Summer of Joshua Tree

August 2021

On Saturday I drove the 2.5 hours out to the desert. I made a pit stop near Morongo Valley where I ate a packed lunch and nervously watched a maskless man try to figure out how to use a soap dispenser while stepping on a water pump. People-watching at the hottest time of the hour felt hellish. There was one of those industrial cargo trains rocking by too and it reminded me of Arizona.

Upon arriving in Yucca Valley some 142 miles later, I drove into the parking lot of a thrift shop called “This N That.” It was much more cooler inside but I felt quite stuffy looking at all the knick knacks. There were dedicated rooms for different objects, clothes, souvenirs, boots, toys, cups, and everything else you could imagine. Although I wasn’t greeted by the cashier, I tried to strike up a conversation with him by asking if I could take photos. He seemed kind of standoffish when he said “Um yeah just don’t break anything.”

So I meandered through probably eight rooms of stuff and observed as much as I could but it was all too stimulating. I tried on a pair of vintage roller skates which came with its own bag and fit perfectly but they were a mere $125. I also tried on a biker leather jacket but it was a little too small. In another room, I came across various stuffed animals and made the connection to the tv show “Happy” which is about this stuffed horse who comes alive and tries to Chris Meloni’s character’s missing daughter. I went into another room and saw vintage magazines and books. Nothing really sparked my interest until I went into yet another room and saw a bookcase of VHS tapes.

“Do people still watch these?” I basically yelled and lo behold, there was a tatted up man sitting on the floor. Twisted his head and said “Yeah!” then continued to nose-dive for more tapes.

A few miles down, I stopped by The Station. There was white dune buggy parked near a huge statue of a cowboy man. Instead of old fashioned thrifty items, they had candles, cool stickers, a record corner, kombucha, apparel, jacket gems, blankets, cards and a bunch of other stimulating objects. The heat topped over 112 degrees and my car definitely wasn’t used to being in the desert so I bought a bumper sticker and slapped it on the back like a bandaid.

Thankfully the shops and restaurants in the downtown area were all in close proximity to each other. I missed the farmers market by an hour. I stopped by Joshua Tree Rock Shop for two things: air conditioning and air conditioning. Since I enjoy talking to people and having interesting interactions, the employee showed me rocks that help with transformation, growth, and protection. I ended up buying three items because I liked the way the rocks looked. Do I believe in such powers? Will they bring forth life changing traits as the description says? When wearing rose quartz, is the universe protecting me from xyz? Who knows.

A few doors down, I visited The Mincing Mockingbird. Another shop that sold notebooks, art supplies, handkerchiefs, pens, stickers, mugs, and lots of birds. In a white room was a gallery called “HeyThere Projects” with local art. By then, it was 2pm and I felt like driving some more so I headed to Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum. I wouldn’t necessarily say I found myself; I saw a flag with a smiley face billowing with the wind and thought: “…is anyone?”

Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum

Too much time in the heat made Joshua Tree the hottest I’ve experienced this summer. While watching KEXP and music videos, I wondered what people like to do in their off-time. Life in the city is so bustle and hustle. Life in the desert is slow and quiet.

Alex G

Later in the night, I headed to Pappy’s and Harriet’s for the Alex G show. Great show. 10/10.

Around 2am, I witnessed a total of five or so meteorites. I was a little impatient but Glenn, my Airbnb host, told me to keep staring north and wait because a few were bound to fly across. They would be short but all worth it. With clear skies and hardly any pollution, the constellations glowed and the stars twinkled. Compared to everything else going on in the world, I truly felt smaller than imaginable when I looked up and onwards. Maybe nothing is ever what it seems until you have the chance to enjoy it.

Joshua Tree National Park