Some things are too beautiful to put into words. One such thing is Joshua Tree, California.

Along with my husband, I had the pleasure of spending five days in the California desert with a group of friends, enjoying days spent hiking, swimming and exploring. The entire time, I kept thinking, “I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

Living in the flat Midwest, it’s quite jarring to see large mountains up close. And in the desert, it has something of a prehistoric feel to it.

The first night, we were enjoying the hot tub after hours of traveling. With an incredible backyard view of the mountains and desert, we watched as the full moon rose from behind a mountaintop, running up to its rightful place at the top of the sky.

Later that week, from the hot tub, we’d hear the sounds of coyotes fixating on their prey.

At Joshua Tree National Park, there are miles and miles of rocks to climb and, of course, Joshua trees to walk among. I found myself climbing to the heights of which I’d only experienced on foot a handful of times.

Although there were other people around besides our group, being in such a vast space felt isolated and peaceful.

In order to save space for the accompanying photo, I’ll simply say this: Should you have the opportunity to travel to Joshua Tree, don’t hesitate.