High Desert High: Joshua Tree

Namesake

Named by Mormon travelers who were reminded of the prophet with his arms raised in  prayer, the yucca known as the Joshua Tree is a striking presence in the high desert community that bears its name. With branches that zig, then zag, and end in exploding clusters of blade-like leaves, the Joshua tree is really strange and very beautiful. Joshua Tree, the place, is situated in San Bernardino county’s high desert and is a small community of 7,000-plus; it is also home to the National Park of the same name. Part of the Mojave Desert, Joshua Tree is a place of extreme temperatures, with summer days easily topping 100°, and freezing nights in winter. The topography is extreme as well, and hills composed of piles of rocks from house-sized on down seem to rise suddenly from the desert’s sandy flatness. Business areas contain the usual chain stores and restaurant suspects, but there’s also a lively selection of antique and vintage stores to explore. The day we spent there recently, we were delighted to find a lively undercurrent of creativity that had a distinct desert vibe …

Big love

I had Paul pull over so that I could run across Joshua Tree’s  two-lane highway to take this photo. This amazing roadside cross made of rusted horseshoes demanded my attention and epitomizes the make-do creative spirit I love so much. We found that Joshua Tree, while a small town, is big enough to include within its sandy expanses refuge for artists, sculptors and other craftspersons. Some of these use it as a getaway from the big city (as in this recent LA Times article) and some have decided to make this their post-retirement home base. We went into neighborhoods with backyards that looked up at the rock pile hillsides and found isolated homes that referenced both desert shacks and modern abodes; the decidedly out-of-left-field effect was exciting. We found a throw-back desert motel with a fenced, blank façade that was actually a high style interpretation of same, its various elements provided by local craftsmen. We found a junk store that was actually a front for an outdoor art gallery displaying the distressed, candy-colored found sculptures of its owner, and we found an open-air art installation so personal and moving I found myself holding back tears.

I loved our day in Joshua Tree, and with this background post will share what we found. First, shopping; with succulents, antiques and vintage items, and sculpture and art. Followed by a modern reinterpretation of a desert motel, and ending with the Noah Purifoy outdoor sculpture installation. Stay, we’re going high desert!