Bonne Chance

Curated California Desert Getaway

Ideal for one or two couples, or a small family, this simple-on-the-outside, artistic-oasis-on-the-inside home makes for a quick retreat, only about two hours’ drive from Los Angeles. While the location may feel worlds away from the hustle of the city, the home’s decidedly sophisticated décor includes Prouve and Eames chairs, handpicked Moroccan, Mexican, and Italian antiques, thoughtful books, sculptures and fixtures, plus soft bed linens and colorful global textiles.

An open-plan kitchen with a central island leads into the art-filled living room, equipped with a sturdy wood-burning stove for cooler desert nights. A patchwork tile patio surrounds the home, creating the perfect perch from which to take in the arid, otherworldly landscape and San Bernardino Mountain silhouettes. The rugged area is known for its dark, night skies despite its easy accessibility to the city lights and food, drink, and recreation activities in glittering Palm Springs and Palm Desert.

Around

Occupying the western edge of the Mojave Desert, Morongo Valley is rugged desert country—a land of scrub and sand, prickling cactus and thorny shrub, and Jurassic-looking rock formations. The San Bernardino Mountains make for a dramatic backdrop to the low-lying desert, all of it austere and awe-inspiring at once. Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, about five minutes from the house, is a local destination for hikers and adventurers, a desert oasis of cottonwood and willow trees lining a stream bed creating a marsh habitat for small species. A favorite trail there is the Yucca Ridge trail, and the area also welcomes bird watchers. The town of Morongo Valley is home to some 3,000 residents, with services and numerous equestrian facilities in its environs and a happening Farmers’ Market on Thursdays in the Central Station boutique’s parking lot.

Set in the desert wilds better known as home to hip Joshua Tree National Park, retro glam Palm Springs and the new-age artistic playground of the Coachella Valley, other local draws include the historic Hollywood remnant of Pioneertown, a Wild West movie set-turned-desert community that’s home to the legendary music venue and restaurant Pappy and Harriet’s and the neighboring Red Dog Saloon that serves up Tex-Mex and ice cold beer at its giant picnic tables.

Outdoor adventures are abundant in the area, though not for the faint of heart. Hiking, mountain biking and rock-climbing in and around Joshua Tree National Park and the Yucca Valley are popular, and day trips to the cooler landscapes of the San Jacinto mountains, or Indian Canyon and/or Palm Canyon are easy drives. Golf courses, restaurants, bars, classic architecture fill the mid-century modern oasis of Palm Springs, located an easy drive from the home. The poster child of the Desert Modernism movement, Palm Springs’ iconic strip is dotted with vintage boutiques, hip concept stores, and multitude cafes and cocktail bars. The rugged Coachella Valley is also home to lots of outdoor recreation activities, including horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking.

Location

Nearest airport: Indio/Palm Springs (20-30 miles)

Best time to visit:

Year-round