Our hotel was located in Twentynine palms, which is a great starting point if you plan on entering Joshua Tree National Park. There isn’t much to do in Twentynine Palms but there are a lot of murals to check out. Our hotel had a mural tour guide book. Although we didn’t drive to all of the murals, you will spot them along the way.

There also aren’t many food options in Twentynine Palms besides fast food. After intensive investigating on Yelp, we came across Marilu’s. It is a small restaurant with a small menu. We were seated immediately and there were only a few people in the restaurant, despite it being a Friday night. The host was a nice, charismatic man who recommended his favorite foods for us to try. I was impressed by the food! I ordered a toasted croissant with roasted turkey breast, cheese and grilled onions. It also came with french fries and cranberry sauce on the side. I have no complaints! The croissant was perfect, the turkey was of good quality and the french fries were perfect. Andrew ordered Cuban pulled pork sliders with a side of Cajun macaroni salad. He enjoyed his meal too!

We headed to Yucca Valley for breakfast the next day. I saw on Yelp that Anthony Bourdain had visited JT Country Kitchen in 2011. Yelpers said the pancakes were unforgettable so I had to try them. I COULD NOT AGREE MORE. They were the best pancakes I have ever had in my life! The restaurant is small and we did have to wait about 10 minutes to be seated. There are lots of shops and murals around the restaurant so we explored the area before being seated. The food is excellent and the employees are friendly. This is a must when visiting Joshua Tree. Get the pancakes!

Part of the reason we traveled to Joshua Tree was to attend a show at Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown. One of our favorite bands, Surfer Blood, was playing and we had been wanting to check out the venue so it seemed like a good time! We stopped at 2 Guys Pies Brick Oven Pizzeria before heading to the show. This is another small restaurant but it had great reviews on Yelp. We were seated immediately and we ordered right away. The pizza was delicious and that means a lot coming from me because pizza is my favorite food. It was perfectly cooked! The cheese was bubbling and there was just the right amount of pepperoni. I love when the pepperoni pizza is cooked underneath the cheese. We ate the entire pizza! We got an individual size (6 slices). I definitely couldn’t have eaten it by myself. We also ordered cheesy garlic bread as an appetizer. It was very good!

Pappy and Harriet’s is a small venue that is also a bar and restaurant. The tickets were only $13 for the show. To be honest, it was not my favorite venue. It is cramped and I have a feeling the fire marshal would not appreciate how many people blocked the exit when the band went on. It was worth it to see one of my favorite bands so intimately but I wouldn’t go back for a band that I didn’t love. I became so annoyed with the small space that we left before the band started their last 3 songs. I am happy I finally visited Pappy and Harriet’s though!

On our last day in the desert, we headed to C&S Coffee Shop in Yucca Valley. Yelp had recommended their french toast and they were not wrong. It was great! Their eggs and breakfast meats were just as tasty.  The place was packed. We luckily got in and sat at the last available table. Our last stop before heading back to Los Angeles was Pioneertown once more. We didn’t get to explore the “Mane Street” while visiting Pappy and Harriet’s so we had to come back. Pioneertown was originally created Old West movie set in the 1940’s. There are now actual shops located in Pioneertown, selling everything from saddles to books to jewelry. I think Pioneertown is best suited for children but we didn’t see any. There were adults visiting but it seemed like something that a kid would enjoy the most. We didn’t stay long but we did walk down “Mane Street.” After visiting Pionertown, we got on the road and headed back to Los Angeles. I love the desert. It is very magical.