As I gazed upon the sun-catching aluminum side of the Airstream trailer, there was something missing.

Custom made Airstream with no windows on one side

“Do you notice that windows are only on the front, rear, and the entry door side?” asked Jared Pearce, Senior Director of Retail and Food and Beverages for the AutoCamp Hospitality Group.

The other folks on this tour looked confused. I was not - trailers routinely have windows on all sides, otherwise it would be like camping in a coffin.

I raised my hand to show I actually can notice the obvious, despite what my lovely wife, Laureen, believes. Jared ignored my hand waving in the early morning sun in the town of Joshua Tree. 

I felt right at home.

Unique entrance to the main guest lobby

“These are specially manufactured Airstream trailers for the AutoCamp Hospitality Group,” Jared continued. “They are thirty-one feet long with tiled floors, glass walled showers, and other amenities that are not offered in their trailers for the average consumer. Thus, the reason for one side not having windows.”

And, the reason Jared?

He explained that at the AutoCamp in Joshua Tree, they wanted guests to have privacy. So no camp can have looky-loos with their noses smashed against a window seeing what the other campers were having for dinner next door, or if they are wearing clothes while eating that dinner outside.

Lots of trailers to choose from at the Joshua Tree AutoCamp

I had been invited to attend a promotional event at the AutoCamp in Joshua tree by July Zaleski, a public relations guru for Jam Collections, who wanted to showcase this unique style of camping.

No, there were no remunerations - I went because I like camping. I was brought up by parents who loved the outdoors. My father liked roughing it in the woods, and my mother liked having her coffee in the exterior seating area of her favorite bistro.

So checking out a campground sounded good to me, and off I went to the town of Joshua Tree to learn what I could learn.

This was no standard campground.

Not far from the Joshua Tree National Park is a huge developed portion of desert reserved for those visitors who love the outdoors, dark night skies, pleasantly laid out paths around native desert plants, unbelievably comfortable quarters, and just a feeling of relaxation.

I was so relaxed that I fell asleep in a comfortable cushioned armchair situated on an exterior patio overlooking a sparkling blue pool, which also has an amazing view of the majestic mountains on the  northeastern section of the national park.

Large comfortable pool with loungers for guests to enjoy

The relaxation was so wonderful that I dreamed - I dreamed I’d lay myself down to rest in a big field of tall grass. I laid there in the sun and felt it caressing my face. . .

“Those are the lyrics from Eric Burden’s nineteen-seventy song, Spill the Wine,” a voice interrupted my slumber.

It was Heather Villanueva, another public relations big-wig from Jam Collections. “Do you want to join the group for the tour?”

Had I actually been so comfortable in that gorgeous site I had expressed my dreams out loud in song?

I once asked Laureen if I sang when I slept, she being the loving spouse just looked at me, “I wouldn’t call it singing. More like a herd of goats running wild.”

According to Heather, “At this AutoCamp we really wanted to mix the camping experience with the uniqueness of the desert. As you can see, all the lighting here is designed to point downward toward the ground so as not to interfere with the night skies.”

The nearby national park of Joshua Tree is a registered Dark Sky area and the Joshua Tree AutoCamp wanted to honor that. Guests have plenty of lighting so as not to trip and fall on those pointy-hurty cacti that are growing along the well defined dirt pathways all through the area. 

“We sponsor star-gazing parties here once or twice each month,” stated Amanda Wasnock, General Manager. “A lot of people love to come and just marvel at the heavens, and our guest speakers not only bring high quality telescopes but fun stories to match the exciting views of the skies above us.”

The camp also has various other speakers to entertain the guests about Native American heritage, the local history of Joshua Tree, the geological makeup, weather patterns, and the last time the Dogman was sighted in the vicinity.

AutoCamp has 55 rooms available for guests to stay in around the large park (including numerous ADA compliant spaces). The rooms are actually the very roomy Airstreams that are spread out over the entire site allowing each one plenty of room for privacy for the visiting folks.

Each site has a covered patio, fire pit, plenty of room, and some even have outdoor showers for those visitors who really want to enjoy all the wonders of nature. Possibly a good reason for no windows on the facing Airstream.

Group firepits to sit around and chit-chat

As I walked into a few of the upscale trailers available to occupy, I was very impressed with the roominess and classy decor. Bougie all the way - and I don’t even know what the term means, but my daughter Erica uses it to mean a place that is really cool and worth staying at.

“Since these are actually real Airstreams,” Jared said, “They have to be registered by the DMV. But, we don’t want to move them since they are so heavy with all the upgrades our company has installed.”

As I wandered away from the group, as I usually do in group settings, I found myself watching a couple of families enjoying the nearby playground. Children climbing on ladders. Children swinging on swings. Children ignoring commands from their parents, and the parents ignoring commands from their children.

It was a delightful scene.

I noticed folks sitting within a very artistically crafted outdoor meeting area just east of the huge entrance lobby. It is hard to describe - perhaps a humongous wine cask cut in half, large enough for fifty adults to sit in. The interior of this Quonset Hut designed building is protected from the wind, sun, rain, allowing each guest a chance to enjoy the wonders of the outdoors in comfort.

A photograph would better explain what the room looked like and perhaps my editor, Eric, may include one - if not, that’s cool.

“We host a lot of company gatherings and retreats here,” Amanda said. “Those people you see are from all around the world, primarily working remotely. But this is the second year they have stayed at our complex. Each has their own Airstream and they gather for their meetings daily under the cover of the corporate space available. Of course, we also arrange tours of the park, give advice on local eating establishments, and anything else that will make their stay that much more memorable. Then again, we do that for all our guests.”

Joshua Tree AutoCamp welcomes corporate meetings

The camp also offers a good variety of food which can be enjoyed back at individual campsites or eaten at the numerous tables, chairs, and other locations near the entrance hall. A large gift shop sporting comfortable leather furniture and a fireplace has the rudimentary offerings any tourist may need - toiletry items to bottles of wine. They cover it all for the road traveler.

Of special interest is a full bar of adult libations. They even have a daily happy hour, but since I wouldn’t be there at that time, I was not a bit happy.

One interesting note is that no guest vehicles are allowed within the camping area itself.

“Our guests park outside the quarters so as not to interfere with the natural aspects of the Autocamp ideal,” July said. “A guest enters through the keyed gate, park their vehicle, unload what they need into our wheeled carts, and make their way to their designated room. In this aspect, people do not have to deal with the comings and goings of vehicles which could ruin their stay here.”

There are even bikes to guests to utilize

I liked that. And looking around the camp, I understood the ideology behind AutoCamp. An atmosphere of natural beauty, with as little human footprint as possible, and allowing us mere humans to sit back and take it all in.

But as Laureen packs for any outing, I wondered if a Sherpa would be available.

For more information: AutoCamp Joshua Tree - ReservationDesk.com