Much like the prospectors who came to California in search of gold, I wanted to proclaim “Eureka!” upon sliding open the glass patio doors that connected Casa Luisa’s living room to its expansive backyard. It contains the home’s best features, including a hot tub I heated to 102 for a starry nighttime soak that was bubblier than a champagne pour.
If I had grown up in California’s Hi-Desert, the region within the Mojave located just north and west of Joshua Tree National Park, I have a feeling my home would’ve looked a lot like Casa Luisa. This 3-bedroom, 2-bath ranch-style house, crafted of stucco and with solar panelled roofs, is tucked away in a tidy subdivision just off Twentynine Palms Highway on a street that dead ends with views of seasonally snow-capped mountains. I felt at home here right away.
Why stay at Casa Luisa?
A lot of Southern Californians have wizened to the fact that the Hi-Desert is a stylish getaway and subsequently snatched up acreages across the region, built hip homesteads, and all seem to ooze trendy features like cowboy swimming pools, stargazing beds and outdoor showers aimed squarely at the VanLife crowd. Casa Luisa is more likely to appeal to a lowkey friend group less intent on Instagramming every moment of their desert vacation.
What are the rooms like at Casa Luisa?
I walked into Casa Luisa to the soothing sounds of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor. After sussing out the home and kindly commanding Alexa to turn off the tunes, I beelined for the master bedroom (named Joel) and threw myself down on the king bed which was fitted with white linens. Atop it rested a crocheted patterned throw I’m certain was artfully draped to resemble a rattlesnake—a common desert critter.
To the right of the bed was a rustic farmhouse mirror and tucked into one corner was a slip of paper with a QR code containing the unit’s WiFi. Meanwhile, at the foot of the bed was a tufted leather ottoman which I cracked open and was delighted to see was filled with blankets (in winter, temps here can drop slightly below freezing at night). Scanning the room I also noticed Art Deco-style wall art, a silver-colored metal floor vase and a three-drawer grooved nightstand with a glass top. A wall-mounted Samsung TV hung above a copper console table with a weathered finish.
The second and third bedrooms (named Jefferey and Jonathan respectively) were similarly styled. Jefferey contained a queen bed with white linens, a Samsung TV, twin nightstands, mirrors, decorative wall art and a closet with two robes and a luggage stand. Jonathan, meanwhile, boasted two twin beds ideal for small children (or a bickering couple) both with white linens and an aquarium stand between them. The room also featured a small Samsung TV, and a Tiffany floor lamp with decorative shade. Each bathroom in the house boasted a full tub with shower head, the requisite toiletries, and standard vanities. Towels were plentiful.
What are the best things to eat and drink at Casa Luisa?
Guests with culinary ambitions will be pleased. In addition to a full-sized fridge stocked with condiments, a gas stovetop and an oven, exposed cabinetry held plenty of cups, dishes, and glassware, the kitchen boasted a spice rack, coffeemaker and plenty of cutlery. There is also coffee and tea, a Primo water station and a mint-colored portable ice maker whose intermittent rumblings I several times mistook as a friendly ghost.
Casa Luisa is a mere stone’s throw from the town of Joshua Tree’s main drag which includes several takeaway and sit down dining options like The DEZ and Big DEZ, Crossroads Cafe, and Sky High Pies. Noteworthy restaurants within a 10-minute drive of Casa Luisa include The Copper Room, Más o Menos and Mojave Gold.
What are the facilities like at Casa Luisa?
Upon entering the home, I immediately ditched my shoes (a house rule) and threw on a pair of slippers (a woven basket next to the front door contains about a dozen pairs). If I possessed any musical talent whatsoever I’d have sat at the Suzuki baby grand piano and tickled the ivories with a Cole Porter tune or two, but instead I scanned the living room which boasts a grey mid-century sofa, an upholstered wingback chair, a hefty driftwood coffee table with a glass top, a jute, flatweave floor rug and a side table which contained a rattan basket full of towels for the outdoor amenities.
Guests at Casa Luisa will want to spend as much time as possible in the impressive backyard. It includes a sizable aboveground swimming pool and hot tub (which I returned to several times throughout my stay). Next to the pool is a freestanding, tin-roof gazebo featuring a bamboo daybed with mandala-patterened decorative pillows, French windows and tangerine curtains to help obscure the sun. A trestled pergola features an outdoor dining table for four, a Weber gas grill with stainless steel burners, wicker patio loungers with decorative pillows, and a drum-style coffee table with a glass top.
There is also a ping-pong table, an outdoor shower with adjustable heat (though I lost patience waiting for it to warm up) and abundant desert shrubbery including potted aloe and succulents, pine trees, lantanas with vivid gold and crimson blooms, canna lilies, foxtail agaves, and prickly pear and barrel cacti. Giant reeds stretching 15 feet help obscure the chain link fencing and shade cloths provide much needed privacy.
A pebbled area with a fire pit was my favorite part. It featured a wood-burning chiminea made of cast iron (bring your own logs), surrounded by a half dozen flat granite boulders for sitting, a wooden bench and two zero gravity loungers with cup holders. I was traveling solo, but could only imagine how enjoyable it might have been to roast s’mores with friends while gazing upward at a night sky littered with thousands of stars.
What’s the service like at Casa Luisa?
Like most vacation rentals, Casa Luisa is self service. I received a welcome letter via email the day before my arrival which reiterated the home’s address and included the lock box code to the main gate, the front door entry code, and a list of house rules, home features, and outdoor amenities. Access went super smoothly.
What’s the area like around Casa Luisa?
The home is located in a quiet subdivision about 8 kilometers from Joshua Tree National Park’s West Entrance Station, the entry point for most park visitors. It’s only a kilometer to the town of Joshua Tree’s main drag which includes the aforementioned restaurants, but also numerous shops, galleries and oddball attractions like the World Famous Crochet Museum and the Beauty Bubble Salon and Museum. Hi-Desert highlights like Pioneertown, the Integratron and the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Art Museum are all within a 15-20 minute drive from the house.
Why should you book a stay at Casa Luisa?
Casa Luisa offers close proximity to Joshua Tree National Park, plus a wow-worthy backyard with enough amenities to please everyone. Divide the nightly cost among a friend group or family, and you wind up with an affordable getaway orbited by the best of everything that has made the Hi-Desert such an irresistible SoCal side trip.
DETAILS
Address: 61648 Crest Circle Drive, Joshua Tree, CA, 92252
Price: Starting at $375 per night
Transport: Palm Springs International Airport is just under an hour’s drive from Casa Luisa
Book now: via Booking.com
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