Joshua Tree Desert Getaway
As promised, I’m sharing a tour and recap of our Joshua Tree getaway for Emmett’s birthday! Last week we spent time with our friends (Laurie Anne & her husband) in the desert to celebrate and recharge. We stayed at a really beautiful, mid century Airbnb tucked away in the Mojave. Click through to check it out and catch some scenes from our trip!
I appreciate all types of architecture and design aesthetics! While mid mod isn’t my personal preference for our current home, I certainly appreciated the details, furnishings, architectural elements, vintage pieces, and design elements that went into this rental. It also felt very private, and the location was one of my favorite things about this charming spot.
This cute little place was really well done, and best of all? It’s dog friendly! Every time we travel with Laurie Anne, we bring our dogs. They love playing together and it is just as much a vacation for them as it is for us. It can be tricky to find nice, well-designed vacation rentals that also allows pets, while feeling clean. That’s a tall order!
Emmett and I stayed in the primary bedroom, pictured below, with our two dogs. It was really bright, had amazing natural light, and was very comfortable. I immediately recognized and appreciated the luxe, higher-end bedding… Brooklinen, one of my favorites that we use in our own home.
This bedroom also had a charming walk out porch, complete with a hanging hammock that I spent a fair amount of time sitting in…
Laurie Anne & her husband stayed in the bedroom at the back of the house, down a beautiful long hallway. It was actually really nice to be on opposite ends of the house, so we couldn’t hear each other. We have different routines and wake up at different times, so we never had to worry about disturbing one another.
The smaller bedroom in the back has an adjacent show stopping bathroom, so it felt like a nice tradeoff. One of us could take the larger bedroom with the attached bath, and the other family would get this gorgeous space with the picturesque soaking tub…
There were plenty of notable vintage pieces that I enjoyed seeing throughout the home (from lighting to furniture and decor). It was obvious to me that the hosts or their designer really considered the design details throughout this entire space.
There was also a small third bedroom in the home that we didn’t use, as well as a detached pool casita that could accommodate another family… plenty of room!
We didn’t rent the casita or pool house since it was just the four of us, so it stayed empty… but this place would be great for more families or additional couples- a larger vacation or getaway with more people.
Speaking of the pool, we were pretty bummed we didn’t get to swim because it was cold and windy, but it was nice to sit near the pool, listen to the water, and take in the view. We did make some poolside cocktails under the pergola, that had a little kitchenette…
The dogs enjoyed hanging out here during the day because it was shaded and the entire pool area is fenced in, so they were able to roam, run, and play off leash. Although we did have two minor incidents with cactus needles… our two aren’t used to the desert environment like Laurie Anne’s dog, Hazel. I think they quickly learned to steer clear of the “prickly trees”. Ha! I mean, look at those big smiles…
The property itself was really cool- boulders and rocks everywhere, with lots to see and explore. A change of scenery and a different view than what you’re accustomed to is always nice.
We also celebrated the birthday guy by eating cake every single day (that definitely happened!). I ran out of time and slacked on baking a homemade cake for the first time in as long as I can remember. I ordered a couple small cakes (that would travel well) from LGO Bake Shop in Phoenix, and Laurie Anne saved the day, picked them up, and brought them along. If you’re in the Phoenix area, all four of us would HIGHLY recommend that bakery. The host also left us a generous welcome gift… a nice bottle of champagne! I’m pretty sure this is the welcome gift for all of the guests, because I didn’t note that we were celebrating anything in particular. Regardless, it was very appreciated!
You’re not going to believe this, but during our second day… Emmett was making breakfast and we were about to put biscuits into the oven (that we’d successfully used the day prior), and as luck would have it- the igniter went out! The SAME problem that happened a couple weeks ago to our own oven at home. Emmett quickly recognized the issue, I messaged the host (sharing his oven diagnosis- which ended up being spot on), and she sent a handyman right away to fix it while we ventured into the National Park. Isn’t that crazy though? What are the odds? I checked the brand of the range (to pass the info along to you), which was a Samsung (ours is a GE). I’m just happy the host was so amazing and quickly took care of the issue- I didn’t want Emmett to have to work during his birthday trip. All of that to say- we cooked some pretty amazing meals and didn’t go out to eat during this trip, so sadly- I have no food recommendations this time around.
The dining room contained a hand-carved horse that I really wanted to bring home with me. I’m telling you… the details in this place weren’t lost on us.
We did venture out of the house to explore the desert and take in the surrounding landscape. This was our first time in Joshua Tree, and we were excited to cross another National Park off our bucket list.
I can’t wait to see what Laurie Anne paints from our park visits! I might have to try to score another original, or at the very least- carry a few of her Joshua Tree works in the shop to commemorate our trip.
Per usual, Emmett & I found some adventurous things to do in Joshua Tree. Living in Utah, we do these sort of things often, but if you’re not experienced- I’d pass on the difficult 4WD or rock crawling trails… especially in the remote desert. Bottom line, be careful out there!
We ended up doing some off-roading and hiking, which was a great substitute for the pool time we had planned, since the weather turned chilly and windy. We took this trail and drove by some old mines.
I’m not quite sure how I managed to miss taking evening photos of the gas fire pit in action, but I did (sorry!). Believe me when I say it was more magical under the stars! We kept the dogs on their leashes because the coyotes come out in the evening (we only encountered one on the property), but the host gave us a warning in advance. Just FYI- if you plan to visit and take your pets. We appreciated the heads up.
All in all, it was a really nice getaway and a fun place to visit that we had never been! I think Emmett had a good birthday. I’d definitely recommend this house if you’re planning a Joshua Tree trip. Have you ever been? Where did you stay? What did you do? Do you have any trips planned this year?