#they can have a localized great twisting/watcher's crown

[lacrimalis]

look i just think Michael “The Spiral” Distortion and Jonathan Sims would be great co-proprietors of the Night Vale library.

michael ruling over the labyrinthine shelves, not unlike the taloned terror librarians; jonathan presiding over all the library’s forbidden knowledge... match made in heaven. i’ve been thinking about this for 4 years.

[brighter-side-of-the-coin]

Merlin Fic Rec - Halloween Masterlist

In the spirit of the spooky season, here is a (monstrous) list of fics that cover a range of Halloween-themed tropes!

Many of these fics explore darker themes, so please remember to read the tags/archive warnings - stay safe folks!

🎃Horror/Thriller🎃

The Devil's Table by kriadydragon (28k)

Arthur and Gwaine rescue Merlin from the clutches of slave traders only to find themselves trapped in a strange castle whose residents have up and vanished. There's something in the castle that's after them, and to make matters worse, Merlin is already injured and can't use his magic.

The Tomb by kriadydragon (17k)

There's a reason they say the Valley is cursed.

The Wild Hunt by aa_fic

Every year on Samhain, the Wild Hunt terrorises the small Welsh town of Camford. A year after his own father is killed by the Hunt, Arthur is asked to lead a party against it. Merlin Emrys, the ailing recluse who alone escaped the Hunt in the past, may hold the key to Arthur's success in defeating it—or he may be the leader of the Wild Hunt himself. Mystery/suspense, supernatural, Samhain/Halloween, dark romance.

A Dark and Storming Knight by tehfanglyfish (4.9k)

After their horses run off in a torrential downpour, Arthur and Merlin are forced to take shelter in a cold and creepy abandoned house. To make matters worse, Arthur keeps wishing that a sorcerer would show up to light the fire.

The Monster in the Mirror by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle (7.5k)

A strange mirror has made its way into Camelot. With claims of it being enchanted, Arthur is determined to lock it away as soon as possible. However, while knights and lords and servants have all seemed to be shocked and terrified by whatever visions the mirror presented…Merlin doesn’t seem to notice. 

Until he does.

In the Deep, Dark Woods by dante_s_hell  (22k)

Arthur hires a company to provide team building exercises for the employees of Camelot Industries. The urban jungle is more their speed, but they make a go of it, traveling into the woods to bond while communing with Mother Nature. Unfortunately, the trip isn't what they expect and they bond the hard way...by trying to survive.

Tales to Tell in the Dark by mushroomtale, Polomonkey (7.3k)

A Prince stumbles across a beautiful man asleep in a castle...A merman longs for the handsome noble he sees above the waves...One orphan courts another in a town where young men are going missing...Three classic fairytales, given a horror twist.

The House by silence_since_silence (1k)

Merlin is a real estate agent. Arthur buys the two bedroom, one bath, one-level house with the streetlight right out front and just across the road and with the giant rosemary bush that has grown up around the front window like ivy.

🎃Ghosts🎃

Gibraltar May Tumble by shes_gone (24k)

Merlin's life in London is a bit of a mess: his career is trapped somewhere between student and professional, his love life is trapped in a relationship gone sour, and most days he feels physically trapped in the tiny, shared flat he can't afford to move out of—until an unexpected opportunity sends him packing for the coast. There, he meets someone who might be in a even worse fix than he is: Arthur, a Victorian-era sea captain who's trapped, a bit literally, between life and death, and who refuses to leave the house he died in over a hundred years ago.

Lament for the Lost by Clea2011 (21k)

Arthur inherits a crumbling mansion and sets out to restore it to its former glory. But Merlin has been held by a far darker inheritance all his life, and its grip on him tightens when he arrives at Camelot House to work for Arthur.

Resurgam by La_Temperanza (16k)

Merlin can see dead people™, and Arthur's just indirectly invited the entire spirit world. To think, people said this party was going to be boring.

The Ghost of Le Fay House by rotrude (28k)

Lieutenant Arthur Pendragon is wounded in action during the battle of Narvik. Rescued, he's sent to recover in requisitioned manor turned military hospital Le Fay House. His doctor, Merlin Emrys, is new at the job but quite hopeful of doing well... until strange happenings start to plague them both.

The Apartment and Everything That Comes With It by Pendragons Dragonlord (PseudoAuthor) (6k)

The apartment is old. Windows still covered in cobwebs, paint peeling from the walls, the bathroom ceiling covered in mould.

It’s a dump.

It’s perfect.

Apart from the flickering lights.

Nothing Like a Good Ghost Hunt by thecheekydragon (17k)

Merlin and his team are commissioned to investigate the hauntings at the famed Camelot Castle and get more than they bargained for when they find that the paranormal investigation team led by Arthur Pendragon has been commissioned to do the same.

Welcome to Camelot Hotel by schweet_heart (3.9k)

When his Uncle Gaius' old friend needs a favour, Merlin jumps at the chance to rent a flat in the newly refurbished Camelot building at a substantial discount. So what if the previous tenant left in a hurry in the middle of the night? It's not like the place is haunted or anything…

The Washerwoman by schweet_heart (4k)

Her dark eyes held such an aching sorrow that the expression almost stole his breath, and there was something oddly familiar about her, though Merlin was certain he would have remembered if he had seen her before.

