Peaceful Easy Feeling
Friday Thoughts
Thursday Friday Thoughts.
By popular demand, here’s my High Desert List. Despite my commitment to celebrity scandals this week, I’ve actually been in an absolute daze since I got back from my lil trip and have slept like 12 hours every night.
Everything requires at least at 30 minutes drive. Plan accordingly. I stay way out in Landers.
Desert hospitality does exist, even the more isolated you go. When you have that much space to yourself, you actually have a choice in your interactions. And when people chose to be out in social spaces, they’re usually …social.
There’s a hipster-in-exile, artist, weirdo, ex-military, hoarder, and natureman-and-their-trusty-dogs contingent, and also some queer and black-owned businesses. Here are a few spaces I saunter around sometimes.
Food (Mostly), Drinks, Coffee, Vibes
Kitchen In the Desert - Dinner, live music sometimes
Crossroads Cafe - Dinner
Dez Fine Foods - Prepared foods to-go for like, a park picnic
La Copine - Lunch for me (closes for summer season)
Pappy & Harriets - Dinner, live music, and staying til last call
Red Dog Saloon - Drinks and staying til last call
Giant Rock Meeting Room - Drinks, kind-of-okay pizza, live music, Karaoke Wednesdays (!) and staying til last call (the bar is beer and wine only I think)
Tiny Pony - Happy-ish hour
Out There Bar - Late Night
Mas o Menos - Coffee or snacks; then cocktails, drinks, DJs, and late night
Frontier Cafe - Coffee early only (for me)
Starbucks - I’ll never post a city guide without mentioning Starbucks because I crave familiarity and routine
There are also a ton of markets/events with small batch vendors…. Desert Marketplace, Corner 62, or the 29 Palms Farmers Market (Sundays). And, museums and installations, and a million thrift stores if you like too-small vintage and miscellaneous crystals.
Xeba Botanica - They have a body oil that I always re-buy (Everday Oil $38 - Buy)
White Label Vinyl - Records and things
My favorite. Honestly just don’t go in the summer, or on the weekends. Go early in the morning or drive it at sunset, or camp overnight, anything. It’s open 24 hours.
There are other great hikes and flat loops in the Morongo basin, included guided Bird walks that I hate to admit I haven’t taken advantage of yet.
I usually stay at a house owned by a friend I met years ago when he was managing my favorite hotel in Palm Springs. He a*****’s his houses, but I won’t link them because I’m not trying to blow up the spot. So, here is some advice on how to pick yours, plus reccos on other boutique hotels in the valley.
“Short Term Rentals”
It’s the preferred way to stay out here, but it’s also one of those choose-at-your-own risk kind of things if you’re not familiar with the area. Pay close attention to mapsa nd study street-views of the property prior so you're not shocked to find out it’s a mile down a dirt road, next to a tweaker hoard, or 40 miles further away than you realized. Skip cowboy pools and hot tubs (usually grimey) and find somewhere with clear outdoor space for snake-free stargazing.
Search: Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, 29 Palms, Pioneertown, Flamingo Heights
Pioneertown Motel
I’ve stayed here 3-4 times since it was refurbished in 2015 (2016?). From then til now it’s been a consistently rustic, no-amenity kitsch with quirky innkeepers, poorly lit rooms, and constant cobwebs. It’s kind of like upgraded cabin camping? Expensive-ish cabin camping? Red Dog Saloon, a sister property, is a couple hundred yards away and I *think* there are some guest promos that roll between the two. FYI I don’t stay here for more than one night. (Official Website)
Good for: Dark sky stargazing, late nights at Pappy’s or the Red Dog.
Ramsay 29 Palms
The upgraded motel is great if you want a fully paved, dust-free desert stay on the main drag. I think it might have some upcoming construction planned so be sure to check the official site for updates. (Official Site)
Good for: Multiple nights, pool time. Not so good for stargazing.
There are also Holiday Inn’s and traditional hotels, and Walmarts and familiar things. You can also stay in Palm Springs and make the hour drive into the valley for a day-trip. ✌🏾