It’s the middle of august in the deserts of joshua tree… and it’s hot. But that won’t stop you from having a perfect day.
WAKING UP JOSHUA TREE STYLE
Hours were spent planning your trip, anxiously awaiting your chance to stay at Joshua Tree Acres, and the time has finally come. You wake up in the early hours of the morning in your 1964 Airstream camper to the quietness of the desert. You slept with the windows open to let the cool desert air in. It is still dark enough outside to see more stars than you could ever imagine existing. You throw on a light sweatshirt and walk the 50 feet to the clubhouse to make coffee for yourself and your friends before everyone wakes up. There’s a Chemex coffee pour-over coffee maker that is screaming your name. You fill the bean-grinder and worry it’s too loud for this hour of the day, but let’s be real… coffee is most important part of any perfect day.
The coffee drips through the filter and you pick out your favorite cup that was oh-so-clearly crafted in the 70’s. Coffee brewed and cups in hand, you all walk the path out to the plunge pool deck to watch the sunrise. Surrounded by Joshua Trees, Cholla cacti, and the hills off to the right… the sky starts to lighten. In these cooler hours of the day, the bunnies are darting in and out of bushes, playing and chasing each other. Stopping to stare at you barely long enough for you to snap a blurry photo.
The sun slowly peaks over the horizon and the desert starts to wake. Joshua Trees glow in the golden hour of sunlight and you can already begin to feel the heat of the day. The sky fades from deep blue to a hazy orange that grows brighter and brighter. You determine there is no amount of photos that can do this sunrise justice. You finish your remaining sips of coffee and head back to the Airstream.
BEAT THE MORNING HEAT
Time to go into the Joshua Tree National Park before the scorching heat makes hiking intolerable and down-right dangerous. (Please see: “Do Not Die Today” posters plastered at every trailhead entrance.) You put on some hiking shoes and drop the sweatshirt — won’t need that again today. Douse yourself in sunscreen, and drive about 20 minutes to the West Entrance Station. But not without first stopping at the visitor center to stamp your National Park Passport Book and buy a souvenir (or four; no judgement here).
You check off some of your carefully selected some Joshua Tree NP activities, but it’s 9am and you feel your skin melting. Begging you to make your way back to Joshua Tree Acres for some breakfast. You shopped on your way into town and have packed the fridge with fresh fruits, oat milk and all the fixins to make acai bowls in the outdoor kitchen. And don’t worry, there’s a blender on-site. It’s perfectly shaded and the breeze blows through peacefully. You’ve garnished your bowl and taken the appropriate amount of pictures (c’mon, we all do it). Carry it to the beautiful wooden picnic dining table on the patio to enjoy with incredible views of the desert landscape.
KEEPIN’ IT COOL IN THE DESERT
As the sun’s reaching the highest point and you have three options to stay cool:
- Lounge in the retro-desert-chic clubhouse. This spot has the best A/C and the coolest decor. Perfectly matching the desert surroundings with neutral and earthy tones. Complete with a true record player that may or may not be smarter than you, even with instructions provided. No way to know unless you try. Best part of this option: Closest spot to the beverages.
- Nap in your air conditioned Airstream. Hanging in the Airstream is also air conditioned and allows for optimal nap-taking. Best part of this option: Naps are necessary when you’re up for sunrise.
- Hit the plunge pool. The plunge pool is a short walk from the clubhouse and if you want to work on your tan this is the spot for you — no shade at all! Views as far as the eye can see in every direction and more Joshua Trees than you can count. The cold water gives respite from the desert heat. Best part of this option: Literally everything.
All solid choices. After much debate you change into your swimsuit, grab a chilled beverage (Cutwater Mai Tais are highly recommended and come canned for your traveling ease), and dip into the plunge pool. Hot temps make the water feel like an ice bath and you can’t actually bring yourself to *plunge*, so you sit on the edge with your feet in the water sipping on your Mai Tai, soaking in the sunshine and the scenery. Whether it’s the arid heat, the deliciously strong Mai Tai, or peer pressure from your buddies, you do eventually work up the courage to get all the way in. It’s two of the longest minutes of your life whilst your body adjusts from extreme heat to frigid cold, but you don’t regret a single second of it. Crack open another Mai Tai and relax the afternoon away.
THE SUN SETS ON THE DAY
Despite the relaxation, something about being in the sun all day takes it all out of you. Sitting on your front porch in the much-needed shade is just the perfect segue. A snack of hummus and veggies refuels you to embark on a sunset adventure. You pick your location, set the plan, and (obv) pack the snacks. The options are endless, because no matter where you go in the desert, the sunset is absolutely breathtaking; looking like a watercolor painting from start until dark sets in. If you think that darkness brings an end to your day, you’d be wrong. You find that the desert is as invigorating at night as it is in the day.
Post-sunset you’re back in the outdoor kitchen preparing dinner. Chopping and sauteeing veggies on the cutting boards and in the pans supplied, all while enjoying the refreshing breeze, is a game changer. You swear to your friends and yourself that one day you’ll have your own outdoor kitchen because cooking inside has become completely overrated. Someone sets the table while you put finishing touches on dinner and everyone sits down to eat an amazing meal. You reminisce about the day’s adventures and what tomorrow might hold. You check your skin for sunburns and Cholla scratches and argue about who gets to use the outdoor solar shower first.
THE NIGHT LIGHTS UP JOSHUA TREE
Yep, that’s right. It’s not a mirage. Outdoor. Solar. Shower. Water warmed by the desert sun, stationed under a Joshua Tree, with an unbelievable view of never-ending starry skies. You rinse off the day’s dust, sweat, and sunscreen. The twinkle lights hung in the shower surround makes it feel like a dream so you pinch yourself to believe you’re actually living this moment. Being clean is its own blessing after all day sun in triple-digit temps, and somehow, the best part of the day is still yet to come.
You’re dried off and finally not-too-hot for the first time in what feels like an eternity. Darkness has set in completely over Joshua Tree and the only light comes from the porches of the five airstreams on the property. You grab a picnic blanket from your car (and please not from your Airstream per the property guidelines) and park it …. literally anywhere. You lay down and stare up at the vast sky where you can vividly see an unobstructed view of the Milky Way. Once again, you make a feeble attempt to take cell phone shots in hopes to capture even a sliver of this moment, but it’s no use.
THIS VIEW IS JUST FOR YOU… JUST FOR TONIGHT.
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What an amazing looking place!! Definitely want to check it out just the wife & I. We’d need 5 or 6 of those Airstreams if we brought all the kids…..
Hah! Yeah you’d have to rent out the whole place for sure!