Haunted by maarzanna (<1k)

Curious visitors keep turning up at the ruins of Camelot's castle. One of the spirits who haunts the grounds is particularly disgruntled by the disturbances.

Dead And Breakfast by yourrockyspine (4.3k)

After his Mum's demise, Merlin kept her beautifully-maintained B&B up and running.

And though he mostly loves having his mother's ghost nearby, it's some of the other deceased residents that make it exceedingly hard to please his (living) clients.

Flattening by yourrockyspine (2.3k)

A small, fluffy Happy Halloween follow-up to Dead and Breakfast

Arthur takes Merlin to his flat; Morgana's there all ghost-like and obnoxious

The Afterlife by supercalvin (3.1k)

“Hey, what’s your wifi password?” “For the love of God!” Gwen yelled, “Merlin you are dead. You do not need a wifi password.”

🎃Zombies🎃

Land of Ghouls by rotrude (39k)

In a world overrun by flesh-eating ghouls, with the apocalypse as part of his everyday life, smuggler Arthur Pendragon has nothing left to fight for until Finna, the leader of a survivor camp, entrusts him with one life-endangering mission he at first doesn't want to accept: escorting Merlin Emrys, a man who has survived a ghoul bite, to the last medical facility left standing in Great Britain in the hopes he will be key to a cure. Arthur and Merlin start on a quest that could cost them their lives or save mankind.

All the Dead Are Here by Footloose (46k)

There's not much outside Arthur's purview -- eventually, all creatures fall to the Reaper's scythe. It's never personal. It's just his job.

That was true until Arthur ran into the only death he's ever regretted reaping -- Merlin, who is inexplicably alive and well.

But that's not all. There are monsters that exist outside of life and death, and they're spreading like vermin in the city of London. The balance is in jeopardy, and Merlin may be the only one who can help him restore order in the chaos.

It's a Beautiful Night; We're Looking for Something Dumb to Do by flammablehat (<1k)

What's a little political unrest and a lackluster zombie outbreak in the face of True Love, anyway?

World of the Skin Puppets by charmed_seconds (3.5k)

The world was in ruins. Zombies have overtaken Europe and everyone was striving just to live. No matter how callous you get from living in a post-apocalyptic world, one is never ready to face the undead corpse of a loved one.

fixing to die by helloearthlings (3k)

He had put in his blue contacts, covered himself nearly head to toe in cover-up mousse, and still all that Arthur could see in the mirror was decayed yellow eyes and rotting flesh.

Zombies, Run! by supercalvin (1.2k)

It’s the zombie apocalypse. Merlin and Arthur are runners for Camelot Township.

🎃Vampires🎃

Dead of Knight by jsea (43k)

Merlin Emrys, supernatural expert and consultant for the local police, knows that going to the opening night of a vampire bar isn't a good idea, not with anti-vampire sentiments running rampant. So when he draws the eye of the bar's charismatic owner, and the new Master of the City, Arthur Pendragon, he's not exactly pleased.

When a series of murders, seemingly the work of vampires, forces them to work together anyway, Merlin unwittingly finds himself falling in love. Suddenly, the lines between work and love are not as cut and dry as they seem.

Dead Men Tell No Tales by a8csock (ladysockalot) (20k)

As a necromancer Merlin had a duty to the dead, as much as he avoided it. However, Merlin wasn't sure if he was lucky or not to have met a vampire in a cemetery, especially when he was investigating murders perpetrated by a vampire.

A Double Dose of Destiny by Drag0nst0rm (1.6k)

In which Camelot has a vampire problem, and Gwen rather wishes she wasn't the one who was expected to deal with it.

A Warlock's Blood by Lullabylily (8.2k)

People are dying. A vampire is terrorizing Camelot. And this particular vampire has taken an unsavoury interest in Merlin…

Another One Bites the Dust by merlin_the_dragonlord (3.2k)

The vampires have kidnapped Merlin. It's up to Arthur to retrieve his precious watcher.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU with slayer!Arthur and watcher!Merlin

Age Ain't Nothing But a Number by Mad_Maudlin (3.7k)

It was all going so well, and then Arthur found out Merlin's secrets. Both of them.

Vârcolac by rotrude (44k)

1740, Young Queen Maria Theresa of Austria sends Hauptmann Arthur Pendrachen and Leutnant Oberarzt Merlin Emryß to Transylvania, currently belonging to the Austrian Crown, with the task of dissuading the locals from believing in legends and myths that are archaic, provincial and frankly absurd. This is the Century of Philosophers, the Age of Enlightment and the state must spread rationality and scientific thinking all around! In short Pendrachen and Emryß are to drive some sense into those credulous peasants who still believe in the undead, also known as vârcolaci, moroi -- vampires.

It all starts to plan, but their journey journey ends up being fraught with less Enlightment and more peril than they'd wagered for.

🎃Monsters (and others)🎃

Skellington by Pasteles, Succulents (3.9k)

((Skellington/Frankenstein AU)) Arthur's been reincarnated in the 18th century when magic is still something punishable by death. But something's wrong, Merlin is no where to be found upon the once and future kings return. Kilgharrah, who has been bound into a human form, takes it upon himself to bring back the powerful sorcerer. In a twist of destiny, Arthur and Merlin meet before Kilgharrah's work is finished.

