check out the recap video below…
Went on a last minute Labor Day weekend trip to Joshua Tree. I had never been before and after this trip will most likely return! Randomly, Friday morning we got hit with an idea for a work/writing weekend getaway. Always a fun way to get a mix of relaxation & work done and my favorite kind of trip...spontaneous! The only problem was that we decided to do this on the Friday before Labor Day Weekend. We listed a few places that were of interest, but kept our options open. I started looking at Santa Barbara, Ojai, San Diego, Palm Springs, Big Bear & even as far as Sedona for Airbnb’s. All places were either fully booked (as expected) or way over our last minute budget (also expected) and if there happened to be one random place that was within our budget it was a fully lived in family home where they would be out of town. Nothing wrong with that normally, but if we were gonna write, we felt there might be little to no inspiration with that kind of stay. Well just as I was about to give up, I found a cute little motel in Joshua Tree.
Joshua Tree Ranch House
This was a cute little spot. There are 8 rooms total on the property and there is a larger room that could connect to a second room to create more of a suite experience. Each room has a kitchenette (equipped with a fridge, sink, toaster oven, french press and a few dishes), a queen bed, 2 sets of towels (one for the pool) and was simply but cutely decorated. There is no lobby or manager's office, but the property manager Caan was accessible via text pretty much anytime we needed him. Rooms are clean and come equipped with hand sanitizer. Outside each room there was a small table and chairs to enjoy the quiet nights.
The motel grounds have ample space for parking and a pool to cool off in on those hot summer days. The vibe was relaxing yet comforting and the nights were peacefully quiet.
Things to do
Restaurants
Crossroads Cafe
We went in on a Sunday at peak hours and it was about an hour wait. Inside was small and cozy. We ordered breakfast, everything tasted fresh and delicious! Bathrooms could use an upgrade, but would definitely recommend this place again. They had homemade banana bread and cornbread which came warm & seared.
Country Kitchen
Went on Labor Day Monday and it was just as busy as when we passed by on Sunday. We got breakfast again and I originally thought how can breakfast be that much different here than at Crossroads Cafe. Well I would best describe Country Kitchen’s food as comforting. Delicious of course, but there was something different about the way food was cooked here. It felt like warm comfort in your belly! The actual wait for food after we ordered was a bit long, but we cleaned every crumb off our plates!
Joshua Tree Saloon
Went in Saturday night on Labor day weekend. When we passed by just as the sun was setting, the line out the door seemed like it was going to be a hotspot for fun. We walked over from our motel, it was about half a mile away and the cooler night made the walk kind of romantic. When you get here the entrance is in the back and you walk into a large patio area. There were a lot of people, but it seemed quiet for the amount of people there. As we waited in line to order our food (you order at the bar and then find a seat) a server came up to let us know it would be an hour wait for food, but drinks were quick. We decided to just take a quick scan of the entire place to see if it was worth it. Meh. As we walked into the inside bar area it seemed very divvy, but not really in a fun divvy way. We decided to leave and get tacos at a spot nearby. I would still like to give this place another shot, but I am not sure the atmosphere gives off the fun vibe.
Pappy + Harriet’s
This place definitely has a more tourist vibe, but I guess that’s a given since they have been around for so long with a legendary music venue and having been featured on Anthony Bourdain's tv show. We went on Sunday night and when we pulled up we thought we weren’t gonna be able to get a table. There were so many cars parked and tons of people in line. I was thinking what kind of madness is this?! Is the food that good here?! Turns out it was the entry line to the concert of the night. We walked to the front of the restaurant and were seated right away. The drink menu had fun cocktails that were refreshing and didn’t seem strong. On the food menu, we kept seeing notes for their famous chili so we decided to try the chili nachos. The server told us it was a pretty decent size so we ended up just getting a chicken quesadilla in addition since we didn’t want to order too much. The nachos were tasty for sure! The chilli was not what I was expecting. I was expecting ground meat and beans, but not at all, there were actual chunks of meat. Nothing special with the quesadilla. Would love to come back during the day and try some BBQ.
Activities-
Joshua Tree Night Market
Appropriately small given that it’s Joshua Tree and the area is pretty small. A handful of vendors selling art, jewelry, scrunchies and more. We didn’t end up purchasing anything, but loved the vibe and got to connect & hear stories from the friendly locals
Myrtle The Turtle
She’s not hard to spot, so when you find her take a photo with her.
Joshua Tree Rock Shop
Looking for a new stone, gem or crystal, you’ll definitely find something here. They have a large collection to choose from. And if rocks are not your thing, what about a salt lamp, jewelry or even a coffee mug. Overall a great place to pick up something for yourself or as a gift. According to Yelp, the owners come from a family of miners in Brazil.
Beauty Bubble Salon & Museum
Honestly I don’t know if I have the words to describe this place. You just have to check it out for yourself, but if you never make it to Joshua Tree there are numerous articles and videos you can find on the internet about this fun, cute and historical spot. It’s a salon, museum and now a gift shop.
Art, Shops & more..
Next to the Salon Museum is an art studio, and out back you’ll find art, a shop and another museum. This time the World Famous Crochet museum. It’s very small, but fun to check out.
The National Park
Of course there is the national park. We did not go camping nor did we have time to enter the park during the day. Our intention for this trip was to get out of the city to work on personal passion projects, so we spend most of the days inside our cute motel. Sunday night however we drove into the park, not all the way, and parked at a turn off and just stargazed. It was pretty magical. It was my first real stargazing experience, I could not believe my eyes. The sky was beautiful. The silence, when the crickets stopped chirping (I actually hate the sound of crickets) was eerily satisfying.
Thank you Joshua Tree…
Loved the vibe of Joshua Tree. Labor day weekend seemed quiet, but busy. For our purpose, it was a good time to go. We didn’t want to be outside too much because it was at least 100 degrees but when we did go out there were plenty of people around so we didn’t feel like we were out in the middle of nowhere.
