Joshua Tree - My Weekend Getaway
Joshua Tree is a desert treasure, covering a whole span of 789,745 acres accompanied by famous prickly Joshua Trees and massive rock formations; it is the perfect place to unwind.
It is no secret that the desert has become the LA escape and is slowly changing to a hipster oasis. It has an allure and a refreshing sensibility about it that I’ve only found in a few places.
Exploring Joshua Tree National Park has always been on my bucket list, and well, to be honest my fascination with the dreamy desert sparked as soon as I saw the ethereal adventure thrilling photos on my Instagram feed. I knew I wanted to experience the desert myself because the only warm sand I could relate to is the sand on a Florida beach not in a desolate area filled with cacti. Now I wish I could say that I'm a bad a** and chose to camp in the desert but if you really know me you know that my version of "camping" only works if the phrase "glam" is in front of it ("Glamping" a style of camping with amenities and resort style services :) also, random fact: I have backpacked the Appalachian Trail for one month, yes that means no showers, bathroom, real food, civilization for ONE month. It was a great experience and all but glamping I will chose forever n' always)
Anyways, since I am a diva that cannot camp and a huge fan of home design I chose to find the most unique homes in the Joshua Tree Desert. While searching for the perfect desert oasis home we stumbled upon the Whisper Rock Ranch and Joshua Tree Skyhouse. There is something about the Whisper Rock Ranch and Joshua Tree Skyhouse that gave us an immediate home-away-from-home feel that we loved and knew we needed to experience for ourselves.
Just a quick two hour drive and 15 minute ride down an isolate dirt road we arrived to the adorable home nestled in the middle of the desert. The home had everything we aspired our @roomporn ranch to have from its quirky design details, open air concept, and above ground pool combined with a heated jacuzzi.
Immediately, as soon as we arrived we opened all of the doors and windows and jumped into the pool. The backyard is the ultimate outdoor chill zone featuring a grill, pool, lounge chairs, a large daybed, and the sounds of silence other than the little wind chime. I definitely recommend packing lots of water and food before to enjoy the grill and save time.
The Whisper Rock Ranch is the ideal romantic getaway because of its privacy and 360 degree view of the property. The home features a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living area, and an outdoor wooden deck that wraps around space. Each room has an eclectic design from fun wallpaper to unique little Joshua Tree treasures scattered throughout the home. The furniture and decor offer midcentury modern, Native American, and Bohemian elements. We really enjoyed the open space floorpan. From every room of the house we were able to relax to the warm cotton candy sunset with sounds of Bon Iver playing off of the ranch record player.
At night, we unwinded to a glass of wine while watching an old movie off of the projector screen. During nightfall, it becomes all them more magical as the pool lights up from the moon and bright stars. We unfortunately did not take advantage of the telescope but if we did, I know the majority of our night would’ve been spent stargazing.
In the morning we woke up to a bright colorful sunrise and little jackrabbits scurrying from their little holes in the ground. It was adorable. A big cup of coffee later, we packed our bags and said our goodbyes to our Whisper Rock home.
To kill some time between waiting for our next Airbnb, we decided to check out Pioneertown, a cute western town built for Hollywood. If you are a big fan of Westworld or cowboys in general you would love to step foot into the small western strip of shops. We stopped into a small art shop and bought a ceramic handcrafted vase for Roberto's sister Jessie and her boyfriend Torrey for being complete angels for watching our puppy Odie. We then grabbed an acai bowl from Juice Up to cool down (I got the Berry Blast, super yummy).
Finally, we made our way to our next Airbnb, SkyHouse Joshua Tree. It was AMAZING! Just a couple minutes from the town, we had the perfect mixture of seclusion and convenience. I really loved how this home also had an open air concept as well. I opened up all of the doors and windows and set up music on the surround sound SONOS system so we could jam by the pool or in the kitchen.
Just one quick walk throughout the SkyHouse you would know the attention to detail the owners took into creating their masterpiece.The overall design concept is a balance between contemporary modern architecture and the comfort and inclusiveness of Wabi Sabi, a Japanese world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection.
What’s truly most unique about the property is its location. It’s only a few minutes from downtown Joshua Tree – yet it has a feeling of exclusivity and privacy unmatched anywhere in the area. Plus, it borders an area of the park known as desert conservation area, or section 6, and allows you to walk directly in Flowerland – accessing miles of unspoiled trails Each of the three bedrooms has a name: Sunset, Sunrise and Twilight. The house is perfectly situated on the cardinal directions of a compass.
Each of the murals is an original work of art by JD Davis, who is creative director at a major Los Angeles advertising agency. The natural branch work featured in the video is by an increasingly well known local artist named Bonnie Burke, who incorporates natural elements gathered from the desert.
As night falls, we get the light show! With the help of a fireplace, changing pool lights, and unique walkway lights that simulate a lantern, the SkyHouse is as beautiful at night as it is during the day. We were lucky enough to have two nights at the property to really soak in all it has to offer. A lot of time was spent by the pool sipping on lime rum spritzers or swinging in the plush white swing chair by our bedroom.
Whether you're in the mood to relax by the pool during your time in Joshua Tree or in the adventure spirit to hike or rock climb in the National Park, there are a surprising range of activities to do in the not-so-empty desert. One activity I highly recommend and SO wish I had the opportunity to do was horseback riding. There is actually a horse stable next to the SkyHouse property and Roberto and I would watch the horses run around. Here are some local stables to go on horseback rides and make your cowboy/girl dreams come true.
Watch our video of one of the Airbnb's we stayed at in Joshua Tree!
Easily, Joshua Tree is one of the most eclectic destinations in all of California. Maybe even the United States? Make a weekend to remember a take a break to visit the sandy desert.
xoxo,
Carleigh Elise
Direct Links to the Airbnb's: