For my trip to Joshua Tree Park I stayed in Yucca Valley. The area is commonly used for movie and fashion shoots, the main road is lined with art shops, galleries, boutiques carrying unique trinkets, clothes and gifts and a couple of book stores. People are friendly and mellow and the rhythm of the town is very slow, which can be great if you are relaxing or frustrating if you are in a rush or just not used to that style. The area has a mixed rustic and hippie character. If you are looking for something fancier I suggest you book your hotel in Palm Springs or Desert Hot Springs both of which offer upscale shopping and accommodations.
Even though I do my research before going on trips I still always ask the hotel staff for local recommendations. This time I was very glad I did because the lady at the front desk told me about Desert Christ Park, a place I had missed when planning my trip to Yucca Valley. It was only a few minutes from my hotel and it didn’t take very long to walk around the grounds. Desert Christ Park consists of over 40 large scale white concrete statues carved by artist Frank Antoine Martin depicting scenes from Christ’s life. Visiting the park is free and if you are in town the quick stop is worth taking.
Next on my agenda for the day was a visit to Pioneertown. The drive there was in itself interesting, the narrow winding road goes across hills of gigantic, towering rocks. Built in 1946 specifically as a movie set for westerns starring Gene Autry and Roy Rodgers, Pioneertown does have a few residences but consists mainly of the buildings created by and for the movie studio.
The post office in Pioneertown claims the title of the most photographed one in the entire USA! A staple is Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace ( I am pretty sure the only restaurant of the town) with indoor and outdoor sitting, bbq and live music. For a nearly deserted place I was quite surprised to actually see a restaurant. Perhaps it’s because I was there during the day, maybe in this ghostly town the inhabitants come out to play after the sunsets?!
