Another Trip to the Desert

Two years ago we received an offer from Marriott where, for the cost of listening to a 45 minute pitch on buying points (the new timesharing), we could stay in a room at a resort in Palm Springs or Palm Desert for 3 nights and also receive a gift card.  Never having been to the Mojave before, we thought we would give it a try.  Neither of us have any trouble saying "No" to a sales pitch, and this one was very low pressure.  It turned out to be a great trip as you can see in The Living Desert Zoo and Coachella Valley posts.  Pro tip - If you leave themn thinking you are on the verge of buying they will repeat the offer after a few months.

So we got the repeat offer and we went back to the desert staying at a different Marriott.  We went to the zoo again and we also went to Joshua Tree at night for a great astronomy tour.  The company is Sky Watcher Tour and our guide, Adam, was very knowledgeable.  It was cold out, but he provided chairs, warm blankets, panchos, hot drinks and snacks as well as the opportunity to look through two telescopes.

I imagine it is not the place to visit in July, but in November it was delightful and the drive is not bad at all.

Here are some pictures.