Getting the flavor of ... The solitude of Joshua Tree

The solitude of Joshua Tree

Go to Yosemite for the crowds, but come to Joshua Tree for the quiet, said Tom Uhlenbrock in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Though it’s the lesser known of the two national parks, Joshua Tree is just as spectacular. This “eerie expanse of cactus-studded” sand spans six mountain ranges, encompasses parts of the Mojave and Colorado deserts, and is home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna. To me, Joshua Tree’s allure derives from the sense of solitude it offers visitors. I often found myself alone amid its nearly 800,000 acres. On an eight-mile hike to Lost Palms Oasis—a sheltered, steep-sided ravine with “the park’s largest grove of stately fan palms”—the only sounds were the “rustling of the palm fronds and the song of a cactus wren.” When I climbed the craggy sides of Ryan Mountain for a panoramic view of the desert, I shared the summit with only two other hikers.

Contact: Nps.gov/jotr/

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Miami’s Design District

South Beach isn’t the only place to be seen in Miami, said Necee Regis in The Washington Post. The Design District, a new hot spot in the Buena Vista neighborhood, has been attracting everyone interested in “high design, good food, fashion, and fine art.” In the past few years, the city’s biggest names in restaurants and retail have set up shop in the 10-block radius north of Midtown Miami. The first was chef Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink, named one of the top 10 restaurants outside of Manhattan by The New York Times. Other culinary staples, such as Pacific Time, were quick to follow. Next came the design houses, clothing retailers, and gallery owners. After a day trolling its streets, the “lines between food and design, design and art, and art and fashion begin to blur.” It’s easy to forget South Beach entirely.

Contact: Miamidesigndistrict.net