Through this Wonderland by inktomi (3.5k)

"No," says Merlin. "No. We are not going to Scotland so you can slay a mythical beast that does not exist."

Bumps in the Night by schweet_heart (<1k)

Arthur's back. Merlin's a vampire. The whole destiny thing is a bit anti-climactic, really.

Monster Mash by supercalvin (2.4k)

The ballroom was filled to the brim. On the ground there were the normal crowd of creatures and then flying around the ceiling were the winged clique. Everyone had a drink in their hand as they socialized (Wine, punch, blood, witch’s brew, and brains were all available at the open bar). 

A Modern Pygmalion by supercalvin (1.9k)

Doctor Arthur Pendragon has been working on his theory of reanimation for seven years and now he is ready to try his theory on human flesh.

Monster by supercalvin (1.4k)

Merlin and Arthur are the best pair of hunters on this side of the Atlantic.

Lake Monster Matchmaking by FandomOlde (<1k)

Kilgharrah, mistaken for a mythical lake monster, plays matchmaker for a reincarnated Merlin and Arthur.

With Smoke and Shadow by staymagical (1.2k)

Ever since he can remember, Arthur has had The Sight, a gift that shows him the aura of the supernatural. It's a pain, mainly.

The Wallfahrt Witch by rotrude (14k)

1630s, Counterreformation AU. A solitary traveller coming to a small Upper Austrian village finds shelter with the organ player of the local pilgrimage church. While religious strife is on the rise, the supernatural victims of its violence watch on as a star-crossed love story blooms.

🎃Halloween Fluff🎃

Of Halloween Socks and Poor Timing by orphan_account (1.6k)

No one knew he was wearing silly Halloween socks under his patent leather shoes.

Halloween Knights by bunnysworld (<1k)

Percy might have misunderstood as what they were going to the party this year. 

Stars directing our fates by Camelittle (4.9k)

In which Merlin finds that his destiny is quite literally written in the stars.

Pumpkin Carving by qvicksilvers (<1k)

The first ever Pumpkin Carving Contest has arrived in Camelot, all thanks to Merlin. Will it become an annual event? Judging by the results, probably not.

Pumpkin patch Mayhem by ForTheLoveOfFangirling (<1k)

Merlin drags Arthur to the pumpkin patch. 

To Light the Fires of Winter by Elizabeth (5.6k)

The Druids' mysterious leader, Emrys, has invited King Arthur to their encampment for Samhain.

Eager to solidify their people's alliance, Arthur agrees.

Halloween night by bunnysworld (<1k)

This wasn't their best idea

Suicidal Glasses and the Halloween Goose by giselleslash (3.3k)

Elena has to work Halloween night and Gwaine is smitten by the fact that she’s the worst bartender ever.

for me it's always you by helloearthlings (2k)

“My mum and I watched horror movies together every October when I was a kid,” Merlin said, unfazed by the look on Arthur’s face. “I like them.”

“I get to choose the movies,” Arthur said, not able to just agree without a fight. Merlin, damn him, looked as cheerful as ever as he leaned down to kiss Arthur again before moving away. Arthur missed him the second he was gone, even though he was just going to the kitchen, and it was somehow the most amazing and annoying thing all at once.

Modern Dracula by TsingaDark (3k)

Arthur didn’t believe in supernatural creatures. Nevertheless, he was about eighty-five percent sure that his neighbour was a vampire.

Halloween Story by every1isgay (3.4k)

Arthur always sees Merlin at Gwaine's parties, and he really likes him, though he hasn't asked him out yet. This Halloween, he hopes he can impress Merlin, but does not expect his reaction to Arthur's gory costume.

Away We'll Go by maarzanna (<1k)

The Halloween party at Pendragon's Co. has gotten a bit out of hand, and Arthur is mortified, that is, until Merlin shows up in a tantalizing costume.

Caldron Bubble by maarzanna (<1k)

Arthur does a terrible job at being a supportive boyfriend, and Merlin’s potion gets ruined. It's all Arthur’s fault.

Toward the Darkness by maarzanna (<1k)

A mischievous demon disturbs the Pendragon household.

Don't Kill Me, Kiss Me by safarialuna (2.3k)

Merlin just wants to have a peaceful Halloween. The last thing he expects is to be face-to-face with a towering man who is about to bash his head in with a shovel at a cemetery.

Haunted House by schweet_heart (<1k)

"Dare you to go inside," Arthur said.

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice by supercalvin (2.2k)

Arthur goes to Gaius Cafe before work and sees a fit runner who stops by every morning.

[bibliocratic]

future jonmartin (cw for hospitals; no warnings for character death) The rocking against his shoulder knocks him shuddering from his worrying. It is like being unmoored, cast back into the tumult and it takes a while for Martin to blink, to align the vision of who is rousing him with who they are.

 It's both a relief and a disappointment that it's not the doctor with news.

“Anything?” Lewis asks. A brisk voice, demanding, but it's unsteady and catches in his throat and little things like that have always given him away. “Have they... is there any news?”

Martin is standing up, gathering him up in a tight hug. He's tall, but not in the way Martin is – he's bony and meatless and  his posture is terrible no matter how often he's been lectured on it, and it's such a relief that he's here, that Lewis is gripping just as hard and just as scared.

