Visiting Joshua Tree For The Third Time, Then Onto San Diego

Leaving Las Vegas

I wake-up early on Wednesday morning to complete some work before hitting the road. Things are a bit rocky, so during this time I manage to pack-up my car via multiple trips, which avoided having to get a cart. When the work is over, my aunt and I head back over to my uncle’s for a final visit before heading-off to Joshua Tree National Park for the night.

Miscalculations

As usual, I calculate the time to get to Joshua Tree NP, but I don’t take into consideration the fact that the drive from the western entrance of the park to our campground at the southern entrance of the park is about 50 miles long… at 35-45 mph. The sun is already close to the horizon when we arrive at the park, so we have to bypass stopping anywhere just to get to the campground with twilight to help calm my nerves as I set-up two tents with a head lamp.

Stars, Stars and More Stars.

After getting the tents set-up, I get to preparing some dinner. The moon is very small and still close to the sun, so it sets relatively quick. My aunt and I spend most of the evening in silence just enjoying the stars and the sounds of the desert. We didn’t have many neighbors in the campground, though, the ones we had were sort of annoying, but we made the best of it.

Re-Visiting Joshua Tree With The Sunrise

Around 6:30 AM a pack of coyotes went berzerk off in the distance, which got me out of bed, followed quickly by my aunt. This allowed me to break-down the camp and get on the road by 8 AM. My only intention was to drive back to the cholla garden, which is a beautiful spot of cholla cacti, but after arriving there we pushed on further up to Skull Rock. It’s sort of the big draw in the park. After that we drove back down to the southern entrance, where I got a souvenir, and then back out into the real world.

Down To San Diego

The drive to San Diego wasn’t too bad. There were a couple of traffic jams, but I think we both handled it pretty well. Once we got close, I started playing The Doors because they just feel like California to me. Upon arriving at my aunt’s place, I unloaded the car and got to the usual things: washing blankets, downloading media, taking a shower, organizing my bins, recharging batteries and writing this blog.

Alforon

Anyone who knows me knows that what I call Lebanese cuisine is my favorite food. Hummus, baba ganoush, tabouli, falafel, mujadara, etc. I could eat it all day, every day, and be happy. During my first visit to San Diego, my aunt took me to Alforon, a Lebanese restaurant that was near her home. I’d arrived at the end of Ramadan, so we ended-up having to wait until all the people who had been fasting were served first. It didn’t bother me, though. The owner was super nice and entertaining, and when we did get served it was easily the best I’d ever had.

Thus, every time (this being the third time) I arrive in San Diego, that’s the spot I want to go visit first. We had baba ganoush, tabouli, lemonade with mint, spinach cakes and beef kababs. On the way out, I got to talking to the owner, telling her I love mujadara but wanted to order something different each time. She went on to give me instructions on the proper way of making mujadara, which was pretty much how I’ve been making it, except for the fact that I like adding cinnamon and allspice to mine, which I was scolded for. As we were about to leave, she told us to wait, went back into the kitchen and came out with some mujadara for me to take home. Amazing.

Relaxing and Bed

Back at my aunt’s place, I made a martini and we talked for a couple of hours on her enclosed back patio. It was a nice night and the environment is super chill back there. After the drink and lying down on my back for a while, it was time to goto bed. Trying not to think about the fact that I’ll only be here for four days this time.