If you’re looking for a different side to California, away from the shine of Hollywood and the perfect bodies of Venice Beach, venture inland into the Desert.

We traveled from LA to Joshua Tree national park, taking highway 10 out of the city for almost three hours, turning off just before we hit Palm Springs. Here we found a harsh environment, scattered with the eponymous trees, and some interesting towns.

On Route 62 you’ll find the town of Joshua Tree, and it’s worth stopping just to grab some food at the excellent Crossroads Cafe and Tavern. While it can sometimes be busy, it’s a friendly and cheerful place, with some great food. For something different, the Portobello mushroom burgers are absolutely great! For the shopper in you, there are also artisan shops for you to explore, selling hand made stuff made locally.

We stayed out in the desert with friends, being mindful of rattlesnakes, and went out into the night to check out some rock bands playing at Pappy and Harriet’s. Situated in the ‘high desert’, in Pioneertown, it really does feel like the wild west. Pappy and Harriet’s is a big, warm and friendly place where you’ll get a great flavour of California desert rock ‘n roll.

After surviving the night without snake attacks, the next morning we headed south from Joshua Tree, taking the route through the national park. It doesn’t take much more than an hour to drive through, but it’s definitely an experience worth having.

In the park itself there are some striking rock formations unlike anything I had seen before. Against the huge California blue skies they are very impressive. Amongst the rocks and sand, surprisingly there’s a lot of wildlife, from circling birds of prey in the sky to squirrels and lovable little chipmunks on the ground!