SEEKING ENLIGHTENMENT ON DUSTY ROADS BY MATEO HOKE
Highway 74 curls like
pasta dropped in the desert.
D
FUN FACT
own, down we drop through the gray, hot desert. The sun is bright, the windows are down, and somewhere out here is the American Dream. I can smell it. Beneath our tires, Highway 74 curls around itself like a spaghetti noodle
dreamy combo), and its large wooden ice cream cone on a telephone pole (get the vanilla). Or the Paradise Valley Cafe in Mountain Center, a wood-paneled piece of history showcasing signed celebrity photos on the wall (hi, Elvira) and a menu that could heal many a political divide. These are quality places to spend valuable time with strangers, but I can’t stay long. I have business in the valley. Back on the road, it’s a brisk
Palm Springs’ annual White Party began in 1989 as a small gathering of friends, but has since grown into one of the largest LGBTQ events in the world.
dropped in the dirt. Sure, there are faster, more linear ways to get to the Coachella Valley from San Diego, but two-lane roads are where the great mysteries of consciousness are best untangled. Freeways are just another commute. Personally, I like my road trips full of gas station coffee, a buffet of snacks, and old country music. A few sips of a poor man’s latte made with drip dark roast and two of those little peel-back French vanilla creamers while John Denver reminds me that life ain’t nothing but a funny funny riddle, and I basically turn into Siddhartha. Content. Car culture will no doubt be the death of us all, but it’s unquestionably got its charms. On roads such as these, I brake hard and swerve fast for hole-in-the wall joints full of Americana and hot sustenance. Like The Stagecoach Inn in Aguanga, with its handwritten note on the door telling visitors to “Be aware of snakes,” its sign boasting cocktails and homemade chili (a
106 degrees outside as my wife, baby and I cruise to our first destination, the new Drift Hotel in downtown Palm Springs. Opened in March, the building is a large white letter C wrapped around a pool and a dirt patch they call the cactus garden, full of fire pits and potential. The rooms are spacious, decorated minimalist Baja-chic. Neutral colors, Mexican ceramics, jute rugs, in-room bar setups, and pour-over coffee. Counter space, but no closet space. The standup trash can matches the stools, which I appreciate. It's all very clean, cool, and comfortable.
79 58 JULY 2023
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