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A fiery sun dwindles beyond a purple mountain shadow, and once it disappears there are nearly as many stars in the cool night sky as grains of sand in the earth below your feet. When you get bored with that scenery, go inside to choose a book about desert history or art from the library selection of your luxury home.
Okay, so maybe it’s not your home, but you can pretend for as long as your vacation time and funds allow. Lose yourself in one of the customized homes at Joshua Desert Retreats, each with a different theme, décor, space, and energy.
All of the 11 vacation rentals were once abandoned properties converted into the relaxing, refined spots they are now. Each house sits on a beautiful five to fifteen acres of open desert land. The smallest, the romantic Adobe, sleeps up to three people, and the largest, Witt’s End, can house up to 14 people at once. All the vacation homes are located in Wonder Valley and, despite a great sense of peace and privacy, are a convenient 15 minutes away from nature and exploration in Joshua Tree National Park or culture and history in the community of Twentynine Palms; and an hour away from nightlife and shopping in Palm Springs.
“These are completely different than anything else out there,” said Greg Davis, owner of Joshua Desert Retreats. Usually, when people go on vacation they stay in a hotel room to sleep and prepare for their vacation activities outside the hotel. But for guests on vacation at Joshua Desert Retreats the setting is comfortable and serene enough to make them want to spend most of their time lounging in their spacious desert abode. These houses were created for guests to feel like it’s their own house as soon as they come through the door.
“People are surprised to have an experience that is unlike anything else,” Davis said. “There are so many needs and wants they have taken care of. It’s all those little touches that make the difference.”
Often, Davis will remind visitors not to bring things they normally would bring to a hotel or resort because at Joshua Desert Retreats, all the comforts of home are already in place. In addition to the little things—like Q-Tips in the bathroom, condiments in the refrigerator, and free long distance telephone—the resort homes have all the amenities world travelers are accustomed to and a little extra. Some include hot tubs, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, BBQ pits, washer and dryer sets, housekeeping services, unique art by local artists, and library collections.
Each home has a name, a theme, and a story to tell. Guests vary from international to in-state travelers and can choose from vintage, modern, and Southwest ambience complete with eclectic artwork and perfectly appointed décor. Each home even has a unique door-knocker decoration that captures the essence of the experience. Adobe has Spanish tile and romantic views; Godwin Ranch has rustic attire with top-notch BBQ equipment; at Jackalope there are frequent rabbit sightings and a blast from the past with ’50s furniture and décor; the Oasis and Wikiup are homes away from home; a new addition, Sunny Ranch, is ideal for nature lovers and hikers; tap into retro luxury at Rancho Mesa with stylish modern amenities; Todos Santos is another new part of the collection with a Southwestern spice to it; choose to mix work with pleasure at the Valle Vista complete office; Witt’s End is the original retreat customized by Davis as a personal getaway that includes a greenhouse and upstairs loft with a view of the mountains; get back in touch with your spiritual, mental, or metaphysical side at the Asian-garden themed Zen-Go.
There is a minimum stay of three days, which Davis says is necessary for people who want to have the true “desert experience.” Monthly and weekly rates are also available, as guests are sometimes reluctant to leave and frequently request extensions on their time.
Guests range from entertainment industry executives to musicians and artists who come to feed off the desert area’s creative energy and seek the “U2 experience.” The Irish rock band stayed in the area during the 1980s while working on their Grammy award-winning album The Joshua Tree. One band that recently stayed at Witt’s End alarmed the maintenance staff by putting patio furniture on the roof of the property’s second house—which is level with the ground. When Davis heard about this he thought to himself, “That’s a good idea!”
Other guests include writers, university faculty and students, church retreat-goers, medical professionals, or families who want to relax in a home environment.
Davis and his unique style have been featured on the Fine Living television channel as well as in The New York Times—in fact the newspaper found his personal outlook on life as interesting as his guests find the retreat homes he has created.
The architect is originally from Hawaii and currently lives in Los Angeles where he practices Design/Build landscape. The goal of his design firm is to create “transitional living spaces” in which the lines between the indoor and outdoor environment are blurred. The homes available at Joshua Desert Retreats provide just that environment.
“Our job is to get people out of the house and into the garden with outdoor living rooms, patio heaters, dining patios, outside speakers, swimming pools, hot tubs, hammocks, and horse shoe games [that were] designed to keep guests outside.”
Davis has compared the Wonder Valley desert to his native Hawaii, saying “in many respects they are the same.” Perhaps you just have to experience the desert his way to fully understand what he means.
For information on Joshua Desert Retreats, visit www.joshuadesertretreats.com;
or call (310)558-5544. -