Local RecS

The Mojave desert is full of amazing and amazingly weird things to do and see — as well as an incredible national park. When you tire of doing peyote and staring at the stars, here are some faves.

GROCERIES & SUPPLIES

MESA MARKET

The only bodega in town, right on the corner of Yucca Mesa and Aberdeen — a 3 min drive from the house. 

GROCERY STORES

Stater Bros, Von’s, Wal-Mart, Aldes, all about a 10 minute drive.

DESIERTO ALTO

The local specialty food shop for mezcal, natural wine, oat milk, kimchi, Aardvark, and all the other stuff you forgot to bring from Seattle, Brooklyn and LA. 

WINE & ROCK SHOP

Natural wine selection and cute gifts / trinkets / crystals. Close to the house.

COFFEE

Joshua Tree Coffee Co. is cute and the coffee is OK. Frontier Cafe is also an option. But tbh, I would get coffee and make it at the house — we have a French press and espresso machine.

EATING & DRINKING

Downtown YUCCA VALLEY (10 mins from house)

PIE FOR THE PEOPLE (LUNCH & DINNER — dine in or takeout)

10 minutes from the house. It’s great, with gluten free, vegan and salad options, but if you’re calling in an order, do it as early as humanly possible.

FRONTIER CAFE (bfast, lunch — dine in or takeout)

For daytime grab n go, coffee, salads and sandwiches, at the bottom of the hill to Pioneertown.

TACOS (bfast, lunch — to go)

Kasa Market (enter it into maps) has the best tacos in all the land. Walk through the grocery store in the strip mall and go all the way to the back. 

TINY PONY (bar/GRILL)

Pub-ish bar and grill in a strip mall with good burgers, extensive liquor selection and other specials. Karaoke on Tuesdays.

Copper room (bar/GRILL)

Formerly the Touchdown, a dive bar next to the Yucca Valley airport, redone for local hipsters, or something.

Downtown JOSHUA TREE (15 mins)

JOSHUA TREE SALOON (lunch or dinner – dine in, outdoor avail)

Beers, burgers and the like, and occasional live music. Reservation recommended.

CROSSROADS CAFE (bfast, lunch — dine in ONLY)

Old school hippie brunch joint, in downtown Joshua Tree. Brunch and lunch only.

SAM’S INDIAN (dinner— dine in or takeout)

Indian in the desert, yes, and it’s good. Tiny spot attached to Sam’s Market, which is in a little strip mall thingy. They do good takeout for pickup and it’s one of few options.

PIONEERTOWN (25 mins)

PAPPY & HARRIET’S (lunch or dinner – outdoor avail)

Popular local, somewhat-touristy saloon with outdoor seating, BBQ, and live music. It’s always packed – reservations recommended. 


RED DOG SALOON (lunch or dinner— outdoor avail)

A “speakeasy” with tacos and drinks, next to the bowling alley in Pioneertown. 

FLAMINGO HEIGHTS/LANDERS (15 mins)

LA COPINE (lunch or early dinner — outdoor avail)

Amazing bistro started by a coupla Sam’s old pals from Philly. There is always a wait, and not a short one, but if you’re not in a hurry the food is incredible and the LA people watching is next-level. While you wait, check out Teocali, a popup textiles and ceramics shop located in an airstream in the parking lot, run by our friend Hannia.

GIANT ROCK MEETING ROOM (dinner — outdoor avail)

This place keeps changing so check Google or call — but they have evening pizza, beer and (sometimes?) live music, across the street from La Copine. It takes about five years to get a drink so be warned.

$5 PIZZA (late night— delivery)

Would not recommend this pizza on a broad scale but if you are drunk or stoned and hungry and not lactose intolerant it’ll get the job done — and they deliver!

LANDERS BREWPUB (bar— CLOSED 😭)

Off the beaten path alien-themed brewery in Landers.

29 PALMS (30 mins)

Kitchen in the desert (WKND brunch or dinner — reservations)

Caribbean and New American restaurant with occasional live acts.

OUT THERE BAR (BAR)

A newish psychedelic-themed bar that’s “usually open,” according to its website.

Mexican street tacos (LUNCH — DINE IN OR take-out)

Tacos!

THE VIRGINIAN (BAR)

A solid dive-bar frequented by locals and marines.

HIKING

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

If you’ve come all the way here you might as well do a hike or in this incredible park. There are a number of visitor’s centers (type “visitor’s center” into Google maps) that you can pop by on your way for maps, hiking recommendations and more.

PIPES CANYON Mountain PRESERVE

This is a short (5 min) drive from Pioneertown, with a variety of trails and sweeping mountain views.

BLACK ROCK CANYON TRAIL

A less crowded, shorter drive, but equally beautiful trail for an easy hike in Yucca Valley. Map here.

BIG MORONGO CANYON PRESERVE

“Down the hill,” as the locals say, is this lush Morongo Valley preserve, a transition zone between the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. Trails here.

DESERT ACTIVITIES

Noah Purifoy museum

SKY VALLEY SWAP MEET (Weekends only — OUTDOORS)

Giant swap meet full of everything there is to see, from yard art to cowboy boots to every kind of junk. It usually closes around 2-3pm so go early-ish. Make sure to visit Bob's Crystal Cave while you're there!

NOAH PURIFOY DESERT MUSEUM (FREE — OUTDOORS)

Free outdoor museum made of recycled junk (toilets, tires, old boots, metal car parts), developed over many years by the artist Noah Purifoy (and now maintained by his foundation). Purifoy was born in Alabama in 1917 and split his time between LA and Joshua Tree as an adult. His earliest work, made from charred debris from the 1965 Watts riots, was the basis for 66 Signs of Neon — a group exhibition on the Watts riots that traveled throughout the country. 

GIANT ROCK (AN actual giant rock; doesn’t close)

A giant rock with a history, including UFO conventions and conspiracy theories about the F.B.I. This Atlas Obscura article pretty much sums it up. * Warning: you will need a 4WD vehicle to get here, as it requires traversing some sand.

DESERT CHRIST PARK (FREE — CLOSES AT SUNSET, OUTDOORS)

A hillside park full of sculptures of various Godly people and things overlooking the high desert.

JOSHUA TREE FARMERS MARKET (WEEKENDS — OUTDOORS)

Fruits etc. Fun to pop into. 


Simi DabaH Sculpture Park (FRIDAYS ONLY — OUTDOORS)

Simi Dabah is a 91-year-old artist and welder who creates giant rusted metal sculptures — like the one in our front yard. There are more than 600 of these in and around the area, and they are on display and for sale (quite reasonably!) at this sculpture park, with proceeds going to the Simi Dabah Sculpture Foundation. Fridays only, and you probably gotta get Bob they guy who runs it to let you in — but worth a drive-by even if you can’t get in.

THE INTEGRATRON (RESERVATIONS REQUIRED)

A 38ft tall cupola structure built in 1960 by aeronautical engineer and ufo-ologist George Van Tassel after an encounter with an extraterrestrial from Venus. Obvi! He claimed the Integratron was capable of rejuvenation, anti-gravity and time travel. He died in 1978. Now it offers sound baths. Learn more here.

SHOPPING

There are tons of cute shops and antiques around — in particular, a cluster at the bottom of Pioneertown road (enter “Acme 5” into GPS and park) with desert wear, vintage, home goods, etc.

HOME GOODS & GIFTS

VINTAGE

Welding with Cynthia, of Hot Steel Welding.

LOCAL ARTISANS

  • Teocali (Mexican-made textiles and ceramics; located in the parking lot of La Copine)

OTHER DESERT STUFF

Local sass.