“Nothing yet,” Martin says, and he's attempting to sound optimistic, the sounds made wrong in his mouth, and it's too much like lying to comfort either of them. He doesn't want to deliver meaningless platitudes, repeat like rote statistics of recovery, of chances, but he doesn't want to worry him, and it's in that sort of double-think he lingers, the sort of equivocation that comes with parenthood.

Lewis must have come straight from uni, he thinks. He's washed out from the travel, wired and jittery from tasteless on-board coffee-grit. There was delays at every leg of the journey down from Liverpool, and when Lewis slumps himself down like a dropped bag, he's still not worn down those frantic mechanisms in him, the clock-watching, the checking for news, for updates.

“Have you eaten?” Martin asks, an old fall-back, casting an eye over him. He might have some change in his pocket, he thinks, for the vending machine back along the corridor. It's been a busy term, and video calls don't quite do things justice, because he worries that maybe Lewis has lost weight, maybe he's not eating properly, or it might simply be the unkind lighting of the waiting room.

“I'm not hungry,” Lewis says, providing a round-about answer to the question. He's a sharp young man, made of edges and this burning thirst to prove himself that Martin knows doesn't come from him, and to anyone else the way he sometimes talks can come across as dismissive, a hand-wave of a tone designed to disregard the topic. But Martin knows him. Knows his son. Knows it's not meant like that.

Watches him fiddle his bottom lip with his teeth, jitter his leg up and down, and wishes this was something he could kiss better like the old days.

“What about...” he fumbles for the strings of some other conversation. “Were your tutors ok? With you … just leaving like that?”

“They'll understand it was an emergency.”

“You had a... you have your final essay due on Monday, what will...?”

“They'll give me an extension, it's fine.”

Martin nods and goes back to twisting the ring on his left hand, round and round and round. Surely he should have heard something by now, it’s been hours of waiting, what if something's gone wrong, what if he wasn't fast enough...

“Dad?”

“Yeah?” Martin looks at Lewis, his glasses all smudged and mucky because he forgets to clean them.

Lewis puts a hand on his arm.

“Are you... are you ok?” he asks, uncharacteristically tentative, and looks right at Martin. A rare gesture of eye contact, held for more than a flicker of time.

“I'm... I'll be fine,” Martin says – Martin lies – because that's the best he can muster right now. What he thinks, but will never say out loud is – I'm not ready for this. I don't know how I ever could be. I can't imagine doing any of this on my own.

He hasn't moved from this chair. He's convinced himself that if he stays here, then everything will turn out ok, and it's stupid, yeah he knows it, but that this point he'll take any backwards ridiculous quirk of brain chemistry that counts as superstition.

His sleeves are damp and his eyes must be a mess and his fingers are bitten to nothing, and he's still got a coat thrown over his pyjamas for god's sake, and still he hasn't heard anything.

Lewis doesn't believe him, but he keeps his hand where he placed it on his arm. And Martin supposes that's fair.  He'd called Lewis after a few minutes of building his composure, swallowing down shuddering breaths and pushing out air too hard, telling himself that he needed to calm down, that he couldn't go to pieces, not now, not yet – Lew? Lew, it's – it's your... I'm sorry to be calling so early but I think you should.... You need to come home. As soon as you... It's – it's your father. He's had... he's at the hospital.

(And he was proud of himself then, because stammering as it was, incapable of communicating the enormity of a moment he couldn't comprehend fully, his voice did not betray the terror it had. Not when he had heard the sound of the fire alarm sniping, assuming the toaster settings had been left on too high or something, walking into the kitchen to see the toast popped up, burning and ignored, Jon, frowning, confused, breathing funny with his palm over his chest, sucking in air in straggling little hitching gasps; Jon meeting his eyes, tears already sprung into the corners – Martin, something's wrong. Not when Martin had juggled calling 999 and holding Jon's weight bodily up, swaying and light-headed and his breathing seeming a whetstone to the pain, clutching him too hard and none of Martin's words being enough. Not when he was sat in the back of the ambulance, Jon barely holding his hand, wondering if this, this was the great joke of the bloody universe, the Archivist surviving everything but his heart in the end.)

There is a patting sound, sensible shoes slapping squeaky tile, moving towards them. Martin's world loses colour when he sees the doctor.

Lewis is standing immediately, tumbling through a number of quick-fire questions, and the doctor does a good job of not looking rattled.

“Are you a family member?” he replies, and he's not obviously looking between Martin and Lewis, failing to find much resemblance, but he is definitely looking. It's perhaps more delicate than others have been in the past, inquiring about their relationship to each other. Martin is well aware that Lewis looks nothing like either of his parents. He likes to think, in his more fanciful paternal moments, that he has Jon's prominent jawline, his propensity for scruffy stubble, sees something of his husband in the brown of his eyes.

“My son,” he gestures with a weak wave and the doctor nods, before he slides into explanations. Lewis is keeping up, asking questions about the procedure, the complications, recovery and where they go from there, and the doctor is trying to be sensitive  but his son is bullish, wanting every detail and he's so much like his father like this, headstrong and unwilling to yield an inch.

It's good news. Better than hoped. Martin is too exhausted to smile. The rush of relief that should un-tense his muscles, pull the curtain down on the performance his anxieties have been playing out behind his eyes, instead it has left him hollow and dizzy.

