Sunday, May 18, 2008

GETTING THERE: United, American and US Airways offer connecting flights from the Washington area to Palm Springs International Airport, about an hour's drive from Twentynine Palms, Calif. Round-trip fares begin at about $360. Nonstop flights from D.C. to Los Angeles, about three hours by car, start at $245.

WHERE TO STAY: Chain motels line Twentynine Palms Highway on the way into town, but there are also a handful of unique B&Bs and inns worth investigating. Rates in the area often drop after mid-June as temperatures rise.

Roughley Manor (74744 Joe Davis Dr., 760-367-3238, http://www.roughleymanor.com), a sprawling ranch on the outskirts of town, offers cozy rooms in the main house and detached cottages. Nightly rates start at $135 double, including breakfast.

The 29 Palms Inn (73950 Inn Ave., 760-367-3505, http://www.29palmsinn.com) is a hip artists' enclave of wood and adobe cabins, with a loyal following. Rates start at $145 and include a small buffet breakfast.

The Harmony Motel (71161 Twentynine Palms Hwy., 760-367-3351, http://www.harmonymotel.com) prides itself on having hosted members of U2 in the 1980s. The property has seven clean and simple rooms with kitchenettes, and a landscaped pool and spa. Rates from $72.

WHERE TO EAT: The 29 Palms Inn has a fine poolside restaurant that serves steaks, roast chicken and pasta made with organic herbs and vegetables from the inn's garden. Dinner entrees are $15 to $23, with wines by the glass from $6. Also open for lunch and Sunday brunch.

At the Rib Company (72183 Twentynine Palms Hwy., 760-367-1663), dine on baby back ribs, salmon steak and beef brisket served straight from its parking lot grill. Don't expect much in atmosphere. Entrees run $12 to $22.

For tofu scrambles, fruit smoothies and hearty sandwiches, swing by the Crossroads Cafe and Tavern (61715 Twentynine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree, 760-366-5414), near the west entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. The popular gathering spot showcases local artists and stages live music in the evenings.

WHAT TO DO: Hike, go rock climbing or just commune with the trees at Joshua Tree National Park (760-367-5500, http://www.nps.gov/jotr; from $5). The Oasis visitor center, at the junction of Utah Trail and National Park Drive in Twentynine Palms, is a good place to start your tour. The park has 12 easy nature trails and a handful of good hiking trails, including the moderate three-mile Ryan Mountain Trail, which offers panoramic views of the park's desert landscape. From mid-February through May, wildflowers and cacti bloom.

Watch a movie under the stars at Smith's Ranch Drive-In (4584 Adobe Rd., 760-367-7713; $5). The theater opened in the 1950s and still shows first-run movies on weekends. Slip on your bowling shoes at the Bowladium (73768 Gorgonio Dr., 760-367-9502), which has 16 lanes, pool tables, a cocktail lounge and 20th-century prices.

INFO: Twentynine Palms Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center,73660 Civic Center Dr., 760-367-3445, http://www.visit29.org.

-- L.R.