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Arid, tranquil Joshua Tree, with its unique, otherworldly landscapes, has long attracted and influenced musicians. The area has famously left its mark on Gram Parsons, Victoria Williams, U2, and the Warner Brothers roadrunner, whose startling but melodic meep-meep echoes in our memories.
Today, my friend Bryan—a music producer—continues that tradition with his singer Vanessa, and a two-man camera crew; we’ve all congregated via Highway 62 from Indio at a delightful three-bedroom property on the outskirts of the national park, hoping to create and record some of that flow. The property accommodates up to six people: there’s a main house with two desert-view bedrooms and wide front windows from which you can watch the sunrise, and a smaller casita behind it with a kitchenette, its own bathroom, and a bit of privacy from the group.
What lured us here, however, is the vast playground of a backyard that opens into wide stretches of sand and cactus. In addition to the more-or-less expected outdoor kitchen—complete with a barbecue grill and a mini fridge—there’s a patio with a dining table, gas firepits, and an eye-catching bar area. However, the showstopper is the wide array of soaking features that put most small-city jjimjilbang to shame: two free-standing clawfoot tubs for bathing, a galvanized cowboy tub so you can pretend you’re Dean Martin in Rio Bravo, and a deck with a standard hot tub. Various daybeds, chairs, hammocks, and lounges invite you to linger with a book or your guitar. If you need more of an escape, there’s a 108-inch screen from which one can watch John Wayne pontificate against the boundless, dark desert sky. String lights decorate the residence’s charming water tank, which lends to the yard’s rustic appeal. At night, the wind’s howls and whistles provide the soundtrack to the immense vista. During the day, critters like coyotes, birds, bunnies, and lizards can be sighted in the sands.
Though we spend most of our time outdoors, enjoying the various set-pieces on offer, the home’s interior also provides myriad comforts. Woodstock festival posters decorate the modest midcentury modern-meets-Georgia O’Keefe flavored living room, which is replete with a small selection of vinyl (the Steve Miller Band and Gordon Jenkins were among the titles) and two whimsical wood swing chairs from which you can enjoy the music. A six-seat farm table stands by a well-equipped kitchen provisioned with spices and coffee. Barn doors adorn the bedrooms, the larger of which features a king bed and a sliding glass door that opens to the patio. The house has both fans and air-conditioning to alleviate temperatures that can soar into the high 90s during the day and dip into the mid-60s after sunset.
Amenities include shampoo, conditioner, soap, and body wash from the sulfate-free beauty line Public Goods. While one bathroom features a rainfall showerhead, the small shower partition makes it impossible to use without inevitably creating a puddle to clean up once you’re done. This is our only complaint in a stay that was otherwise perfect–questions were answered promptly by the owner, and self-check-in was a snap via a unique code. You aren’t even required to do the dishes, which will be taken care of by housekeeping once you leave. The home also features laundry facilities, though we didn’t use them.
We stayed on the property for two nights, procuring tacos on the first evening from the western-themed Joshua Tree Saloon, less than a mile away in town. Since we arrived on a Sunday, we missed the weekly Saturday farmers’ market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., from which one can buy items that are certified local, but grocery items can also be bought in Yucca Valley, approximately a 15-minute drive away. Joshua Tree Health Foods is also in town and serves as the de facto grocery store.
Other nearby eateries include vegan place Natural Sisters, brunch cafe and supper club La Copine in Yucca Valley, Tex-Mex Pappy & Harriett’s in Pioneertown, and 29 Palms’s Kitchen in the Desert, which also has live music.
Shops like The Station sell souvenirs and can be rented for events and photo shoots, though we already had an array of lovely props at the house, which put us under its spell and ready for our second visit.
