If you've ever been lucky enough to travel to Joshua Tree, you know what a magical place it is. Even though it's only 2 hours from Los Angeles, the scenery could not be anymore different. Suffering from some serious city cabin fever, Max and I decided to get away from our busy schedules, and take a few nights to camp in J Tree and refresh ourselves.
I packed a few of my favorite L+L favorites, including my comfy white Langley Tee and L+L bracelets, and my boyfriend and I hit the road for our mini weekend road trip.
I'll give you the break down of must do's, along with a few snap shots of the trip.
Joshua Tree National Park
This is a playground for adults. Once in the park, you can drive from end-to-end 35 miles. Along the way you can pull off the side of the road and climb the many rock formations that overlook the large stretches of desert. We packed a picnic and found a nice rock to perch on napping in the sun and enjoying mango's and beer. The great thing about this park is the privacy, if you are willing to hike a little bit to get away from the crowds.
Pappy and Harriets
Make sure to stop for dinner and drinks at the famous Pappy and Harriots, an old Hollywood Western movie set turned into a bar and restaurant. Aside from really good BBQ, they have REALLY good bands that play almost every night, including big ones on the weekends like Cold War Kids, Caribou, and Little Dragon. On the off nights there's tons of local talent that is sured to guarantee a boogy night. There's even a campsite right next door, where you can crawl home after a few whiskies and sleep under the stars, which was exactly what Max and I did.
The Salton Sea
If you're more of a water rat like myself, a few days in the desert can get a little dry. Luckily the Saltan Sea exists 30 minutes south of J Tree. Although you can't swim in it due to its high salinity, it's a great place to stop and have sandwiches near the water. It is one of the world's largest inland seas and is also one of the lowest spots on earth. The drive is equally as beautiful, with stretches of isolated desert on one side and scattered oasis's, and the sea on the other. There are also many date farms with large stretches of date palms.
Slab City and Salvation Mountain
At the south most part of the Salton Sea is an isolated squatter community known as Slab City. This is also where the famous Salvation Mountain art instillation is. If you like people watching this is the place to go!! Also if you have ever seen Into the Wild, you will recognize some scenes here. There's definitely some burning man vibes. Just make sure to make the trip with plenty of gas in your tank, or take the risk of being deserted. But fear not, Palm Springs is only an hour away, where you can return to all of your creature comforts.
I hope everyone who reads this gets to visit this beautiful place. My favorite part is the silence that accompanies the desert during the day, and amount of stars that come out at night. I've realized that sitting under the stars at night with a bottle of red and good company is enough to make me a happy camper. ;)
