My Favorite Corners of... California's High Desert

Issue 014 Guide: Spectacular spots for sunrise, invigorating hikes for sunset, and the best tamales you'll find along the way to Joshua Tree.

Welcome to my version of a destination guide! This is not intended to be treated as a guide, per se. It’s simply a collection of places that I enjoyed visiting and photographing beyond the hotels during a trip. Hopefully it will encourage you, dearest readers, to go out and find your own Favorite Corners during your travels. Wherever you venture, I hope you’ll do so with the intention to learn inquisitively, ask courteously, and enjoy respectfully.

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While I spent time “resetting” in the barren vastness of California’s High Desert, I was, of course, also on the hunt for standout spots to dine and drink. These oases of good food were admittedly few and far between—but that only made each discovery more rewarding. Natural beauty, on the other hand, was so abundant that choosing where best to take it in proved the real challenge. Over four days in September 2025, during my stays at Hotel Wren and then Reset Hotel, these are the highlights I uncovered…