A Road Trip Itinerary: LA, Palm Springs & Joshua Tree National Park

LA is not a walkable city but that didn’t stop us. If nothing else, walking’s a good way to keep yourself up when you’re trying to avoid jetlag. As dusk approached, we strolled for hours, taking in iconic (I don’t use that word lightly) LA haunts such as Whisky-A-Gogo, Viper Room, the Troubadour and the Capitol Records building in Downtown. We encountered driverless cars (haunting) and delivery robots (amusing) before we reached our neon-lit destination: Musso & Frank’s. This grand dining room has been feeding Hollywood since 1919 – it’s all moody dark wood, white tablecloths and servers kitted out in scarlet tuxes. It’s the backdrop to a scene in one of this year’s best series, Apple TV+ comedy The Studio. It’s also a place to sink martinis and melt into a bowl of spicy rigatoni vodka, or spaghetti and meatballs, before finally slipping off to bed.

The next day, we got up only to press down on the hotel lift and spend an hour in the Maybourne’s magnificent mosaic-filled spa. (We won’t make a big deal about seeing Adam Sandler in the lift on the way back up.) Then we had a date with Hollyhock House, one of star architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous LA homes, resplendent in pink art-nouveau carpets and highly decorative fireplaces. There was just time for grab-and-go al pastor tostadas and chorizo quesadillas from Leo’s Taco Truck, before we ordered the obligatory smoothie from Erewhon and piled into our hire car, bound for the desert.

It takes just half an hour to move from the low desert around Palm Springs into the Hi-Desert. But it’s not just the gradual elevation that signals the change: it’s the Joshua trees. Multiarmed, with prongs facing skywards, these vast yucca plants resemble something between a cactus and palm. And, in California anyway, they are only found here in the Mojave. You’ll start to notice them as you drive through Morongo Valley, their irregular, twisted arms greeting you from all directions.

Our first stop was Yucca Valley. After grabbing an all-American breakfast at family-run C&S Coffee (two eggs over-easy, hash browns, toast, unlimited filter coffee), we did a spot of shopping at Hoof & The Horn (rubber cowboy boots, great local art) and The Mojave Flea Trading Post (fun souvenirs). But the town’s gem is The Copper Room. In 1957, it was built as a private airport and dining room where the Rat Pack would hang out. Today, having looked after its original interiors, it’s full of throwback charm. And it’s not just vibes: there’s a killer menu to back it up. The 1957 Martini is made with house bitters and Maldon salt, plus it comes with a trout roe and shrimp amuse bouche on the side. There’s a nice Asian twist to the menu, which adds zing to crispy chicken and lettuce cups, peanut noodle salads and five-spice fried rice. That said, the cheeseburger and whopping side of fries were top notch too. Later on, The Snakebite Roadhouse off 29 Palms Highway was a jolly spot for a nightcap.

For accommodation in the desert, look to Fieldtrip, a collection of specular homes to rent across California. For our first two nights, we stayed close to the park entrance at On The Rocks. A largely glass building that emulates the clean lines of Palm Springs’ most modern structures, the three-bedroom home has been built around a series of dramatic boulders. It’s on the edge of Joshua Tree National Park, which has two benefits: you’re in prime position to beat any queues into the park and, even better, no light pollution. The night sky is extraordinary – especially from the house’s hot tub. Daytime’s special here too. Our mornings began with the curtains thrown open early to watch the sunrise paint its way across the sky from bed. As dawn broke, we loved seeing roadrunners darting around the scrub. Later, we enjoyed the ritual of getting back each evening and loading up the firepit to make s’mores. Other rental options I bookmarked were A-Z West House, the former home of artist Andrea Zittel; High West House, another home surrounded by boulders; and – in case I won the lottery – The Invisible House, an eight-bed mirrored wonder that blends into the rocks.

‘Come for the trees, stay for the rocks’ – so said the bumper stickers we saw on our way into Joshua Tree National Park. Once we were inside, we understood. There are over 300 miles of trails around the park, and many of them centre around the incredible boulders and rock formations that define the landscape. On day one, I suggest following the main roads around the park, stopping off at anything that catches your eye (we liked the Hall of Horrors and Split Rock). Trail wise, Wall Street Mill and Arch Rock are both easy loops with jumbo rocks well worthy of a photoshoot. Whichever you choose, do the right thing and blast The Joshua Tree by U2 as you pick your way through the park.

Amboy makes for another atmospheric day out. From the town of 29 Palms, through the desolate Wonder Valley, it’s an otherworldly hour-long drive to meet Route 66. At this junction, just past an avenue of salt flats, you’ll find Roy’s Motel & Café, whose neon signage you might recognise as another icon of classic Americana. While the diner and rooms are no longer open, it’s got a fun gift shop and the gas station still works. Then, take a hike up Amboy crater. A cinder cone volcano rising above a 27-square-mile lava field, it’s easier to walk up than it looks thanks to sturdy trails – and the reward is some one-of-a-kind views into the crater and out across the desert.

We spent our final night in the Hi-Desert in the oasis of 29 Palms, to the north of the park. The sleepy town has started to wake up in the last ten or so years: there’s fun to be had at Smith’s Ranch Drive-In, we bought far too many magazines in Hi Desert Times, and we loved the Kitchen in the Desert book shop/restaurant, which serves Caribbean dishes on a cosy patio. The town is also home to the Sky’s The Limit observatory and stargazing spot, where it’s not unusual to see the Milky Way. We stayed at 29 Palms Inn, a cluster of traditional adobes around a 1960s-era restaurant and pool. It’s a no-frills affair – there’s no coffee maker, wi-fi or fridges in the rooms – but we liked it a lot. It’s been run by the same family for five generations, and it’s right on the site of the town’s eponymous 29-palm-strong oasis. The restaurant serves largely veg-focused dishes, made using produce from their own farm, and there’s often live music with dinner.

29 Palms offers another direct access point into the park. The road south takes you down past some of the park’s highlights, including Cottonwood Spring and Cholla Cactus Garden, as the landscape begins to merge into the Colorado desert. Driving south, we suddenly realised we hadn’t seen a Joshua tree in a while. We felt bereft – should there not be a sign alerting you to the last ones you’ll see in the park? But then we remembered we had one more night in Palm Springs ahead of us, and there was the prospect of another date shake. Come for the trees, stay for the rocks. I’m glad I did.

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