it has been a while since i visited joshua tree and i figured it's about time
i'm parked here at my campsite number 30 at black rock campground
it wasn't very level so it took me a little bit to get level
i'm still not quite level but that's okay and it's time to get camp set up
that's it camp is set up
i'm all settled in here at camp at the blackrock campground here in joshua tree national park
technically i am just on the outskirts of the park however this campground is run by the park service
it's one of the very few campgrounds within the park or within its boundaries that allows for
advanced reservations and you can reserve through recreation.gov i've stayed here a couple of times
and i really like this spot not only is it just in a beautiful setting surrounded by the infamous
joshua tree but also as an extra added bonus there is a trail accessible right here from camp it's
a really awesome trail it's a loop trail and i'll put the name right here i can't remember it right
off hand i believe it's the panorama view loop unfortunately i won't have time to hike the whole
thing today because it's already two o'clock and it gets dark at four i will like some of it though
and show you a bit of it but if you get over here i definitely would recommend trying to
do the whole thing this is a great option of national park to come visit during the winter it
can get cold here it's the high desert it can get very cold and in fact i was here over new year's
2019 into 2020 for a three-day backpacking trip and it had snowed here there was still snow on
the ground but it was so beautiful it made it just look amazing so it can get cold but
it's just nothing like some of the higher elevation and mountainous national parks
so if you're considering visiting a national park in the winter this would be a great one
the joshua tree is a member of the agave family years ago the joshua tree was recognized by
native people for its useful properties tough leaves were worked into baskets and sandals
and flower buds and raw or roasted seeds made a healthy addition to the diet
so
i feel like i'm in dr seuss's garden these trees always feel very dr seuss like
the weather is phenomenal it is so beautiful it is about to change however tomorrow a front
is moving in i don't think that it's going to rain here but there's supposed to be some pretty
heavy winds expected and i believe it will be overcast so i'm going to enjoy this while i can
feels amazing i should start making my way back to camp because
i've seen a lot of a coyote sign coyote scat is everywhere and i want to make sure that i'm
back before dark and before the packs of hungry coyotes make themselves known
i feel so chilled out and relaxed right now it is wonderful
the wind is starting to pick up so i wonder if that's a sign for what's to come tomorrow
tonight i will be making a simple dinner i mentioned that many times on travel days
i just like to keep it simple so we're going to have some ravioli and salad
well i've only opened the package and it already smells good
all i'm doing with the ravioli is just pouring a little olive oil on it some parmesan cheese
and some red pepper flakes
my belly is happy and i'm happy and i had an awesome day
i think i'm going to go ahead and call it a night here and i will see you in the morning good night
good
oops i broke my yoke oh well
good morning how about that absolutely stunning sunrise this morning the high deserts have
amazing sunrises and sunsets i think it's because of this big vast open sky
that's around what a way to wake up the weather definitely has moved in the wind has picked up
however i think that we're going to go ahead and take a look around the park before we
do that though i'd like to thank the sponsor of today's video the anker 521 portable power station
i have used the anchor product for many many years i use their smaller portable power banks to keep
my camera gear charged when i'm in the backcountry when i was asked if i would partner with them it
was a no-brainer the Anker 521 Portable Power Station is powered by a lithium-iron phosphate
battery used in electric vehicles that offer six times more usage than conventional batteries that
means i can make the outdoors my office no more being cooped up in my camper for hours editing
i'd say this is a pretty sweet office solar recharge supports pass-through charging and mppt
and how about this it fully recharges in 2.5 hours having emergency backup
power is a good idea for anyone this baby has a built-in light bar for blackouts
even though i have solar panels on my roof i don't carry a generator and once blew an inverter which
rendered me powerless for a couple of days i needed an emergency power backup solution
the anker 521 portable power station is my solution once again i would like to thank
anker for sponsoring this video if you are interested in the anchor 521 power station
click the link in the description below or visit anker's website now let's go explore the park
joshua tree national park is a vast protected area in southern california
named for the region's twisted bristled joshua trees
we are now in joshua tree national park proper and you might be asking hey kat where is that
front you said was moving in full disclosure it is 24 hours later i was all ready to go yesterday
walked outside and the winds were ferocious it was not safe for me to drive a high-profile vehicle
and it wouldn't have been a good day to film anyhow so i waited it out for 24 hours
and it's a lovely day today it is a beautiful hawk squirrel
wow it is a lovely day however it is cold it's in the 30s but i'll take it
originally declared a national monument in 1936 joshua tree was redesignated as a
national park in 1994 when the u.s congress passed the california desert protection act
the california quail the official state bird i love watching these funny little guys
i'm here at one of the many little turnouts that you can stop at for picnicking or relaxing
and as you see there's a big boulder behind me there are many boulders here some even way
larger than this this is a climber's playground there are also many hiking trails within the park
my eyes are watering the wind is picking up a bit joshua tree is definitely an unusual and
rugged landscape i hope you enjoyed hanging out here with me i enjoyed having you along thank you
so much for watching i look forward to seeing you all on the next adventure see you soon bye
you