The Desert. People ask me why I have a thing about the desert and so it’s made me think about it. Why is it that I am drawn to the desert?
To me, I think the easiest answer is that it’s different. I grew up on the East Coast, suburban Philadelphia to be specific. Forests, mountains, fields…greenery. That’s what I’ve been used to. I’m also used to suburban and city life. When I moved to California over eleven years ago, I got my first experience with the desert. On my drive across the country, I drove through Utah, Arizona and Nevada before entering eastern California. It was like nothing I had ever seen. I wasn’t used to the barrenness, the ruralness and the brownness. I guess at that point, it didn’t really draw me in too much because it was many years later that I took my first trip specifically to the desert, but we’ll get into that more later.
Photography was what really drew me to the desert. When I moved to California, I wasn’t much of a photographer. I liked taking photos, but that was mostly done on my phone and sometimes on my Olympus point and shoot. At some point several years later I started to be interested in doing more photography and finally in 2017 I got a proper DSLR. Watching YouTube, trying to learn photography, I came across photos from Joshua Tree. Since Landscape photography was something I was interested in, I realized I needed to go. On my first trip there, I fell in love with it. Joshua Tree is my happy place. I’ve since gotten into astrophotography, camping and hiking. I am now a proud Annual Passholder there.
I’ve since been to some other deserty areas such as Alabama Hills and Death Valley. Death Valley has also drawn me in and I’m super intrigued by it. I’m planning my first camping/photo trip there this fall. I also got an Annual Pass there too (I know I could’ve gotten a all parks pass, but I like supporting these National Parks individually). Some other places on my list are Arches National Park, Zion National Park, Capital Reef, Sedona National Park, Saguaro National Park and White Sands, National Park.
There is nowhere that I have found that has better sunsets, darker skies, more unique plants and cool critters. Now, when anyone asks why I am drawn to the desert so much, I have a answer I can give them.
