We made a stop in Pioneertown our our way out to TwentyNine Palms and Joshua Tree. Pioneertown was founded in 1964 by a group of Hollywood investors - it's a sleepy community with sprawling plots of land and houses spread out among the high desert landscape.
Pappy + Harriet's is the main draw to Pioneertown - a well known saloon, live music venue + restaurant. Despite what my pictures depict this place was full of clientele. Live music is only at night with shows every night of the week. I wish they had live music during the daytime when we were there! Make sure you get an order of the Nachos Von Rabbit - a filling plate of deep fried corn tortillas loaded with cheddar, jack, crumbled bleu, pico de gallo, sour cream + green onions.
53688 Pioneertown Road
Pioneertown, CA 92268
I am completely enamored with Palm Springs, California. This Old Hollywood, Mid-Century Modern, desert oasis awash in palm trees, pools, and fine art galleries, shining with bright aqua blues and vibrant oranges surrounded by majestic mountains gives off the best vacation vibes, ever.
Stay @ The Twist. Please look no further than these sparkling clean, perfectly decorated in Palm Springs modernism Airbnb apartments located in the Uptown Design District of Old Las Palmas - close to downtown yet secluded from the noise.
At The Twist you can count on your desert pool party guests to be a flamingo, a swan and a peacock. Perfect companions! There's a king bed, a full kitchen, a luxurious couch, a patio with a fire pit, and bicycles to enjoy at your leisure.
Bob got me a fish-eye lens! I was using it for the first time on this trip and having so much fun with it. I feel like the distorted images work well with this colorful vintage vibe?!
We strolled by artist Elena Bulatova's gallery in Laguna Beach and then again in Palm Springs. Those LOLLIPOPS and that Popsicle are everything! All of her art installations were majorly eye-catching.
The stylish galleries, retro boutiques, and interior design shops along Palm Canyon Drive reign with a cool sophistication - although I admit we mostly window shopped. (Not wanting to miss a moment of that desert sunshine!)
A lot of my love for this city can be attributed to where we stayed and the neighborhood we were immersed in right outside our door. We didn't have much of an agenda when in town besides quality relaxation time at the pool and a bike ride to see the area. As style, design, art, furniture, and décor is such a major part of this cities vibe, it was great to have a home base that embodied the local flare!
I would recommend travelers with a similar mindset pass on the strip of overpriced hotels located south of downtown. The hotel pool party scene is enticing - but rooms are smaller costing almost double the price and the location (when we drove by) didn't seem nearly as picturesque. I was so close to booking The Ace Hotel and The Saguaro on different occasions before I actually read some of the reviews and before I stumbled upon The Twist.
I love mid-century modern architecture so biking through Old Las
Palmas and The Movie Colony really solidified the vibe of Palm Springs as I imagined it and made me really, really happy.
The entrance to Frank Sinatra's house, below!
These houses have perfected mid-century modern style in every element; from the cacti, succulent and rock gardens, to the mailboxes and the house numbers. Everything speaks to you as a unique piece of modern art. The QUARTZ rock garden at the radical hose below was so enchanting.
The Coachella Valley is an amazing part of California and I'm so glad we decided to spend some time here. Thanks for being so wonderful, Palm Springs!
