I stopped my car, stood outside, breathed deeply and finally felt like I was home.

The high desert is about an hour drive from Palm Springs. It's a more desolate place. Fewer golf courses, resorts and manicured lawns. But more art galleries, cafes and unassuming saloons.

I didn't have a map and didn't know where I was going.

I found Joshua Tree National Park easily. I had previously seen photos of the place and had no interest whatsoever in spending time there. I thought it would be all bleak, drab, a wasteland.

What I found instead was a place so beautiful, it made my heart clench. Perhaps it was the stormy day, with clouds filtering light on the desert terrain like stained-glass. Or maybe I've now grown to appreciate the stark beauty of this area. Whatever it was, the place was breathtaking. I can't wait to go back and spend more time exploring.

Next I turned down a random street that was filled with hairpin turns and steep curves through crumbly mountains. Every loop revealed more and more beautiful scenery.

I ended up in Pioneertown, my new favorite place in the world. It reminds me a lot of a little village I loved in Ohio, Yellow Springs.

There's a true artists' community here, with studios and coffeehouses and gathering places. Even better, there's an energy to the place that's as vibrant and as electric as any city I've ever visited.

I stood outside my car and breathed deeply -- and never wanted to drive away.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 at 8:40 PM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.