If you haven't read my Joshua Tree travel guide, you may want to start there for quick tips and tricks! If you're looking for more info or a play-by-play of our long weekend in Joshua Tree, you're in the right place! Check out my trip report for Joshua Tree National Park below!
DAY 1: Into the Desert We Go!
We hit the road from Los Angeles, our car loaded down with our carry-on suitcases, a tote full of groceries, extra blankets, a guitar, and several winter coats. There’s no need to pack lightly for a road trip, so long as everything fits in the car! Our 11 am departure provided us with smooth sailing into the desert. While the highways had congestion, slowdowns were limited. By 12:30 pm, our stomachs began to growl, and so I tasked my partner with finding a pit stop lunch location along the way. I hadn’t planned for this stop but suggested we find a location in or around Morongo Valley (If you’ve listened to the radio in LA, you’ve heard the commercials for the casino). I figured this must be a destination for road-trippers. My assumption was a bit off.
My partner selected a dive bar; we’re talking about a true, hole-in-the-wall, side-of-the-road dive filled with locals catching their daily fix at 1 pm. The Monument, as it’s called, is nothing special so I’ll spare you the details. I grabbed a beer, some mozzarella sticks, and an order of taquitos and it was all just fine for the venue. While this stop wasn’t a culinary highlight by any stretch of the imagination, the shared experience and laughter with my partner set the tone for the adventure ahead.
As we made our way east onto Highway 62 and crossed into the town of Yucca Valley, we pulled off to a Vons for a quick grocery stop. Joshua Tree doesn’t have a big grocery store, but Yucca Valley has a Vons and a Wal-Mart. We stocked up on the Airbnb essentials (You can learn more about my vacation home grocery list in my upcoming blog post).
From Vons, we continued east about six miles to the town of Joshua Tree. One of my staple National Park meals includes picking up sandwiches to pack in. This go-around, I opted to skip Subway and selected the local eatery The Dez. This place was jamming at 3 pm on a Friday with a line out the door. The tiny restaurant offered a variety of hot and cold sandwiches for pick-up, pre-packed pasta salads, and sides, as well as a variety of pastry items. We both ordered the Genoa Grinder sandwich to go to eat for lunch the next day. It took about 15 minutes for the sandwiches to arrive, so we wandered into the neighboring boutiques Sun of the Desert and Jen’s Pirate Booty to look at trinkets. I wanted to buy several items but managed to refrain from splurging.
Sandwiches in hand, we made the five-minute drive from town to our cozy Airbnb. Tucked into a small neighborhood of desert homes, our desert residence had beautiful curb appeal with a windowed door and black and white tiling around the entryway. The decor inside was my dream interior design vibe; warm wood ceilings, butcher block countertops, comfy leather couch, plush bed, brass fixtures, and tasteful art with pops of pink. Everything was spotless; perhaps the cleanest rental property I’d ever stayed in! Outside, an expansive backyard housed several cozy seating options and an inviting hot tub. We did find some of the hammocks outside torn due to wind storms and the cold plunge pool was nearly empty (not that we would’ve used it in the winter cold anyway). Despite the minor flaws, the space perfectly matched the listing photos and we settled in quickly, unpacking our suitcases and filling the fridge wine rack with bottles of wine. As I took a shower to wash the road trip grime off my skin, a knock at the door startled my partner. A man from a pool company let him know he was there to service the hot tub. We let him proceed, no issue there, and carried on with our evening.
For dinner, we took a 30-minute trek out of Joshua Tree into nearby Pioneertown. During the boom of Western films in the 1950s and 60s, this town rose out of the desert to help save studios money on constructing movie sets. Instead of building and tearing down sets, the town was constructed to offer a permanent desert home for Hollywood. The businesses attracted actual town residents as regulars and employees which helped staff the motion picture business with extras for their productions.
