Art and nature thrive at 29 Palms Inn, a collection of thick-walled adobe bungalows and wood-frame cabins on 70 acres within the Oasis of Mara. There’s no lodging closer to the Twentynine Palms Visitor Center of Joshua Tree National Park, and no place that better captures the artistic essence of J-Tree. Walk the property and you’ll discover hand-carved signs that deliver both practical and quixotic messages. Gaze at artist Makoto Hashigami’s Spirit of Mara mural depicting a Native American woman carrying water from the oasis. Visit the art gallery at the 29 Palms Creative Center, or sign up for a workshop.
Owned by the same family for five generations, 29 Palms Inn offers a comfortable set of cabins, including two that date from the 1920s. The relaxed grounds also include a two-acre organic farm, an enclosed gazebo sheltering a hot tub, and a sprinkling of hammocks. A houseboat floats on the palm-shaded pond, which attracts so many bird species that a local naturalist leads guided walks on weekend mornings.
The inn’s boho Restaurant at the 29 Palms Inn, right next to the pool, serves baked-on-the-premises sourdough bread, as tasty as San Francisco’s signature loaves, and organic produce from the aforementioned Faultline Farm is harvested by the chef and featured on the menu daily. At the restaurant’s bar, order up an artisanal cocktail or local beer to go with nightly low-key live music performed in the corner.
For DIY dining, there are outdoor barbecues and picnic tables, and well-behaved dogs are welcome in select cabins.