“Lew,” Martin says, and Lewis turns, and must see something he can't because he quietens, his expression shifting softer, moves over to grab Martin's walking stick from where it's lent against the seat, pressing it into his palm. He puts a hand on Martin's shoulder.

“Let's go see him,” he says, and Martin takes the arm offered to help him to his feet.

They follow the doctor. Martin's not been fast on his feet, not since the Watcher's Crown, but he can't lay all the blame at the foot of that particular clusterfuck; age hasn't been on his side either in this regard, and his progress isn't as fast as he wants it to be. Lewis and the doctor are talking about Jon, something about local anaesthetic, sedation, how Mr Blackwood-Simms has an unusually high tolerance to anything they give him – and some part of Martin's brain thinks this is probably Jon's weird former Archivist powers, the rippling after-effects of which have never quite left him. Martin is not really listening to either of them. He puts one foot in front of another, and tries to feel relieved, and he should, he should, it's good news, this is what he wanted.

Jon nearly died today, his brain keeps reminding him. You nearly lost him, you nearly weren't fast enough.

And Martin is not strong enough to disagree.

Jon is awake when they go onto the shared ward. Propped up to sitting, already looking slightly bored at the lack of anything to do. There's an IV taped up and held in place on his scarred hand, and he looks like a wind-knocked scarecrow what with all the wires and tubes he's hooked up to, his hair unbrushed and tussled all over the place. He is not as pale as he was, more exasperated than frightened, and Martin tries to forget the last expression he saw on his husband’s face. He feels a hitch in his throat but swallows it down.

“Lewis?” Jon says, sounding surprised. “I thought you had an essay due Monday?”

“Before someone got themselves admitted to hospital,” Lewis replies easily, but he's striding forward, giving his father a hug that betrays his worries, holding on a bit too long, leaning over the bar around the bed with discomfort.

“Really,” Jon grumbles, but he seems pleased at the unexpected attention and hugs back with the hand not tangled up in wires. “All this fuss over nothing, you didn't need to come all this way.”

“I hear you got the ambulance service out. Doesn't seem like nothing,” Lewis responds and Jon waves a hand as though the comment is not worth his time.

“Are you eating?” he says instead, looking over their son critically. “You don't want your dad worrying. I won't hear the end of it.”

It's a teasing pattern of back-and-forth, familiar and shot through with affection, but Martin can't be part of it. His hands don't know what to do with themselves. He doesn't have any words that can make any of this palatable, none of this, because they're in a hospital, again, after surviving everything else, and he thought he was done being frightened of this.

He sees Lewis nudge his father.

“Go gentle, yeah?” he hears him murmur admonishingly. “You really scared him.”

Jon looks right at Martin then. There's sorrow cutting into the lines of wrinkles there, some acknowledgement of what just happened finally gracing his face. Martin is shuffling forwards to the side of the bed, and Jon is reaching up, cupping Martin's cheek.

“You saved me again,  I see,” he says, teasing if it wasn't so soft, so quiet, so clearly for only the two of them. There's a weight of histories there, the many times they've both been here before, but Jon is looking at him so sadly, rubbing a thumb over the tear-stains on Martin's cheek. There's such blinding trust in his eyes. Martin doesn't know, because Jon doesn't know how to put it into words, but even as the pain spiked hard in his chest and he struggled to breath, Martin had been there and so some part of him knew it would have been ok. Martin would have made it so. “I knew you would.”

Martin is wrapping his arms around him then – oh god, Jon, don't you ever do that to me again – and Jon is solid under him, gripping tight, and it's like being able to breath again.

[nationalparkposters]

