The heat is on. At least in Joshua Tree in July. Ben and I arrived without a campsite reserved and upon asking the park ranger if this would be a problem, we got a chuckle along with “no one comes to Joshua Tree in July!”. The extreme heat made for a sweaty day, but an amazing night. Because there were only around 15 other idiots camping in the giant park, we basically had our pick of spots and total run of the place. This national park is so unique, instead of hiking trails, the best thing to do is climb giant, Dali-like boulders and search for the wildest looking Joshua trees. After an afternoon of just that, we had a fantastic night, despite our lonely, ecstasy laden neighbor (yes he picked the spot right next to us in an empty campground) who loved twirling glow sticks and playing techno while reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The night ended with the most gigantic, brightest moon I have ever seen among a million stars; we slept on top of a boulder without a tent and it turned into my favorite night on the whole trip.

We left Joshua Tree for the old homestead, San Diego! Somehow I forgot how good life on the beach can be. We did all the best that San Diego has to offer, Ocean Beach swimming, Whizbo frisbee tossing, seafood eating, local beer drinking, Del Mar horse racing, and Comic-Con people watching. A trip to Stone Brewery, the most beautiful brewery I’ve ever seen, capped off a fantastic weekend.