Trip report: Joshua Tree National Park

Yes, Tiger -- a busy national park is not our first choice, nor is the desert. But it was nearby, and it was also near my father in law's home in La Quinta. We were pleasantly surprised by the hiking -- the views were terrific, and the "climbing" was a lot of fun. I put "climbing" in quotes because our gentle boulder-scrambling is nothing compared what the real climbers tackled. If they mess up, they could fall to their death. If I mess up, I fall to my bruise and scrape. No comparison.