Best Things To Do at Joshua Tree National Park

Best Things To Do at Joshua Tree National Park: Joshua Tree National Park boasts a fascinating variety of plants and animals that live where two distinct ecosystems of the Colorado Desert and the Mojave Desert meet. Sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain, the surreal geologic features of twisted rock add to the wonder of this vast wilderness in Southern California. Joshua Tree also protects a rich cultural history: the area has been inhabited by humans for over 5,000 years. But it wasn't until 1984 that it was established as a national park. Located just a few hours outside of Los Angeles, this desert wilderness is an ideal location for many outdoor activities such as rock climbing, hiking, bird watching, and the dark night skies make for excellent stargazing. The national park spans about 800,000 acres, and sees more than 2.8 million visitors each year. My name is Rob Decker and I'm a photographer and graphic artist with a single great passion for America's National Parks! I've been to 51 of our 62 National Parks — and Joshua Tree is a unique park — given its geographical and geological significance. I have explored most areas of the park — so I'm ready to help! So if this is your first time to the park, or you're returning after many years, here are some of the best things to do in Joshua Tree National Park! Rock Climbing Joshua Tree National Park is one of the world's most popular climbing destinations. Thousands of cracks, slabs, and boulders, all piled across a vast desert landscape that attracts climbers from around the globe. The climbing opportunities in Joshua Tree consist of varying levels of difficulty, making it an ideal location for both new and experienced climbers. At Climber's Coffee, visitors can meet Joshua Tree's climbing ranger and socialize with other visiting climbers. Located at the Hidden Valley Campground from 8:00-10:00 am on Saturdays and Sundays from mid-October through April, visitors can bring their own mug and enjoy a free cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa.  Looking to learn how to climb or just want to improve your climbing skills? You may want to consider a guided day or class. Be sure that your guide is permitted to work in Joshua Tree, as there are various certifications and requirements guides must possess in order to work within the park. A guide can also take you to the most suitable spots for your climbing level, as well as provide another level of safety for new climbers or those new to Joshua Tree. If you are unfamiliar with the park, you can purchase a climbing guide or hiking map at the park visitor centers and at various outdoor shops in the nearby communities. For beginners, some of the best climbing spots include Intersection Rock, Quail Springs Rock, Atlantis Wall, and Thin Wall. More experienced climbers can find overhanging face climbing like Big Moe, steep crack climbing such as Clean and Jerk and Wangerbanger, vertical face climbing on thin edges such as Loose Lady or Possessed By Elvis, and multi-pitch climbing up on Lost Horse Wall and Saddle Rock. Climbing in Joshua Tree is great all year round, but the best time is October-November and March-April. During the winter, the conditions in the middle of the day are quite comfortable, while in the summer, climbers can avoid the extreme heat by climbing in the early-mid morning and late afternoon-evening. Hiking Joshua Tree National Park has a wide range hiking opportunities with over 300 miles of trails. There is an assortment of trails ranging from mild (10 minute loops) to challenging (6 hour backcountry) and everything in between. It is important to note that pets are not permitted on any trails in the park, except for the paved Oasis of Mara Trail. It is also recommended that hikers bring plenty of water, as natural water sources are scarce. Barker Dam Loop Trail One of my favorite hikes is this easy, 1.1 mile loop with minimal elevation gain. The presence of standing water brings a unique set of freshwater species to this trail, which you see in and around Barker Dam. The trail winds through bouldery outcrops with pinyon-oak woodlands, desert willow riparian corridors, and loamy basins dominated by Joshua tree woodlands or creosote bush scrub. Hidden Valley Trail Hidden Valley is just one of the many trails suited to a shorter but scenic hike. This low-impact, 1 mile loop provides a unique opportunity for those interested in seeing the vast vegetation found in the park. On this scenic trail, you can find Joshua Tree, pinyon, juniper and oak trees, as well as mesquite, yucca, nolina, and various cacti. This trail also winds among massive boulders making it a popular spot for rock climbing. Cholla Cactus Garden This quarter-mile loop is ideal for viewing thousands of densely concentrated, naturally growing cactus. Be sure to stay on the trail, wear closed-toe shoes, and be aware of surrounding prickly cactus. Lost Horse Mine The Lost Horse Mine trail is a popular destination for Joshua Tree visitors looking for a moderate hike. The 4 mile loop follows the road developed by gold miners used to haul ore and supplies before the Gold Rush. Although the site has been stabilized, the mine shafts are still considered dangerous and the historic structures are easily damaged, so be sure to stay on the trail in order to help protect this historic site. Boy Scout Hiking Trail One of the most challenging hikes in Joshua Tree, this one way 8 mile trail takes hikers deep into the Wonderland of Rocks. It is encouraged that visitors stay on trail to avoid getting lost among the boulders. Vehicle shuttle is strongly recommended for visitors planning on hiking the full length of the trail. Bird Watching Joshua Tree is home to various southwestern bird species that are sure to excite any visiting bird watchers. Throughout the year, visitors may see any of the 250 different species that visit the park, such as the greater roadrunner, phainopepla, mockingbird, verdin, cactus wren, rock wren, mourning dove, Le Conte's thrasher, and Gambel's quail. Local birds of prey include the red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, Cooper's hawk, and prairie falcon. During winter and into March, the white-crowned sparrow, dark-eyed junco, sage sparrow, cedar waxwing, American robin, and hermit thrush can be seen in the park. Summer species include the Bendire's thrasher, ash-throated flycatcher, western kingbird, Scott's oriole, northern oriole, and western bluebird. Some popular birding spots include Barker Dam, the Oasis of Mara, Cottonwood Spring, and the Smith Water Canyon. Stargazing For those wishing to escape from artificial light and witness the beautiful night sky, Joshua Tree National Park offers some of the darkest nights for stargazing in Southern California and the chance for visitors to admire the Milky Way for the first time in their lives. There is also an annual Night Sky Festival consisting of over 20 telescopes, music, Constellation Tours, and Sky Stories. The festival typically takes place in the fall and tickets go on sale in early summer. Camping & Lodging Joshua Tree visitors have many options for camping both in and out of the national park. There are over 500 campsites located inside of Joshua Tree. From May-September, many of the campsites are first-come, first-served, but there are also group campsites available for larger parties that allow for reservations. Campgrounds usually fill up quickly so it is recommended that you have an alternate overnight plan or visit during September-May when many of the campsites are available for reservation only. If you choose to stay somewhere outside of the national park or if you can't find a campsite, there are also private campgrounds outside of the park and you can find lodging in 29 Palms and the town of Joshua Tree. Scenery & Photography Joshua Tree National Park is home to some of the most stunning views for sightseers and photographers alike. Arch Rock Found slightly off of trail at the White Tank Campground, Arch Rock is a large 30-foot granite rock situated within a large boulder field. The Arch Rock trail is a short 0.5 mile loop and you can reach the arch by veering slightly off trail. At the base of the arch, one can find stunning views framed by the magnificent natural arch, perfect for anyone seeking a phenomenal view within the park. Rock Keys View Keys View is one of the most popular viewpoints within Joshua Tree - and for a good reason. From this viewpoint, visitors can get a bird's eye view of the national park as well as slights of the Coachella Valley, the San Andreas Fault, the Santa Rosa Mountains, and San Gorgonio Mountain. This drive-up and wheelchair accessible viewpoint makes it a perfect opportunity for any visitor to enjoy the beauty of Joshua Tree. Skull Rock A notable favorite within the park, Skull Rock is located along the main east-west park road and is accessible from within Jumbo Rocks Campground. This 1.7 mile loop is an easy hike for those wishing to stretch their legs and capture an amazing photo of this unique rock formation. Parking is located just across the road from the rock making it a bit more accessible for those who wish to travel by car rather than on foot. Some Important Things To Know Before Your Visit There is no cell phone service throughout the park, so it is recommended that visitors bring an ample supply of water (at least one gallon per person) as well as provide adequate sun protection (sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses). The summer heat can make outdoor activities more strenuous, so the ideal time to visit Joshua Tree National Park is October-May. Click here to see the Joshua Tree National Park poster. Rob Decker is a photographer and graphic artist who had the rare privilege of studying under Ansel Adams in Yosemite National Park when he was just 19 years old. Now, Rob is on a journey to explore and photograph all of America's National Parks. He's creating WPA-style posters to help people celebrate their own national park adventures — as well as encourage others to get out and explore! https://national-park-posters.com/blogs/national-park-posters/best-things-to-do-at-joshua-tree-national-park?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=Sendible&utm_campaign=RSS

