Passing Through Joshua Tree

 I love road trips.  My Dodge Sprinter van, with a built in bed for two, and expansive storage room, makes it incredibly easy to just pick up and go.  We loaded up our car with rock climbing and ski gear,  then made our way to Las Vegas to spend the Winter holidays with friends.   A quick detour to Joshua Tree proved to be rewarding.  Unlike other times of the year,  such as Thanksgiving, when the cooler weather draws out rock climbers in droves to battle over available campsites and climbing routes, Joshua Tree was surprisingly empty on the days leading up to Christmas.  The warm weather, brilliant sunshine, empty campsites, and lack of crowds, made for a pleasant experience, and we were reluctant to move on after only one day and night in this desert paradise.