The New York Times straps on its hiking boots and slathers on the sunscreen and heads out to the desert in its latest travel section. More specifically, the NYT visits Joshua Tree at the tail end of a real estate boom. The writer is awed not only by the natural beauty of the desert, but by cheap real estate, FOER (that would be Friends of Ed Ruscha to you and me) building giant land sculptures, and the ghost of Gram Parsons. Now a playground for artists and architects, the NYT chronicles the encroachment of bobo emblems like "a new shop that sells wine, artisanal cheeses and vintage cowboy boots" and an eco-friendly spa, natch. Now long-time residents, and by long-time we mean people who bought shacks all the back in the halcyon days of 2003, are worried their little hippie haven is being invaded by all the Johnny-come-latelys who want to build pre-fab and a Home Depot set to open. Pity the poor artists who must now deal with the parking lot traffic of a Home Depot. It reminds us a Joni Mitchell song we used to hum...
= · Where the Rebel Meets the Road in Joshua Tree [NY Times]
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Walking in Gram Parson's Footsteps: NYT in Joshua Tree
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