Journal — getaways

2019 was another year of devastating wildfires around the world, California was no exception.  This year the difference was that the fires were closer and closer to what we think of as, "in-town" or near the city and sprawl of Los Angeles.  The fires in Malibu, Bel Air, and the Hollywood Hills have been terrifying and unnerving.  

  Pipes Canyon in the Mojave Desert, nestled in the desert mountains north of Palm Springs is a unique treasure of the high desert.  It's off the beaten path of the route to Joshua Tree, and remains a secluded outpost of horse ranches, cabins, volcanic mesas, rugged boulder outcroppings, and feels a world away from the Coachella Valley which is only about a half an hour down the road.  We were lucky enough to stay in the Black Lava Lodge, a recently built cabin in Pipes Canyon sitting at the base of the Black Lava Butte, which is a part of...