Joshua Tree and 29 Palms for Christmas

Sometimes you forget to notice the possibilities in your own back yard. 

At the beginning of December we were brainstorming a Christmas getaway. We even considered a cruise, which would have meant packing dress-up clothes. But then we realized -- it's only 2-1/2 hours from home to Joshua Tree National Park and the nearby Mohave towns of Joshua Tree and 29 Palms. (A really long time ago Mike worked in the summer on construction of the Marine base in 29 Palms. The town hasn't grown that much.) After an overnight trip to find places to stay, we headed up for a week, starting December 20, and drove home December 27. One of our best Christmases since our kids were kids.

This is a really long post, because there was so much to share in the way of photographs.

The first four nights we stayed at Spin & Dottie's in J-Tree (I'm already sounding like a local). They have been creating this 5-unit place for 12 years, out of an old motel, and you can tell they put love into it. Desert landscape, goofy art assemblages and relaxed spots to hang out in the yard, colorful tile everywhere, hospitable vibe. One thing we missed was a view of the night sky on the crisp, clear and moonless first night we were there. I mean, that's why you go to the desert! Neighbors said it was incredible, I was jealous. I won't make that mistake again. It was cold though!

Fountain on the first morning

Joshua Tree is a community of hippies (old and young), hipsters, musicians and artists, desert rats (old and young), environmentalists, spiritual seekers, and probably retirees. Lots of natural foods and a smattering of restaurants. There's good Thai and Indian, and pizza we'll try next time. The Crossroads restaurant has an eclectic menu and you will see lots of lean young men and women with carabiners attached to their belts, getting fed there before they head for the rock climbing in Joshua Tree National Park.

First thing on Friday morning we headed for the main event, the park. There's a spot called Keys View that overlooks the Coachella Valley, from Palm Springs and the San Andreas Fault to the Salton Sea and mountains beyond. That dark line in the picture below is the fault.


 From there we explored a bit and took a couple of short walks, one on a nature trail at Cap Rock, and one starting up a wash towards Barker Dam but the wash was so sandy we were dragging our feet and turned back to save it for another day.

The other outing of that day was Pioneertown, for barbecue sandwiches at Pappy and Harriet's, the venue in the desert for Southern California bands, of a certain type. (I'm not sure what type.) But that's at night-time and for now the stage was empty. I did peruse the photos of musicians on the wall, but the only one I recognized was Leon Russell's old  album cover. Your drinks come in quart Mason jars, and that includes beer. We had Pepsi. Diet.


Pioneertown was developed by a group of cowboy stars back in the 40s. Roy Rogers, my childhood sweetheart, was one of them -- remember the Sons of the Pioneers? Named after them, I guess. It was both a movie set (Cisco Kid for example) and a place to live for the people making the movies. So we wandered the street and took a couple of pictures before heading back. There's a motel there also, where you might enjoy staying, especially if you like raucous music and dancing -- it's right behind Pappy and Harriet's, which has a serious honky-tonk reputation. You probably wouldn't want to take the winding road back to Yucca Valley after a night there.

We went back to the park the next day, Saturday, and hiked into the Hidden Valley -- an easy hike, by the way -- and it was fantastically beautiful. Also there were lots of rock climbers around, that being one of the big activities in the area. Check out these rocks.

Sunday was our last day at Spin & Margie's. We went to the desert sculpture garden of Noah Purifoy, 2-1/2 acres acres of found object art assemblage. (And after that we went to see "Life of Pi," another amazing experience.) Purifoy moved to the desert after being one of the leading lights in the LA art scene, especially in Watts but was known internationally as well. I read he was a founding member of the California Arts Council. He died in 2004 but a foundation keeps up the acreage of "Noah's Art." I've put in some pictures here -- it's hard to stop. For more, you can go to the Noah Purifoy Foundation website. It's very cool.

I especially like this outdoor living.

Oh yeah, and watch out for the pencil cholla.















On Christmas Eve we moved to the historic 29 Palms Inn, which is snuggled in the Oasis of Mara, on the south side of 29 Palms. An easy walk to the National Park visitor center, which is a really nice one. (There's another nice one in Joshua Tree at the other entrance.) From here on it was just relaxation and a bit of walking to and from visitor center. Our cabin was one of the originals from the 30s. Rustic but not uncomfortably so, with a nice gas heated "wood" stove. Next time we'll try one of the adobes that face the desert. Everyone has enclosed patios for lounging in the sunshine. 

The Fault Line, our cabin this trip

There's a gallery and art workshop on the property, and Mike may go back to learn some printmaking there. The restaurant is pretty good, though a bit pricey, and we had a few meals there including Christmas Eve dinner which was wonderful.

The adobe next time, which faces an open view of the desert

 This is a family run place, with the new generations taking over, and has a casual informal vibe. The last night there was music at dinner, some old grey-haired pony-tailed guys on guitar and violin, one of them wearing bedroom slippers.

It's an oasis and has interesting history starting back when native Americans set up households, followed by settlers, and then entrepreneurs. 

Well, one more adventure. I mentioned spiritual seekers. The day after Christmas we went out in the desert past Landers to the Integraton, which has a fun history involving vortexes and UFOs and a dome engineered to take advantage of the former and attract the latter. Recently I read the novel Gods Without Men, which borrowed from and built on the history of this place. It was fun to see the parallels. We went for the "sound bath," which involves lying on mats in the upstairs of the dome, along with 15-20 other people, and absorbing the sounds of crystal bowls being played for half an hour, followed by a quiet time to sleep or meditate or whatever works for you. There was a sort of lecture preceding the bowls, but I'm deaf enough that I didn't have to listen to it. So I don't know which chakras got stimulated and whether or not some major shift has occurred for me as a result of the experience, but it sure was nice. I'd do it again.

       

And then it was time to come home. We followed the advice of a ranger and went a longer route, through the Park and out the south end, traveling down the Imperial Valley past the Salton Sea and then through the mountains west through the cute little town of Julian to home. The communities along the shore of the Salton Sea were once thriving resorts and retirement communities, but the 30-foot-deep lake now goes anaerobic occasionally due to algae bloom; fish die, it stinks, and people go away. But the pelicans and grebes still like it.

And there you are, Christmas in the desert, and we will go back maybe in the cheaper season, which begins in May and lasts until some time in September. Happy Trails, as my old sweetie Roy Rogers used to sing.