[madamehenriette]

(just some of my favorite quotes about Minette from Love and Louis XIV by Antonia Fraser. Highly recommend this book, it's super entertaining so far.)

Henriette-Anne had grown tall, and her slender figure had filled out, her natural grace helping to conceal the fact that her back was slightly crooked. She was a wonderful rider as well as dancer, with a passion for swimming which was perhaps one of the few things she owed to her English heritage. Charles II, the elder brother she reverenced and had recently visited in England to mark her future marriage, was a fanatical swimmer. Somehow she never seemed to need sleep, going to bed late and waking her people at dawn, in contrast to the somnolent Marie-Thérèse.

She had a fine picture collection, including a Van Dyck of her English Family and a Correggio of the penitent Magdalen. Henriette-Anne also loved to act as a muse to the writers. The young Racine (born the year after Louis XIV) dedicated his play Andromaque to her, complimenting her not only on her intelligence but her benign influence where the arts were concerned. But Madame de Motteville pinpointed the real secret of the attraction which everyone (including briefly, her homosexual husband) felt for Henriette-Anne: It was her charm, that “something about her which made one love her.’ a ‘certain languishing air’ she adopted in conversation, in the words of Bussy-Rabutin, which convinced people she was asking for their love ‘whatever trivial thing she said’. In short, she had not been able to become a queen, (...) but to remedy this defect it was her wish to ‘reign in the hearts of honest men; and to find her glory in the world by the charm and beauty of her spirit.’ Protocol dictated that this self-styled Queen of Hearts should, in the absence of the real Queen, head every entertainment, indoors and outdoors, with her brother-in-law, the real King. “Our court rediscovers its laughing face for while Mars flourished, Love languished,” wrote La Fontaine in his “Ode to Madame.” [how to get Minette to love you: write plays about her and tell her she’s pretty...]

If Henriette-Anne really was the Queen of Hearts, her ambition, it seemed to royal-watchers at court, and who was not permanently gazing at the king? That one heart she had captured was that of her brother-in-law. There can be no question that as some point that summer Louis and Henriette-Anne fell gently, happily in love, perhaps not even understanding what had happened to them for a while. Each incarnated the other's ideal. As Marie-Therese would have made a good Queen of Spain, Henriette-Anne, Gracious and cultivated, would certainly have made a wonderful Queen of France. The private life of Louis XIV might indeed have read differently if, by some diplomatic twist and chance, the Infanta had not actually been available. Anne of Austria would have promoted her other niece instead, and given the restoration of Charles II to the English throne in 1660, might well have succeeded. This is not to postulate improbable lifelong fidelity on the part of Louis XIV. Nevertheless, the respect he subsequently felt for intelligent sister in law and the true, deep affection he always bore her -a letter from him years later attests to it - reveals the best of his attitudes to the female sex. And she was a princess. Somewhere an opportunity was missed. [should have married henriette just saying]

Yet there was an innocence about it all, certainly on her behalf. Henriette-Anne believed that she only wanted to please Louis as a sister-in-law, but 'I think she was also attracted to him in another way. Similarly, she thought he only appealed to her as a brother in law although he actually attracted her as something rather more." [Ah, so he was more attracted to her hmmmm!]

Henriette-Anne with a brown and white spaniel Mimi she adored which had been given to her by Charles II, she even danced a Court Ballet with Mimi in her arms. [A WOMAN AFTER MY OWN HEART OKAY!]

