Originally this was supposed to be our big hike day, but the weather had other plans. The forecast showed clouds rolling in that night so we decided to switch our stargazing to the night before, and thank goodness we did because today ended up being a lot cloudier. Instead, we pivoted to a driving tour through the park, using the GuideAlong app which tracks your location and narrates fun facts and history as you go. This was our route!

We had used it before during the Road to Hana in Hawaii and loved it, so we were excited to try it again in Joshua Tree. Before we hit the road, we chugged some Capri Suns we’d bought, which honestly hit the spot. Also, Caroline was very sweet and surprised the group with matching Joshua Tree National Park Goodr sunglasses, so of course we had to take a cute group photo together. Thanks, Caroline!

Before we hit the road, we swung by the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center to check out the info and do a quick browse through the gift shop. Right across the way was Roadrunners Grab and Go Café where we fueled up with breakfast and grabbed sandwiches to stash for later. Everything we ordered was genuinely so good!

Our first stop was the Creosote Trail (recommended by our GuideAlong tour) which ended up being a hidden gem. It’s not a well-known trail at all and honestly it was pretty faint, but it was a beautiful introduction to the Mojave Desert. We got to see the classic spindly Joshua trees, clusters of cholla and barrel cactus, creosote bushes, sharp yuccas, juniper, and these cool colonies of green lichen growing on the rocks.

We didn’t walk very far since we had so many stops planned, but it gave us a great taste of the desert landscape and at that point we were all dying to just get out and experience it close up.

Next up was the Hidden Valley 1-mile nature loop which we jokingly referred to as Hidden Valley Ranch the whole time. This trail winds through a small valley surrounded by towering granite domes and rock walls. According to our guide, this area was once used as a hideout by the McHaney Gang who were known for cattle rustling. I saw a black-throated sparrow on this trail which was a fun moment, and we also saw a bunch of lizards darting across the rocks. It was a solid walk, but we quickly regretted not bringing water. Even though it was just a mile with little elevation, the desert heat, even with clouds and a few raindrops, was intense. By the end, I was parched and officially learned my lesson: always carry water, no matter how short we think the hike is going to be.

We continued on to Keys View Overlook which offers sweeping views of the Coachella Valley and the Salton Sea. On days with really clear air, you can even see Signal Mountain in Mexico, over 95 miles away according to our trusty GuideAlong app. The view was gorgeous so of course we hung out for a bit and took plenty of pictures.

While heading toward our next stop, Cap Rock, I thought I spotted a woodpecker on a Joshua tree and immediately jumped out of the car with the camera. Jordan offered to drive ahead to a pullout and loop back so I could have a few minutes to try and get the shot. It was a little eerie being out there by myself but peaceful too. I didn’t end up getting the woodpecker (he flew off before I could snap a photo) but I managed to catch a few other cool birds like the Say’s Phoebe, so it wasn’t a total loss. I love adding to my bird life list!

Once the gang picked me up, we headed to Cap Rock which has a short half-mile loop trail winding through a Joshua tree woodland with giant granite rock formations. We saw a desert cottontail hiding from the sun under a boulder plus more lizards of course. Those things are everywhere.

By this point, we realized we were running short on time. We’d gotten a late start and were spending longer at each stop than we expected, so with a 7:00 PM dinner reservation looming, we decided to fit in just one more stop and save the rest of the tour for tomorrow. Our last stop of the day was the Hall of Horrors. It’s a popular spot for climbing, but you can also just walk through the narrow rock corridors without needing any gear. We’re pretty sure we never actually found the main part, though. We wandered around, scrambled over some rocks, and had fun exploring, even if we missed the real thing. Tyson had a moment that could definitely qualify as his personal hall of horror when a bee stung him, causing him to almost slip off a rock and scrape his arm, so it still lived up to the name in a way.

After wrapping up our tour we drove back to the Airbnb to shower and get ready for dinner at La Copine, which we’d heard amazing things about. It had been voted one of California’s top 100 restaurants and even got a feature in Vogue so expectations were high and we were starving.

Unfortunately we had the time wrong and our reservation wasn’t until 7:30 PM (we thought it was earlier) so by the time we arrived we were all absolutely unwell. To make things worse they made us wait even longer before seating us. Jordan eventually declared a no-talking rule at the table until food arrived because we were all too hangry to function.

Caroline and I ordered the fried chicken and Tyson and Jordan went for the steak. The sides weren’t included so we all added on the rosemary potatoes which the waiter said were large enough to share, but we were not in the mood for all that. Each of us got our own. Later we laughed because the potatoes were $15 each and we ended up with $60 worth of potatoes at our table. Worth it though. They were fantastic.

There was a chocolate dessert with espresso sauce that sounded incredible, but we passed since we had a 3 AM wake-up call for our sunrise hike. Jordan and I ended up getting a fruit-based dessert instead, which was a nice sweet treat at the end of a meal, even if I’ll always pick chocolate when it’s an option.

Overall, the food was good, but the dinner felt a little overhyped. I think we were all a bit bummed to be leaving the park when we did and were probably not in the best mindset to fully enjoy it (we should have eaten a larger lunch lol). The dining room was really dark and had this loud, echoey quality that made it hard to hear anything, so with no one talking and all of us practically having to shout when we did, the vibe felt a little weird.  

After dinner we pretty much crashed immediately. Alarms were set for 3:00 am because the next day was our big hike!!