Now that our kids are a little older, we feel more comfortable leaving them behind for longer periods of time. This means that Eddie and I are venturing out on trips that are a little further away. This year, we really wanted to take a trip for our anniversary, but we wanted something that would allow us to be more active and where food and drinks weren’t the central part of the trip. We’ve really enjoyed our time in National Parks recently, so we decided to tie that in to this trip, too. We decided on Palm Springs and Joshua Tree in California. We had such a great time and really got to spend time connecting and being active. Here’s our very loose itinerary. 

Joshua Tree

Stay: AutoCamp Joshua Tree

We absolutely loved this stay. AutoCamp is a glamping experience where you stay in an airstream. It’s comfortable, with a bedroom, full sized bathroom (with hot water), and a kitchenette and sleeper sofa. They also have air conditioning/heating. Just outside of each airstream is a pergola with a table and benches, Adirondack chairs, and a fire pit. Our Airstream had a welcome kit with all the fixings for s’mores, as well as a bag of firewood. In the Lobby area they have some ready-to-go food items and snacks. Alternately, you can order some limited menu items, or pick up a grill kit and cook/heat it over your fire. We did this one night and absolutely loved it. (AutoCamp has different locations, some of them near other National Parks. I’d definitely recommend checking them out!) 

Do:

• Joshua Tree National Park – When you buy an entrance to a National park, you can use that entry for up to seven days afterwards. On the first day we were in Joshua Tree, we entered via the West Entrance Station and drove into the park for about thirty minutes. We stopped in multiple locations and took short walks out to see some rock formations and trees. The next morning, we woke up early and went for a hike. We decided to do the Fortynine Palms Oasis Hike. This was about 3 miles and took us about an hour and a half altogether. It was a moderate hike with a little elevation gain, but it ended in a beautiful oasis – something I had never seen before! We also made our way to the Cholla Cactus Garden. I really wanted to be here for sunrise or sunset, but we didn’t make it. It was worth it anyway. This is a small loop trail where you see the Cholla cactus all over. These cacti look fluffy and adorable, but they are spiky, just like any other cactus plant! Overall, I really loved the landscape of Joshua Tree – it really is like being in another world!
• Pioneertown – If you’re into kitsch and old Westerns, definitely stop here! Pioneertown was established in 1946 by Dick Curtis and several other investors. The goal was to create a place where they could work (and play) with friends, family and co-workers. A functioning 188o’s themed town which was easily accessible from both Los Angeles & Palm Springs and would serve as a filming location, vacation destination & permanent residence for people working in the entertainment industry, ranchers and desert lovers alike. More than 5o films & serials were filmed in Pioneertown during the 1940’s and 1950’s. As the golden age of western films came to an end, so too did the abundant production work in town. Over the years businesses have dwindled and thrived, back and forth. But the die-hard community has always remained committed to keeping Pioneertown alive. And while a demand for western filming locations has died down; the town is still a fully functioning production set where movies, independent films, music videos and commercials are filmed every month.
• Yucca Valley – We drove through three areas near the National Park: Twenty Nine Palms, Joshua Tree, and Yucca Valley. In Twenty Nine Palms we stopped at a farmers market on Saturday and had lunch there. Joshua Tree had a few really cute shops, markets, and a great coffee shop. There were some really eclectic little areas, definitely nothing fancy but there were some fun surprises we ran into along the way (Like the World Famous Crochet Museum pictured above)! 

Palm Springs

Stay: Hotel Paseo 

I absolutely loved everything about our hotel except for one thing: the location. And we all know that when you’re on vacation, location is key. Our hotel was very cool, very clean, the room was spacious and our bed was comfortable. There was a restaurant we enjoyed downstairs and the pool area and gym were great. BUT we were 30 minutes away from downtown Palm Springs. Not a big deal if you’re planning on being out all day and not returning to the hotel, but a little far for going back and forth. There were some great food options nearby, as well as shopping. I could also tell there were some good golf courses nearby based on the guests coming and going. The staff was super friendly and we really did enjoy our stay here. 

Eat: 

• Farm: We stopped here as soon as we left the airport. It’s farm-to-table French-inspired cuisine, and it was delicious. They don’t take reservations for brunch or lunch, but they do for dinner. We were there on a Friday and arrived shortly after they opened, and we waited about 20 minutes, which wasn’t bad at all. The food was very much worth it! 
• L’Atelier Cafe: This is located right across from Farm and is also French and doesn’t take reservations. But it was absolutely delicious. We waited about 20 minutes here as well. 
• Mr. Lyon’s Steakhouse: This place was swanky and upscale and felt very cool. They were really accommodating when we arrived early and we enjoyed the meal so much. The steak was delicious, as were all the appetizers and sides we ordered. Definitely a good special occasion restaurant.

Do: 

• The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway – Unfortunately, we did not get to do this because the wait time was so long the day we were there. But it’s supposed to give incredible views of the Coachella Valley, and was recommended so often! 
• Check out the Palm Springs Windmills (which is where we had our incredible photoshoot). 
• Palm Springs Visitor Information Center was a great place to stop and is included as a stop in the architecture tour. 
• North Palm Canyon Drive is filled with restaurants, shops and bars.
• We were there during Modernism Week and we did a little bit of a self-guided architecture tour. It was cool to see some of the homes and learn about the architects who built them. Honestly, just driving through the neighborhoods was impressive. 
• Take a selfie with the “Forever Marilyn Statue” 
• Go for a hike. We did the Homestead Trail which was closer to our hotel, but there are so many good options for hiking here, too. One tip is to go earlier in the morning, most of these trails don’t have any shade at all, and the desert sun is no joke!
• Grab a drink at the Parker Palm Springs. This was a very cool hotel and we loved grabbing a drink at the bar before we headed to the airport. 
• We didn’t make it to the Moorten Botanical Garden, which is filled with all kinds of cacti, but I heard it was a cute stop. 
• We also didn’t get to check out the Palm Springs Art Museum, but I’m sure it is another cool option! 

Extra stuff to know:

The airport in Palm Springs is tiny, but very cool. Check in and security is indoors, but then you walk out to a big open space. There are just two terminals, and they are pretty small. Seating is limited, and I really don’t think you need to plan to be there hours in advance. There is a coffee shop and a restaurant, but both were very busy, so plan ahead! 

We booked the most incredible photo session with Arina Borodina, a photographer we used in the past in Paris. She isn’t located in Palm Springs, but she is not too far away and she was willing to come out to do a session with us. We had the best time and got to get up close to the windmills. Loved this experience! 

If you’re planning a trip to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree, I hope you’ll save this for your planning! Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments! 

xoxo

Jenise