The dark and winding roads made for a slightly spooky adventure, but we easily found our destination; Pappy & Harriet’s. Based on my research, this seemed to be THE place to eat near Joshua Tree. I’m pleased to report it didn’t disappoint. We were seated in front of the stage inside the eatery and enjoyed the venue’s eclectic, Western decor. My cocktail (Cactus Flower - Campo Azul Reposado Tequila, Lemonade, Cranberry, Lime) was strong and not too sweet. I also tried my boyfriend’s Highway Queen (Rayu Mezcal, Artesnal Scrappy’s Firewater, OJ, Lime) and it had a spicy kick to it without being overpowering. I’ve yet to find solid BBQ in LA, so I ordered a pulled pork BBQ sandwich with a side of coleslaw. The sandwich, while standard, offered a solid portion of juicy, lean meat with a tangy, Carolina-style sauce. The coleslaw provided a fresh flavor with a creamy base without being overly wet as slaw can get. My partner said his tri-tip plate with garlic mashed potatoes was “damn good.”
We moved down the street for an after-dinner drink at the Red Dog Saloon. This no-frills watering hole has a massive bar with an impressive selection of whiskey and mezcal, as well as bar bites and tacos. I ordered the house special “Tommy Margarita,” made with mezcal. I enjoyed its bright and smoky flavors. Damon, the bartender, helped my boyfriend select one of the 40+ mezcals for a double neat. My partner raved about the smooth flavor and we both enjoyed learning a bit about the mezcal process from Damon. The Red Dog offers a ton of outdoor patio seating and looked like it would be a riot in the warmer months. I hope we get to go back and experience that one day!
Our bellies filled, we returned to the Airbnb for a little late-night hot tub star-gazing action... Or so we thought. With our bathing suits on under our parkas, we braved the gusty 38-degree weather and scampered through the backyard to the hot tub… to find it empty. My partner and I stood there beside ourselves for a moment straight out of a sitcom. I guess the pool guy “servicing” the hot tub a few hours before meant he was draining the thing.
Sad and very cold, we returned to our house and cozied up in bed for some extra shut-eye. I had my alarm set for 5 am, so maybe this hot tub thing was meant to be after all.
DAY 2: Joshua Tree ROCKS
The 5 am alarm got me out of bed without too much issue, and before I knew it I was chowing down on peanut butter toast and yogurt at the kitchen table. Our goal was to make it to the Cholla Cactus Garden by 6:37am for sunrise. By 6 am, we were on the road headed towards 29 Palms racing the sunrise to the cactus garden. This was probably one of the prettiest sunrise drives I’ve ever taken!
All that aside, we arrived at the cactus garden just as the sun peeked over the horizon line. We had no issue finding an open parking spot on this early Saturday morning, but there were around a dozen cars in the lot for the sunrise event. The big draw to this cactus garden is that when the light shines at sunrise or sunset, the cactuses appear to glow. And glow they did!
This was magic to experience and we wandered around for about 45 minutes enjoying the scenery. No camera will ever do the beauty of this location justice. You’ll just need to go and experience it yourself!
From the Cholla Cactus Garden, we backtracked toward Arch Rock. I found parking on the side of the road and we walked around a mile to reach an outcropping of rocks including the namesake Arch Rock. We spent around 45 minutes climbing on the rocks, embracing nature’s playground. The rocks themselves are made of volcanic composite and are grippy in texture, allowing clumsy people like me the ability to climb easily. I will say this location was one of the most crowded, and we were especially disappointed that a disrespectful TikTok “content creator” set up a DJ table in the middle of the rocks to capture content at 7 am. It disrupted our visit and I felt bad for the campers at the nearby campground who were likely woken by this unnecessary noise pollution.
Just a quarter-mile walk from Arch Rock is Heart Rock, a heart-shaped rock as the name implies. This quick stop was much quieter than Arch Rock and we embraced the peaceful solitude of the park for a few moments before making our way back to the car.
At this point, we moved on toward Skull Rock, which, according to my boyfriend, is like the Disneyland Castle of Joshua Tree National Park. It’s the image that pops up on Instagram and Pinterest and it’s notoriously crowded, so we braced ourselves for the crowds as we traverse the park.
Along the way, I realized that my offline map of the park hadn’t been downloaded properly. Thankfully, I’d screenshotted some turn-by-turn directions, so we followed those to the best of our abilities. Despite being one of the biggest draws in the park, we had trouble finding signage about the stop. We also found ourselves without a paper map because the ranger station hadn’t opened when we entered the park early in the morning. A few wrong turns and some directions from kind strangers later, we made it to Skull Rock!
