Drove out to Joshua Tree on a Friday afternoon. Three hours from LA if traffic cooperates, which it never does, so call it four.

The park itself is strange in the best way. The Joshua trees look like something Dr. Seuss would draw — twisted, reaching, unapologetically weird. The rock formations at Hidden Valley feel like they were placed there by a giant playing with blocks.

We hiked Ryan Mountain at sunset. It’s a three-mile round trip with about 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Not hard, but enough to earn the view. At the top, you can see the entire valley laid out below you, the sun dropping behind the Little San Bernardinos.

The real show starts after dark. We drove to a pullout near Keys View and just lay on the hood of the car. No moon that night. The Milky Way was so bright it cast shadows. I’ve done dark-sky sites in Utah and New Mexico, but Joshua Tree is special because it’s accessible. You don’t need a week off and a plane ticket.

Stayed at a cabin in Yucca Valley. No AC, no WiFi, no complaints.