore. If you ever visit, make sure you stop by Coyote Corner after visiting the park. Mike and I both found great books and the vibes in the store were indescribable. We enjoyed a scrumptious dinner at Joshua Tree Saloon and left our mark by adding our Travel the Fernweh sticker on their outdoor sticker wall. 

St. George, Utah

November 19th-20th

Saying goodbye to Joshua Tree and the desert was sad. As we made our way to Utah, we hit a new record, visiting four states in the same day. California, Nevada, Arizona and finally, Utah. Maybe I’m speaking for myself when I say this, but I think we thrive best in the sunshine. We listened to a podcast about RV travel advice as we made our way to the Nevada side of the Hoover Dam. Before entering the area, we stopped at the security checkpoint and were told our vehicle and RV would need to be searched. We were then told the Hoover Dam is a federal property, which is when Mike informed the guard that he had a shotgun in the back of his truck. We were told we could not enter for that reason. We arrived late to our campsite at St. George RV park, but a skinny man with a cigarette in his mouth showed up alongside the truck when I called the phone number taped to the office door. He helped us get “checked in” and parked in a spot we could pull through and leave from quickly, first thing in the morning. I immediately took Berk man for a run on the lit up sidewalk below the park. After a six hour drive a run was a must have. We happily read our new books and fell asleep early. I began the morning with a run (again). For me it’s important to see each place by foot, and well maybe because I’m just obsessed with running and need it to get into the right frame of mind for the day.

Fruita, Colorado

November 20th-22nd

We chose Fruita Colorado as our next stop due to the fact that Monument RV Park also owned a storage facility. Our plan was to stay for a couple days and keep the Dutchmen in storage before heading North to Steamboat for Thanksgiving. We added another brewery to our list after throwing a couple back at Sud Brothers Brewery. I drank a  sunshine sour and Mike had the Zeppelin IPA. After enjoying our beers, we found a little free library in Downtown Fruita that was a mini airstream camper, filled with all kinds of good books. 

In the morning, after Berk enjoyed his chicken and rice, we walked to Einstein Bagel Bros and enjoyed a couple Bagelritos. The rest of the day was mostly spent in Grand Junction. I spent the majority of my time in thrift stores, did some early Christmas shopping and acquired an old David Gray CD for $1. Michael scouted out all the local bike shops, in search of a new one. We were told by multiple bike shop owners that their inventory was minimal due to the fact that manufacturing was shut down during COVID and because so many people are buying bikes right now, they can’t keep up with the demand. The Specialized bike brand alone is currently up 300% in sales. We ended up leaving Grand Junction with a new bike (For my husband)  and several thrift store finds. 

November 22nd- November 29th

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

On Sunday evening, we met my family in the mountain town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Upon arrival we learned that two days prior, Routt County and the City of Steamboat Springs became a ‘Level Red’ or ‘Severe Risk” COVID area, so the days that followed would mainly be spent indoors or outside, solely with one another. 

Surprisingly, several months back I was able to find a house that could fit all of us, so we had plenty of space and could go to our own rooms if need be. Mike and I claimed the Carole Baskin looking room and admired the chairlift swing on the back porch as we explored our new home for the week. On our first morning altogether, my Dad took orders and made everyone their own personalized omelet. As we waited for them to cook, the girls met in the living room to join Adrienne in her morning yoga class. (Sidenote: If you’re into yoga or want to be, Yoga with Adrienne is free on YouTube and welcoming to all levels). A couple hours later, we ventured out of the house for a socially distanced, COVID-free day, hiking up the 90 degree slope, also known as the Lower Valley View. It was certainly the first black diamond Berkley had ever climbed and he did it like a champ. Since it was impossible to hike down without face planting and/or risking injury, we found a path down the side of the ski slope and made our way back home. Erika and my mom made homemade chili, which we paired with the most delicious, “Dave’s” cornbread for dinner. 

