Joshua Tree National Park Tours

On the fourth day we drove from Las Vegas all the way to Joshua Tree, stopping in Twentynine Palms for lunch along the way, and that stretch of desert highway felt long. Once inside the park I saw the Cholla Cactus Garden and Skull Rock; the cacti stood packed together and glowed gold in the sun, and I just stood there taking it in for a while.

The night in Page was at a Garner by IHG or similar, and the room was clean enough, which made the early start toward the Grand Canyon the next morning easier. I don't ask much of hotels — a good night's sleep is enough for me.

Antelope Canyon was an optional add-on, and I remember the ticket ran around a hundred dollars, with a Navajo guide leading us in. Walking between those curving walls with light slipping through the cracks, I kept looking up the whole time and felt happy to have paid for it.

Four days felt tighter than I expected, with most of each day spent on the road, but standing at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and looking out at those red cliffs, the tiredness from all that driving just melted away.