Unlike the robust Athénaïs, Henriette-Anne never felt well during pregnancy, and needed various pain-killing remedies including opium. But the real cause of her melancholy and distress was the unkindness of her husband. This cruelty was the repeated theme of her letters, either to her brother Charles, or to her old governess, Madame de Chaumont. It was not imaginary. The English Ambassador, Ralph Montagu, wrote to a colleague at the end of 1669 that if Madame had married an English country gentleman with five thousand a year, she would have led a better life than she did in France, for Monsieur ‘takes pleasure in crossing his wife in every-thing’.Compared with this malevolence, often taking the form of public rudeness, her husband's sexual preference hardly upset her. There had to be a certain kind of philosophic acceptance of such matters in an arranged royal marriage (especially as he performed his marital duties regularly with the aim of begetting an heir).

In a passion of anger and loss, Monsieur withdrew to his distant property of Villers-Cotterets, dragging his wife with him. ‘We go today,’ she wrote miserably on 31 January, ‘to return I know not when,’ and Henriette-Anne spoke further of ‘the fear I feel that the King may forget me'. This departure again Louis could not stop outright – the rights of the husband were paramount – but he certainly showed no sign of forgetting his sister-in-law. He bombarded the exile with presents from some mythical Court Lottery: caskets full of cash, jewelled garters, perfumes and glove, even some country walking shoes with lavishly expensive silver buckles.

All in all Henriette-Anne cannot have been sad to part from the court at Lille before travelling to Dunkirk, where a British squadron awaited her for the journey to England. She had a long interview with Louis before departure and he clasped her hand tightly and tenderly in farewell. The disagreeable mood of Monsieur had not lifted: referring to his wife's marked pallor, he chose to meditate on the message of an astrologer who had predicted that he would marry several times … He duly made a last-ditch attempt to block the expedition, and made no affectionate sign of farewell.

Henriette-Anne arrived at the cliffs of Dover at dawn on 26 May. She got an ecstatic reception not only from her brothers King Charles and James Duke of York with his wife Anne (whose little Anne was currently in her household in France) but also from James Duke of Monmouth, Charles's handsome, twenty-one-year-old illegitimate son. To the annoyance of Monsieur, Henriette-Anne had had one of her light-hearted flirtations, an exercise in gallantry, with Monmouth at the French court.

Jollifications, many of them by sea, where the ‘fearless and bold' Henriette-Anne walked on ‘the edge of ships', covered the diplomatic negotiations considered vital by both kings. The way had been well prepared in advance and accord was reached by 1 June. And joy of joys, Louis XIV (not Monsieur) had agreed to an extension of her visit, so that Henriette-Anne actually remained in England until 12 June.

All too soon Henriette-Anne had used up her extended leave and had to return to the French court – and Monsieur. As she departed, her brother Charles was in visible anguish, rushing back three times to embrace her, seemingly unable to let her go. The French Ambassador commented that he had not realised until he witnessed this scene that the cynical English King was capable of feeling so much for anyone.

In spite of her torments, Henriette-Anne managed to retain that graceful quality which had marked her all her life. Now the court rushed to their adored Madame's side, Louise and Athénaïs among others. To Monsieur, she said sadly: ‘Alas, you have long ago stopped loving me, but I have never failed you.' The scene with the King was more affecting. He embraced her and embraced her again as the tears fell. She told him: ‘You are losing the truest servant you ever had.'

The stern Father Feuillet, a local priest of Jansenist sympathies, was introduced. He provided little solace: when Madame was convulsed with suffering, he suggested that this was a suitable punishment for her sins. Then the greater-souled Bossuet, now a bishop, arrived. It was Bossuet who gave her the Sacrament and Extreme Unction and promised her forgiveness. Later the English Ambassador, Ralph Montagu, arrived. It was typical of Madame's good manners that she tried to tell him in English about an emerald she wanted to bequeath to Bossuet lest the Bishop be embarrassed. Finally, she kissed the crucifix Bossuet held out. Henriette-Anne, Princess of England and France, died at two o'clock in the morning on 30 June. She was just past her twenty-sixth birthday.

In order to assuage the horrified grief of Charles II, Louis ordered a state funeral as for a Queen of France, while one of Henriette-Anne's rings was delivered back to her brother. In an even greater departure from tradition, Louis sent Queen Marie-Thérèse to the ceremony incognito. (The King himself by custom never attended such rituals.) It was Bossuet's oration at these obsequies in Saint-Denis on 21 August which crowned the life of Henriette-Anne with the nobility it deserved. He stressed the shortness of her life: ‘Madame passed at once from morning to evening like the flowers of the field.' He harked back to her early years in France: how ‘the misfortunes of her House could not crush her in her youth and already at that time we saw in her a greatness which owed nothing to fortune', she who had a head and heart even above her royal birth. But now: ‘O disastrous night! O frightful night! When there arrived all at once this astonishing news: “Madame is dying! Madame is dead!”' And the Bishop told Louis XIV that Madame had been ‘gentle towards death as she was to all the world.’ 

Just as La Fontaine had saluted Henriette-Anne for the recovery of ‘our court's laughing face', so Madame de Sévigné wrote to her cousin Bussy-Rabutin that ‘all happiness, charm and pleasure' had departed from the court with her death. The Comtesse de La Fayette put it quite simply: it was ‘one of those losses for which one is never consoled.’