The following day, we celebrated Lauren’s 29th Birthday with morning yoga followed by an intense leg workout in the basement, led by my little sister Nat. I’m pretty sure my family is the definition of the family who people are afraid to marry into because we do things like this and run 5ks on Thanksgiving. We then participated in a Rad Sister photo shoot, to help my little sister with new content for her sustainable, feminist t-shirt business. Shameless plug…If you’re looking for gifts this holiday season for your sister, girlfriend, mom, Aunt, or Grandma, you should consider checking out radsister.com. It’s a great way to support a small business and demonstrate solidarity with your sisters and the women in your life. We finished the evening celebrating Lauren over dinner and a hard-seltzer hot tub session, which seemed to become the routine for the days following. When celebrating in a pandemic, things tend to become a bit repetitive, but still super fun just the same.

On November 25th (The date will be important later), we drank coffee, hung out on the couch for an hour and then Oakleigh, Lauren’s boyfriend, suggested we go on a hike. Since Mike and I have been on a hiking kick for the past month, we quickly accepted and bundled up in preparation. Knowing a bit of the inside scoop, Mike made sure to bring his camera and I packed a few snacks and hard seltzers. We piled in Oakleigh’s jeep and drove to the Routt National Forest to hike a portion of the Medicine Bow Trail. It cost $5 to park, in order to help support the upkeep of the trail. There were a lot of people with the same idea we had, so we carefully made it past the small groups of other hikers and began climbing the snow covered trail.

Oakleigh told stories and talked nervously as we continued our way up to Fish Creek Falls. We were surrounded by beautiful aspen trees lining the path which led us to several snow-covered switchbacks and eventually the frozen “Fish Creek Falls”. Oakleigh and Lauren walked toward the scenic falls, as Mike and I backed away carefully, trying not to expel any ounce of excitement too soon. We were lucky enough to witness Oakleigh get down on one knee and ask Lauren to marry him, which she answered almost immediately with a YES.. finally! Mike and I captured the moment from afar on camera and were so thrilled to be able to do so. Lauren jumped up and down like a little kid in excitement and Oakleigh told her, “You can officially start planning now.” They popped champagne and anti-climatically the champagne streamed out the sides of the bottles without making an actual “Popping” noise. Their dog Luna joined in on a few pictures, as did Berkley, without being invited to. After lots of laughs and excitement, we made our way back down the trail to a snow covered bridge where Mike took a few more awesome shots of the newly engaged couple.

When we arrived back at the house, my dad had Dom Perignon and champagne flutes ready to go and he was more than ready to celebrate. Side note: I always thought it was Don Perignon. Lol. We celebrated over a Charcuterie spread, an assortment of alcohol and another much needed hot tub party. We played Family Feud and my brother-in-law, Pat, made the greatest Steve Harvey of all time. We were dying laughing for three hours straight. 

Thanksgiving was a winter wonderland. Mike and I walked Berk around the block, so we could get some exercise and so we could check out the dope ski houses built into the side of the mountain. The rest of the day was filled with pumpkin and pecan pies, yoga, leg workouts, turkey, Brussels sprouts, squash and onion celeste. We felt so lucky to be together in such a beautiful place, during such a difficult, confusing time.

We recovered from our turkey coma’s with 90 minute deep tissue massages, followed by a glass of wine in our matching robes at the Rocky Mountain Spa in Steamboat Springs. HEAVEN. After packing up the house and saying goodbye to the Carole Baskin room, Michael, Lauren, Oakleigh and I decided to spend a few hours checking out main street. We walked around with hot coffee and searched for early Christmas gifts. Lauren was able to find a shirt in a local shop designed by a local artist of Fish Creek Falls, the place she and Oak got engaged a few days prior. Berkley slept the whole way back to Westminster, where we’d be staying with my sister Erika and her husband Pat for the next week. He was exhausted from the week full of fun with his dog cousins and couldn’t wait to see where we would be exploring next.