Concrete Flower » Joshua Tree

MY OCTOBER

Johanna Björk — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 15:46:45 +0000

It started out in the Mojave Desert, where I was nearly left in the dust, visited Pioneertown and 29 Palms, admired saloons and desert flowers. Back in Brooklyn I hung out by a truck farm and discovered Fultummy’s. I spent 21 hours in Dallas, with a stopover in Memphis. The world celebrated 10/10/10. Back in NYC, I saw friends on stage, took photos with apples, stepped in street goo, watched rain on my windows, biked in the sun, enjoyed a fall feast, did some community service, showed my face without makeup, admired the gorgeous colors of fall, and put on a lot of makeup for Halloween. I bought green boots and a coat, wore dad’s pants, old leopard and a scarf by mom, lusted for tie dye, bloomers, awesome shoes and fair trade fashion. I took issue with Vogue’s vague attempt at eco-fashion and raved about eco-chic NYC and stylish bags made from leather scraps.

DESERT FLASHBACK: 29 PALMS INN

Johanna Björk — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 22:08:50 +0000

After waking up on that Sunday in the desert, we headed to 29 Palms Inn for brunch. The Inn has been around since 1928 and has been known to attract a celebrity or two.

We did not park in the lawn mower parking. But, we did check out the on-site farm, where much of the produce (as much as you can reasonably produce in the desert) for the restaurant is grown.

There was a hammock. I love hammocks!

There were also grapes, most of which had shriveled on the vine and almost turned into raisins because of the heat. These were the pretty ones.

The atmosphere is refreshingly laid-back, and the room (bugalow, really) rates are pretty affordable.

This cute one is called Gold Park, has two queen beds, a sun porch, a hammock and could be yours for a night for between $90-175, depending on the season.

Despite the heat, we decided to enjoy our brunch outside, by the pool.

It was yummy.

We also had mimosas, a weekend-must, before we headed off to Joshua Tree National Park. Great start to a great day.

See my other desert posts here, here, here and here.

JOSHUA TREE, PART 4: DESERT MORNING

Johanna Björk — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:52:18 +0000

Waking up in the desert is amazing.

I step out onto the porch and look out over the vast prairie that lies in front of me. All is silent.

I stretch and yawn and am amazed that it’s actually realtively cool here in the morning hours.

Maybe that’s why pretty desert flowers survive.

It also amazes me that there are power lines out here. Too bad there were no solar panels back when these were installed. It would surely have been easier.

One day, I want my own little house on the prairie. Off the grid.

JOSHUA TREE, PART 3: DESERT DRIVING

Johanna Björk — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 21:19:49 +0000

Driving through the desert as the sun is coming down. The car in front is whipping up dust that starts to cover my lens. I suddenly realize the meaning of the expression “being left in the dust.”

Camera firmly in hand, I try to capture all the amazingness that surrounds.

Desert landscapes swish by. Apparently driving fast makes you feel the bumps in the roads less. People here drive really fast.

The sun is almost down and we have almost reached our destination. Where to? You shall soon find out.

JOSHUA TREE, PART 2: THE SALOON

Johanna Björk — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:42:30 +0000

I never got a chance to patronize this fine establishment. Even so, I found it worthy of a blog post.

Love the hand-painted signage and genius mix of weathered wood and semi-rusted corrugated metal.

Oh, and there is a pole outside where you can tie up your horse while enjoying libations inside. Forget what I said about the bike. Next time, I want to come here on a horse!

JOSHUA TREE, PART 1: THE NATIONAL PARK

Johanna Björk — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:45:12 +0000

According to the U.S. National Park Service: Joshua Tree National Park is immense, nearly 800,000 acres, and infinitely variable. It can seem unwelcoming, even brutal during the heat of summer when, in fact, it is delicate and extremely fragile. This is a land shaped by strong winds, sudden torrents of rain, and climatic extremes. Rainfall is sparse and unpredictable. Streambeds are usually dry and waterholes are few. Viewed in summer, this land may appear defeated and dead, but within this parched environment are intricate living systems waiting for the opportune moment to reproduce. The individuals, both plant and animal, that inhabit the park are not individualists. They depend on their entire ecosystem for survival.

National Parks make people happy.

Surrounded by all these immense rock formations, even a tall gal like me feels small.

The photos really don’t do these rocks justice, they are enormous.

The Joshua Trees resemble some kind of extraterrestrial creatures; their limbs reaching for the cloudless sky.

The whole park feels very prehistoric, one almost expects a dinosaur or Fred Flintstone to appear around the next bend. Next time, I want to come on a bike and camp out. When it’s cooler.