joshua tree — Travel — Vanessa Evelyn

One of my goals earlier this year was to travel more. For a long time, traveling was not a priority for me because I didn’t feel it was attainable for various reasons. I finally had the urge and confidence to explore more entering 2020, then the pandemic happened and that quickly came to a halt. As a homebody who works from home, my day to day life didn’t change drastically initially. Overall, we’ve done our best to make the most out of our extra time at home these past several months, but Mario, Rosie, and I were also thrilled to take a roadtrip to Southern California. A change of scenery was much needed for all of us. Little did I know, our humble road trip would turn into a very special engagement trip!

Yucca Valley & Joshua Tree Recap

Our first stop was to Yucca Valley/Joshua Tree. We left around 8:30 AM and got to our destination sometime between 5:00 - 6:00 PM. It was a long drive! Truthfully, the roads on Interstate 5 were very scary for me because there were only 2 lanes for the majority of time and a lot of 18-wheeler trucks. I had so much anxiety driving and did my best, but Mario ended up driving more than me there and back. The best part of the drive was the food! We stopped at a vegan friendly Indian restaurant called Taste of India. It was absolutely delicious. We ordered channa masala, daal, a side of rice, and 1 plain naan. I also love that they customize the level of spiciness for each order- we got medium spicy for the chickpeas and lentils. I definitely recommend this spot to anyone passing through the Buttonwillow area! After a day full of driving, we were so excited to finally arrive, but we were also so exhausted! Our necks, backs, and legs were so sore. We took it very easy the first night and woke up at sunrise the next day.

The AirBNB was 1 bedroom, 2 bathroom, and very spacious. I loved how open the common area felt and the windows made for perfect natural lighting all day with amazing views. We even had a backyard and our own parking spot! Overall, we loved the aesthetic and privacy of the AirBNB, but a downfall was that the bed was very firm and the pillows were so soft and flat! In addition to that, there were no curtains or blinds on any of the windows so the entire place lit up at sunrise each day. I am a very light sleeper so it was difficult for me to have a good night's rest. Mario, Rosie, and I pretty much woke up at sunrise each day because of how bright it was in the bedroom and the bed was not very comfortable. While we didn’t get the best sleep for the first leg of our trip, it was actually very nice to watch the sunrise each day. When we are on vacation we usually wake up early anyway because we love to make the most of each day!

The location we stayed at was about 10-15 minutes from cafes, shops, and restaurants. We got some groceries and ate at home the majority of our stay because there weren’t a lot of vegan options nearby. My favorite meal was on our last day at a vegetarian and vegan friendly restaurant called Natural Sisters Cafe. I got a plant-based sandwich called the Avocado Veggie. I chose spinach and vegan cheese as my 2 additions and it was fresh and filling! The only ingredient I was unsure about was whether or not the chef used vegan mayo. It wasn’t listed on the ingredient list, so I was not prepared to specify in advance and didn’t want them to remake it so I ate it anyway. Something to keep in mind if you’re eating here as a vegan. I also got a yummy iced coffee and a customized fresh pressed juice for Mario.

The Engagement Surprise

Our second day in Yucca Valley/Joshua Tree was the most productive and fun-filled. We shot several days worth of content for the vlog, Instagram, and TikTok. During sunset, we were on our final look of the day when Mario surprised me with a marriage proposal! I was not expecting it at all! The funniest part is that on the way there we were talking about kids and marriage and I mentioned to Mario that I was under the impression it wouldn’t be happening any time soon since planning and hosting a wedding during a pandemic is difficult. When in reality, he had been preparing to propose for months, haha! I will be writing a blog post dedicated to all the proposal details very soon.

Be sure to watch our new vlog sharing part 1 of our road trip on YouTube! Click here to see more of the drive, the beautiful property we stayed at, and behind the scenes of the proposal.

In my next travel blog post, and our second YouTube vlog, we will be sharing all the details about our stay in Los Angeles. Initially, we were only planning on staying in Santa Monica for 1 night and 1 day, but ended up extending our trip last minute!