“Shit ,where is this joint ? ”
It’s a 5 star bed and breakfast , authentic Californian desert style . There’s a games room , enough space and bedding to house two families , a pool ,a large yard with a makeshift golf range . Ohh and there’s the incredible uninterrupted views of the surrounding ranges ,including Joshua Tree National Park .
We drive through Yucca Valley , a tough old town that you might find in the Latrobe Valley. Gee, it’s not that pretty out here , but people obviously live here . Why ? That may sound tough but I’m looking at it from a kids perspective .These towns regularly push in excess of 45 degrees Celsius in the summer and in the winter it drops to below 10 degrees Celsius .Today there’s a a smattering of snow spread out across surrounding ranges .Its cold . Old abandoned caravans and RVs are spread throughout paddocks . The area is littered with rocky barren ground, covered in scrub , tumbleweed and an odd looking tree that bobs up every 10 or 20 meters .
The town of Joshua Tree is next , this looks more interesting with eclectic shops , saloon bars and restaurants but shit it’s no resort town . There’s a growing sense of doom in the back as the kids keep questioning where we are staying . Shit , I’m thinking the same thing myself . We are now out on a long straight road in the middle of nowhere and google maps are telling me that we are only 2 miles from our destination . We then turn down a small bitumen road that looks to head straight into Death Valley . 500m …400m…300m ….No surely not . I look across to Marcus ,he starts laughing . Then the chorus starts ..”No dad ,this can’t be it ! “”No way am I staying here . ” “This must be a mistake . P,ease dad tell me it’s not true . ” This is bullshit , turn this car around now and take us home (Tex) ” . “Ring mum up and tell her we can’t stay here .” No”.”No way ” Nooo !” The kids are distraught , Marcus and I are laughing ….Shit this is about to get real .
The first thing that came to mind was Walter Wight and Jessie Pinkman …Breaking Bad .
The bedrooms……..
3 Caravans ,old ,musty ,dusty ,rat shit in the drawers,flat tyres on uneven ground . .Its about 5 Celsius ,each van has a small electric heater . Tex and Jack are keen to endure and sleep over night ,the other kids ,Marcus ,Andrea ,Emma and myself decide that the 2 bedrooms and lounge room will suit us just fine 
. 15 minutes later Tex and Jack drag in the mattress from the caravan . All 9 of us squeezed into an old 2 bedroom shack , in the middle of no where …..only one thing to do ,drink up ,light a fire and play cards .
Tomorrow …….Joshua Tree National Park ……..
aussiehowieinla 