Our timing worked out perfectly as only a handful of visitors were present when we arrived. In fact, we had the chance to capture plenty of photos of the infamous rock without any congestion before we explored the surrounding areas. Similar to Arch Rock, the Skull Rock area boasts countless ways to climb the massive rock structures and discover hidden paths. We found it remarkable that even though we were so close to one of the park’s highlights, we felt entirely alone as we climbed through the nooks and crannies of the rocky terrain.
After another half hour of exploration, I decided it was time to rectify my mistake and get gas for my car. We went back out the 29 Palms entrance and easily found a gas station nearby. I was surprised to notice that both 29 Palms and Yucca Valley offered more “creature comforts” than I’d expected. Both towns had McDonald’s, hotels, sit-down eateries, gas stations, and vintage boutiques. All this to say these locations didn’t feel quite as remote as what I’d expected and were only a stone’s throw from the more remote town of Joshua Tree.
With a full tank of gas, we returned to the park, making the longer trek out to Key’s View. We covered a lot of ground on this jaunt, and truth be told, I started to feel nervous on the way out. I’d expected Key’s View to have sweeping vista views at high elevations. But as we drove through the Hidden Valley section of the park, I worried as the road seemed relatively flat as far as the eye could see. As the road twisted, the path unveiled a grand clearing and we found the road ended at a cliffside overlook with expansive views down into the Coachella valley. In the distance, we could spot the Salton Sea, the San Andreas Fault, and the snow-covered peak of San Gorgonio Mountain. We climbed to the top of the lookout point and enjoyed one of the prettiest lunch views I’d ever seen:
The sandwiches that we picked up the day before from The Dez in Joshua Tree held up wonderfully. The Genoa Grinder was packed with Genoa salami, country ham, mozzarella, provolone, red onion, basil pesto, arugula & Tuscan tapenade. After a long morning of sightseeing, I was very thankful for the meal. We spent around 45 minutes enjoying our lunch and taking in the picturesque views.
With our bellies full, we headed back into the Hidden Valley area to enjoy the popular hike to Barker Dam. The loop trail extended just over three miles, trekking through some light boulder scrambling around the location of the old Barker Dam. At times, the lake area fills up with water, but as far as I can tell, the area has been dry since the spring of 2019. We spotted our favorite nature siting of the trip on this trail; a roadrunner! We even saw the bird jump in the air to catch a bug. Roadrunner was my favorite Looney Tunes character growing up, so I especially enjoyed seeing his namesake in person for the first time.
Towards the end of the hike, the sun had come out in full force, and despite it being winter, the temperatures began to rise. While the thermometer only registered in the mid-60s, it felt a bit warmer in the sun. All this to say, we were ready to catch some air conditioning in the car as we drove into town for a bit of shopping.
My partner and I enjoy collecting art from local artists on our travels, so we hit the row of shops in Joshua Tree on the hunt for something special to add to our collection. We were enamored with a bleach artist who uses bleach and paint brushes to create beautiful paintings on black cloth. The piece we bought is linked HERE on the artists’ Instagram. In addition to this shop, there were around a dozen merchants in downtown Joshua Tree with quirky wares. We saw raunchy crochet designs, a 1950s beauty parlor packed with period-appropriate supplies, and everything in between. Most of the stores closed around 4pm, and I wish we would’ve had a little more time to window shop.
After our shopping excursion, we briefly stopped by our little desert home to wash up for dinner and enjoy a glass of wine. We were nervous about checking in on our hot tub, hopeful that somehow, the unexpected draining situation might be resolved. And sure enough, when we returned, the hot tub rumbled with fresh water that felt warm to the touch! Yay for small wins!
We had brought a nice bottle of wine from Hearst Ranch Winery with us, so we raised our glasses in celebration of the refilled hot tub. Feeling relaxed and renewed and after a change of clothes, we returned to town for dinner. We set off in the hopes of hitting up the Joshua Tree Saloon but instead faced a curve ball. The saloon was packed to the brim with an estimated two-hour wait; not our vibe for the evening. So we returned to the streets to evaluate the limited options.
As it turns out, only three restaurants cater to dinner in downtown Joshua Tree; the aforementioned, jam-packed Joshua Tree Saloon, Crossroads Cafe, and Sky High Pie. Crossroads gave off more breakfast vibes for us, so we opted to take a swing at Sky High Pie.
Overflowing with customers itself, we accepted a 20-minute wait time for counter seating at Sky High Pie. We ordered at the register and took our seats facing the open kitchen and assembly line pizza station. The pizza-making process offered an entertaining show (so much so that I realized after around 15 minutes that my partner and I had hardly exchanged a word because we were both mesmerized by the pizza-making operation). Soon enough, our pizzas arrived looking delicious; they were the perfect reflection of the dedicated staff’s hard work.
I ordered the Diavola, billed as the spicy pizza on the menu. Do I typically enjoy spicy things? Absolutely not. But a restaurant in LA served a pizza by the same name, so I ordered this one in hopes they’d taste similar. Spoiler alert: They did not. My pizza was hot in temperature and flavor. So hot, in fact, that I struggled to eat it a bit. My partner raved about his Korean Pork Belly BBQ Pizza, praising the unique and innovative flavors in a delicious pizza setting. We both agreed Sky High Pie was a great move, even if it wasn’t the original plan.
We ended the night by returning to the Airbnb to try out the hot tub. The drama with the maintenance issue proved to be worth it. A sense of calm washed over us as we enjoyed a nice glass of wine and admired the stars that we don’t get to see in the city. The hot tub was the selling feature of the AirBnb and the moments spent here relaxing with my best friend are some of the highlights of this trip.
After a (very chilly) run back into the house, we settled in for another night of peaceful sleep in our sweet desert oasis.
DAY 3: Mountains, Massages and More!
Well, waking up to this sure isn’t too shabby:
We “slept in” until 6:30 am on our second full day and enjoyed a leisurely morning of yogurt, protein bars, and toast while the sun rose over the desert. The wind from the previous two days let up a bit, so I ventured outside ready to hit the trails in my nano puff instead of my parka.
But first, coffee! Joshua Tree Coffee Co. claims the top spot for the best local bean, so we decided to check it out as we made our way through town and into the park. The inside fully embraces SoCal coffee culture with fun pops of pink and a clean aesthetic akin to what we see in Los Angeles. The merch here piqued my interest with adorable mugs and t-shirts available for sale. I ended up picking up a sticker with a roadrunner on it to commemorate our spotting of one the day before. In the back of the shop, workers were busy roasting beans in massive coffee roasters. Something about the roasting process gives off a bitter odor that I’m not fond of, but I pushed through the scent to enjoy my order. I’m usually an iced latte girly, but given the chilly weather, I opted for a hot peppermint mocha with oat milk. My partner ordered his coffee black. Both beverages were tasty, though I’d recommend getting the mocha with cow milk instead of a plant-based option to up the creaminess.
With our morning fuel on board, we headed into the park and bee-lined for the Ryan Mountain trailhead. Ryan Mountain owns the title of the most difficult hike in Joshua Tree National Park, and for good reason. The trail ascends nearly 1,100 feet over rocky staircases in under two miles, leading to one of the highest peaks in the park with panoramic views. I watched a video of my favorite travel vloggers traversing the hike (and huffing and puffing up it) and felt a little anxious approaching this trail. I’ve been off my workout grind for a minute and Ryan Mountain posed a formidable challenge.
We arrived at the trailhead around 7:30 with no trouble finding parking in the lot. A couple started shortly before us and set the pace as we began the ascent. I must say, the trail is deceiving from the beginning as the hike winds through a couple of mountain passes. After winding around the first mountain and feeling close to the top, a second mountain emerges from behind, and then a third. Within 20 minutes of hiking, the Hall of Horrors rock formations which towered over our car as we drove by looked like tiny cookie crumbs beneath us due to the elevation gain.
So yeah, the ascent on this hike posed a real challenge. To add insult to my lack of physicality, my tummy and the coffee were having a not-so-fun time together… Lesson learned. No coffee before big hikes. Noted.
