One Week in a Van Named BOOM: A Girls Trip Through the Desert

Every year Carly and I try to meet up somewhere in the U.S. and wander around for a bit. We met while living at the Grand Canyon and became soul sisters within like... three days? I don’t know. It was fast. She's the kind of person I can sit in silence with or scream-laugh with and both feel like medicine. I moved back east but we swore we’d make time for each other. This year? Southern California. Desert. National Parks. A camper van named BOOM.

I flew my ass into Vegas (me and that airport are becoming quite good friends), and Carly picked me up like the queen she is. We made a pit stop for snacks and supplies—which probably included some semi-important items, but all I remember is the Krispy Kreme donuts.

Then came the van pickup. And listen—I’m not trying to be an ass—but when I saw what was parked out front I laughed. Out loud. Like, I had a vision of something sleek and forest-y and boho. What we got was... art. Bold art. Honestly, props to whoever painted it. Just not quite the “two chill desert girls reconnecting with the earth” vibe we pictured. But by the end of the week? BOOM was our bestie. BOOM was the vibe.

First stop: Joshua Tree. I’d been before, but this was Carly’s first time, which made it feel new for me too. We stayed in the park, backed up to these massive rock formations. Surprisingly private for a campground, which felt like a win. We had a slow morning. Made breakfast at camp, sipped tea, listened to the desert do its thing. Everyone always says Joshua Tree has an “energy.” Some even say it’s an energy vortex. People say that about the North Rim of the Grand Canyon too (another one of our trips together), and honestly? I kinda agree with both.

We explored Skull Rock, wandered through the Cholla Cactus Garden, did a whole bunch of looking at things and saying “whoa.” That evening, we hit the town of Joshua Tree and I dragged Carly to one of my favorite weird little stops: the World Famous Crochet Museum. It's this tiny bright green trailer full of crocheted creatures and it always makes me laugh. There’s something about that kind of chaos that just feels right in the desert.

Next up: Death Valley. Easily one of my favorite parks. On the drive there we chased a double rainbow for like an hour. No exaggeration. The storm was headed the same way as us and it felt like we were being followed by color. We even hit a bit of snow going over a mountain pass—not enough to be a problem, just enough to make the world feel quiet for a second.

In Death Valley we hit all the good spots: Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point, and the Golden Canyon loop. Two nights inside the park meant mornings of coffee and tea out at the salt flats while the mountains lit up in that signature gold. There's something about seeing everything—sky, dirt, ridgelines, clouds—just laid out like that. It gets to you.

Final stop: Tecopa, California. We booked a stay at 3 Moons Project, one of the first Hipcamps I ever photographed and still one of the most special. It’s a sustainability project turned desert escape, built almost entirely from recycled materials—bottles, cans, clay, old wood. We stayed in the yellow trailer and I was obsessed. Straight up 70s desert queen vibes.

We made dinner in the community kitchen (cute as hell, well stocked, 10/10 would cook in again) then decided to go find the closest version of “a town.” We landed at a tiny bar with a pool table and natural hot springs out back. Yes, we got in. Yes, it rained while we soaked. Yes, it was absolutely perfect.

This trip was everything I needed. Long talks, weird art, crunchy trails, desert silence, and so many belly laughs. Carly, BOOM, and I made a damn good team. I’ll be chasing this feeling until next year.