Weekend Getaway: Joshua Tree National Park

April 09, 2026

Weekend Getaway: Joshua Tree National Park

I had heard many people sing high praises for Joshua Tree National Park. So for our anniversary getaway last year we booked an Air BnB cottage in the desert and booked flights into LAX to go check it out. Little did we know when we booked this trip that we would be making a trip the week before for the Rose Bowl. But it's all good and we had a great time both times. Come along to Joshua Tree National Park and Twenty-Nine Palms in California!

Palm Springs

Our drive from LA took us through Palm Springs - and since it was too early to check in to our Air BnB, we decided to have an adult beverage outside while enjoying the sunshine. We couldn't leave the Mecca of Modernism without trying a World Famous Date Milkshake. So incredibly good - I'd go back there just to have one again!

Palm Springs Visitor Center

Honoring Sonny Bono, former mayor of Palm Springs

Joshua Tree National Park, Part 1

Home of the Dr. Seuss like Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California has stunning desert scenery, sunny days and world famous rock formations. The uniquely shaped Joshua Tree - actually part of the agave family - was named by Mormon settlers who thought the branches looked like the biblical Joshua leading them. It is where two deserts meet - the Mojave and the Colorado. There are also two distinct parts to the park and we did one on our first day and then the second right before we left.

Farmers Market

We started by getting the lay of the land at the Joshua Tree Visitor Center after visiting the small Farmers Market. We decided to drive the scenic 18 mile Park Boulevard connecting the west and north entrances. Our first stop was a short hike along the Arch Rock Nature Trail - there was plenty of parking and also a coyote wandering the parking lot. We stopped at the very popular Skull Rock, and passed by Cap Rock, Split Rock and saw some climbers on Double Cross before ending at Keys View.

Skull Rock

If you look closely, there are climbers on the top

Climbers at the top here also

Keys View is a panoramic - and extremely windy - view of the Coachella Valley and the San Andreas Fault. We then exited the park and headed for....

Just a tad windy!

Pioneertown and Pappy & Harriet's

Pioneertown is an 1880's themed western movie set with old fashioned facades that you can visit. There's no cost to walk around and you can visit updated shops - selling soap, pottery and other wares - while you wait to eat at the infamous Pappy and Harriet's. Or visit the Pioneertown Film Museum, full of memorabilia from films and tv shows filmed here. It's open 365 days per year and on weekends you can see "live" gunfights and mock bank robberies.

We hung out here late on a Saturday afternoon. We thought that we could avoid a wait at P & H's but it was still an hour wait at 4pm! So we walked Pioneertown until we were called back to the restaurant for a table and enjoyed our meal. Then we had a nice sunset drive back to our Air BnB. (If you'd like to stay at Pioneertown there is a Pioneertown Motel)

Joshua Tree National Park, Part 2

On our second day in the national park we headed to the Cottonwood area. This area seems to be less popular and we saw few other people - I think it's because it has less wow factor areas

We first came to the Cholla Cactus Garden - unfortunately, it was closed. So we viewed it from the road and kept driving. We came upon the small Cottonwood Visitors Center and decided that this days hike would be the Oasis of Mara hike. It's more of a short walk, to an Oasis of palm trees - exactly as you would picture an oasis to look like! It was pretty much a driving day - we enjoyed the views and then it was time to think about dinner before our flight home.