Two [Very] Different California Deserts: Palm Springs & Joshua Tree
A short road trip connects two very different California deserts. Palm Springs, a chic mid-century architectural haven and retro playground for movie stars, such as Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra. The other, Joshua Tree, a hippy and mystic, stripped down piece of earth known as the backdrop and incubator for music icons such as Graham Parsons and U2.
Palm Springs, California has some of the best and most concentrated and preserved mid-century art, sculpture and architecture in the world. In the 1950s-60s, talented young visionary architects — such as, A. Quincy Jones, John Porter Clark and William Cody — came to Palm Springs and interpreted Modern architecture in a way that best suited the desert environment and leisure living. It was a novice approach. For example, in many homes, large glass doors are invisible dividers between the domestic structure with built in furniture and yellow or green appliances and its juxtaposed desert scape. Pools and lounge chairs are not afterthoughts and are at the center of key and coveted designs ; classic stripe or bright solid orange fabrics being a constant design accent and ‘pop of color’ on umbrellas, pillows and even small stools for household cats. In many ways, this desert town seems perfectly curated.
Palm Springs, California
An architectural tour is a must to experience the full scale, colors and shapes of Palm Spring’s art, interior design, landscape design, and vintage culture. In a perfect world, one would book a trip for Modernism Week, an annual eleven day festival that features more than 500 tours, programs and events. If that is not an option, a self guided tour is lovely and one can do it on his/her own terms and time. A map combined with text and audio is a nice way to drive, learn and view notable homes and buildings in the region, such as the Racquet Club Estates, a ‘collection’ of steel homes. A short distance from the Palm Springs Visitor Center off Indian Canyon Drive, the Racquet Club Road Estates were developed by the Alexander Construction Company and are “quintessential Palm Springs.” Additional driving will take you by homes owned and lived in by the Rat Pack, Marilyn Monroe and more.
On a downtown stroll, drop into the Palm Springs Art Museum, which has twenty-eight galleries and two sculpture gardens. In 2011, the museum purchased the Santa Fe Federal Savings and Loanbuilding designed by E. Stewart Williams (1960), then it was reopened as the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center, Edwards Harris Pavilion in 2014. The museum’s collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures is vast for a small institution and current exhibitions are well curated and engaging for any new or season art viewer. The Frey House II, a historically significant residence in Palm Springs by architect Albert Frey designed for himself in 1963 is is part of the museum, bequeathed by the architect upon his death in 1998. Frey House II is not open to the public for regular visiting hours but special tours may be available on request or during designated events. In 2012, the museum established the Faye Sarkowsky Sculpture Garden in Palm Desert, which features fourteen significant sculpture works surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens.
Moving around Palm Springs by foot and/or uber is simple and quick. The weather is perfect, the pace is leisurely and the view of the nearby San Jacinto Mountains is stunning. Koffi coffee is the best of the best and offers outdoor seating. Products are available in the coffee shop or online if you want to memorialize your trip or share a thoughtful gift. Cafe La Jefa is also a great spot with Latin infused, artisan meals crafted from fresh, organic ingredients. Their spacious outdoor seating is a plus to soak in the desert sun.
Wellll, everyone is fit and beautiful here, so there are many options to move and breath, including great cycle studios, group outdoor cycling and, for me, yoga studios. Yoga Power Yoga Palm Springs is a great choice and offers “transformational power of yoga and all its endless possibilities.” The space is warm, light and airy and is a perfect spot to be still and be and/or stretch out after long flights or drives.
I have heard Joshua Tree often described by many artists as “out-of-this-world experience”, “creative. haven” and “healing grounds for one’s soul.” Maybe it’s the blue sunny skies almost year-round during the day and a dense, starry sky at night or simply the wide-open vistas that invite the traveler to experience the true vastness of the landscape. It is truly extraordinary.
It is estimated that our three million visitors experience Joshua Tree Park annually by hiking, camping or simply driving through (for us, the latter). We had recently seen U2’s performance at the Sphere, which integrated video and still frames of the Joshua Tree desert, so we wanted to drive and see as much as possible in a day trip. The Mojave or “High Desert” claims the park’s western half, where giant branching yuccas thrive on sandy plains studded by massive granite monoliths and rock piles. These are among the most intriguing and photogenic geological phenomena found in California’s many desert regions. The Colorado or “Low Desert” thrives on the park’s gently declining eastern flank, where temperatures are usually higher. It often seems sparse and forbidding. Yet here and there are colorful desert “gardens” of flowering ocotillo and cholla cactus.
Heading out of town, Joshua Tree Saloon is a friendly, buzzing spot to grab lunch. Not far is The Joshua Tree Inn and room 8 memorializes famed Graham Parsons. Just out of town and down the road is Pioneertown, located in the Morongo Basin region of Southern California midway between Palm Springs and Joshua Tree. It was founded in 1946 specifically to serve as a Western movie set. More than 50 films and television shows were filmed at Pioneertown between the 1940-50s.
A series of highways and backroads connect two California deserts that are extremely different and varied, but both have a unique aesthetic and experience that any traveler would treasure. Rent a car and get so deep in the desert not even a cell phone has signal. Take it all in, memorialize with a few photos and experience, if only for a moment, all the energy and mystic vibe that an American desert has to offer.
