Taking Pictures of Joshua Trees

What possesses someone to seek out a dry, resource-deprived parcel of the California desert to take pictures of scraggly, thorny bushes that look like set pieces from a science fiction movie? The United States National Park system includes some of the most beautiful and iconic places on earth. Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Yosemite, the Great Smoky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, Everglades, Hawaii Volcanoes, Acadia, Shenandoah, Glaciers, Olympic National Park: those are all giants.

Amazingly, Joshua Tree National Park also ranks as one of the most visited national parks in the United States. Out of some 60 parks in the system, Joshua Tree stands just outside the top 10, making it one of the country’s most popular destinations. Why do I say “amazingly”? Joshua Tree National Park is a unique place and it holds a great deal of beauty. I am not demeaning its importance. But it simply lacks the grand vistas and multiple dimensions of sightseeing and experiences that define the giants of the park system. Instead, it is defined by the scraggly, thorny trees that consider this their home.

That makes it all the more impressive that so many people seek out such a place. And the first time I visited the Palm Springs area, I was one of those people. And since then, I have returned to that area more than once. Each time, I have made the short side trip from Palm Springs to Joshua Tree National Park.

U2 is part of the reason. In 1987, the mega-band released an incredible album about America: its good and its history of struggles. This album contained some of the greatest songs about searching and seeking that anyone had ever written. It hit # 1 in 20 countries, became one of the top selling albums of all time, and was received with great acclaim by critics. Its songs, which are still played widely today, became part of the soundtrack of my young life and the lives of countless others.

Here is one of the songs from the album, which also appeared in the Rattle and Hum movie that was made about the band's Joshua Tree tour:

It was called The Joshua Tree. The cover of the album showed the U2 band standing in the desert and the photo on the back showed a lone Joshua tree behind them. For decades thereafter, fans wanted to find that spot and take the same photograph, much in the way that the Beatles’ Abbey Road image became so widely imitated for at least a generation.

There was no Joshua Tree music about this place in the desert. While one song, One Tree Hill appeared to have a suggestive title, it was written about a person and a place in New Zealand. And even the spot pictured on the album cover turned out to be many miles away from the actual Joshua Tree National Park.

Yet Joshua Tree National Park’s popularity must owe plenty of its visitors to the popularity of one of the world’s greatest bands and one of its greatest albums of music. They still haven’t found what they’re looking for, so they seek it here. With or without any help, they find this place where the streets seem to have no name after long drives through the desert. They get up close to take pictures of Joshua trees and thorny cacti and bushes, sharper than bullets against the backdrop of a blue sky.

Okay, that’s enough with the album references. Here is one more U2 song from that album, followed by some pictures I took on my last trip to Joshua Tree National Park. I did my best to portray the raw beauty of this unique place. Enjoy.