The hike proved well worth the effort and discomfort as we enjoyed the 360 views of the park from the summit. The ascent took around an hour and a half. We spent 30 minutes taking photos and enjoying the morning, at times with the peak to ourselves.
It was all downhill from there (in the best way possible) as we enjoyed our 40-ish minute descent to the trailhead. At this point with the sun shining in full effect, the temperatures began to rise and I gave thanks for the foresight of doing this hike earlier in the day. The hikers we passed going up as we went down looked tired and hot. This hike is well worth the effort, but I highly recommend doing it first thing in the morning and only if you’re in decent shape.
From Ryan Mountain, we made our final stop in the National Park at Hidden Valley Loop. We arrived around 10:30 and found parking a bit of a struggle during a busy holiday weekend. After a couple of loops around, we found a spot in the picnic area.
Similar to Barker Dam, Hidden Valley Loop is a mostly flat trail offering a close-up view of the rock formations. Popular with climbers and mature boulder scramblers, this trail also catered to families with young children. I enjoyed the views here more than those at Barker Dam. The complex formations resembled Disneyland’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and offered yet another natural jungle gym for exploration. Although the loop only extends about a mile in total, count this as a must-see stop in Joshua Tree.
We exited the park around 12 pm ready to pick up a very quick bite ahead of our afternoon plans. In the need for speed, we decided to try out the Road Runnder Grab-and-Go in downtown Joshua Tree. Located next to the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor’s Center, the Road Runner effectively offers an airport grab-and-go in the middle of the desert. But instead of sad and soggy airport sandwiches, the Road Runner offers a variety of fresh-made salads, snacks, ice cream, charcuterie, and yes, sandwiches, but ones that look good. My partner and I picked up breakfast burritos and scarfed them down.
We made a quick stop at the house to freshen up, before slowing down for a relaxing afternoon activity; a trip to the spa! Now unlike Palm Springs, Joshua Tree isn’t known for luxurious hotels and spa accommodations. But I wanted to celebrate my partner’s milestonebirthday with a couples’ massage as he’d never had one before. I discovered Naturalives Day Spa online and decided to give it a whirl.
Located in a strip mall on the west side of town, Naturalives carries on Joshua Tree’s unassuming, no-frills mentality. Inside, the waiting area offers a small snack bar with spa water near the check-in desk and around four treatment rooms in total. Our massage therapists escorted us to one of two large couple’s suites adorned with flickering candles and astrology-inspired decor. I signed my partner up for a deep-tissue massage while I opted for a bit of a lighter touch with a Swedish massage. Our 90-minute service rejuvenated us, and my partner said he felt like he was “floating” out of the appointment (I think I sold him on the spa life!). I especially enjoyed some of the lengthening stretches built into my service. Was it the best massage of my life? No. But if you’re looking for a little treat yourself moment in the desert, I say give Naturalives a shot!
We returned to our little desert home to clean up, enjoy a glass of wine, and graze on some snacks ahead of dinner. I truly could not be more thankful for this Airbnb. As we watched golden hour fall over the desert, my partner played guitar and I reveled in the stillness of being away from the city. These little moments of bliss are what I live for and I’m so thankful to have my best friend with me to experience them.
We pulled ourselves out of the house one last time to return to town for dinner. Having learned our lesson the previous evening with the Joshua Tree Saloon, we arrived around 5:15pm to put our name on the list for dinner seating. This go-around, the hostess quoted a 30-minute wait, which we accepted. We decided to wait out our time with a cocktail from the Saloon’s outdoor bar on the patio. Food was available at the outdoor bar and the patio offered seating for around 200. Unfortunately, scarcity of heating lamps rendered much of the patio too cold for guests. We snagged a coveted heating lamp next to a picnic table as another couple got up, and we settled in to enjoy a margarita. I imagine this patio is the place to be in the warmer months as the Saloon offers a decent sized stage for live music in addition to the outdoor bar. I enjoyed my margarita; the flavor profile leaned a bit heavily on triple sec which I enjoyed.
After a short wait, the hostess stand called and escorted us to our table tucked toward the end of the bar. The kitchy decor inside the Saloon offers an amusing environment for dinner; it’s stereotypical wild west in the best way possible. The evening of our visit hosted a particularly lively crowd due to playoff football on TV. The bar was packed group of all ages; families, groups of young adults, and some older folks. Our waiter appeared to have a few too many tables which contributed to slightly slower service – but it’s the desert? What’s the reason for a hurry?
We ordered another round of margaritas and I must say, the outdoor bartender won the battle for best boozy beverage. This second round came out heavy on sweet and sour mix; too sweet for my liking. But a margarita is a margarita so I didn’t complain.
For food, my partner ordered Carnitas Tacos with Mac & Cheese (Quite the combo). He was pleased with the meal overall and gave the saloon a thumbs up. In desperate search for some lighter fare, I ordered the Chicken Breast Salad. So healthy, I know. But don’t worry, I opted for fried chicken and ranch dressing. For whatever reason, my salad arrived about 10 minutes after my partner’s food arrived which was a bit of a bummer, but as I mentioned, the crowds vastly outnumbering the waitstaff contributed to this. The salad was fine, nothing to write home about. The chicken was crispy, the lettuce was fresh, the ranch was ranchy. No complaints on food quality here.
As our vacation hours waned, we returned to the Airbnb for one last late-night hot tub dip. The lighter wind conditions outside provided a more favorable climate for enjoying the hot tub. We spent two hours admiring the stars, sharing stories, and reflecting on another perfect day in Joshua Tree. And then we went off to bed for one last sleep in our cozy desert oasis.
DAY 4: The Road Back Home
Can I just say that the bed in this Airbnb was incredible! We slept incredibly for the duration of the trip on the comfiest mattress and softest sheets. Getting out of the warm coziness of the bedroom challenged me on the final morning of the trip.
But alas, we woke up and packed our things for our departure, taking a leisurely approach to the morning after back-to-back days of rushing out the door. We spent some time admiring the house a bit and I even took in a few rays in the hammock out back before we eventually closed the door to the Airbnb and hit the road.
But before we could truly hit it, we had to grab some breakfast. Crossroads Cafe offers a menu of Mexican-infused breakfast options, so we set out for some breakfast burritos or huevos ranchos. When we arrived, we found an hour and a half long wait, echoing back to our Joshua Tree Saloon fiasco. With limited options in town, we crossed the street to check the wait times at the Joshua Tree Country Kitchen. The hostess quoted us a 30-45 minute wait, so we decided to roll the dice and see which restaurant could accommodate us first. Joshua Tree Country Kitchen won the battle, so we found ourselves sitting on their outdoor patio at a perimeter bar.
Joshua Tree Country Kitchen boasts a menu of American breakfast classics in traditional “‘ole fashion home cookin’” style. The menu seemed overwhelming at first glance, but I landed on a single pancake with bananas, sausage, hash browns, and a glass of OJ. This pancake blew me away and has to be one of the best I’ve had in recent memory. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside with generous slices of banana cooked in, this pancake wasn’t overly sweet and felt manageable in portion size (But rest assured, I could NOT have had a second). The hashbrowns were crispy and well-cooked but the sausage seemed mass-produced and left some room to be desired. My partner enjoyed his French Toast platter. Overall, I’m glad we landed here.
Bellies full, we hit the road around 11:30am for our trek back to Los Angeles. Had we driven straight through, we would’ve been home by 1pm, but we diverted and stopped to visit some friends along the way. On this holiday weekend, traffic leaving the park and headed towards the city was heavier than I’d anticipated. Even so, the close proximity of Joshua Tree to LA makes this a very do-able weekend trip for Los Angelinos.
With the trip concluded, I’m already itching to return to Joshua Tree and cannot speak highly enough of the area. As I reflected on the adventure in this trip report, Joshua Tree offered the perfect opportunity to celebrate my partner with adventure, relaxation, and reflection. There are plenty of things I’d love to do on a return trip (More on that here). But until I’m able to make it back again, I’ll just be here dreaming of desert sunrises, sunny skies, and sweet times with my best friend.
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