Le Haute Desert Aerie - the place to be

 

Main Street, Pioneer Town

It was suggested by a reader that I should visit a place near Pioneertown, which I would find very interesting.

I like interesting places, and know Pioneertown. Laureen and I played a couple of characters in a low-budget western film utilizing the 1880’s themed town a few years back. 

Pioneertown - the place, where all sorts of Hollywood western legends used to film movies and television shows is approximately sixty-seven miles, southeast of Victorville off of Highway 247. The likes of Roy Rogers, Russell Haden and Gene Autry, just to name a few were almost locals in this place. Rogers enjoyed nothing better than bowling at the Pioneer Bowl between film shoots.

And there we were with a film crew, all dolled up in our western apparel and ready to act. It was a great deal of fun - if standing around for hours dressed in period wardrobe, on a hot summer day, and waiting for the chance for a three minute on-screen presence could be considered enjoyable at all.

We love dressing the part

Actually, we had a great time with the entire crew and couldn’t wait to see our film debut on the big screen.

We’re still waiting.

But, I digress.

I asked Laureen if she recalled a place in Pioneertown that had something to do with being hot and airy in the desert. “It’s called Le Haute Desert Aerie.”

Shaking her head, something I am all too familiar with when I pose certain questions, she responded. “It’s French, and roughly translated means a birds nest in the high desert.”

“That’s what I thought,” I responded.

Anyway, turns out that this Le Haute Desert Aerie, is a rather fancy getaway that involves Airstream trailers, safari tents, and a large hand-crafted house sitting on top of a high hill just northeast of Pioneertown.

Airstreams, tents, and anything crafted got my attention.

A road trip was needed – actually, in this humble writer’s opinion – a road trip is always needed.

I contacted the General Managers of the Le Haute Desert Aerie, to see if we could have a tour of the property.

Darrein Seqqoya, who is one of the managers along with her husband, Ryan, stated: “We’d love to take you on a tour.”

“And we’d love to be taken on a tour,” I replied. “Are the Airstreams really shiny?”

“Excuse me,” she replied.

“The trailers, the Airstreams, they are so cool and shiny when the sun hits them just right.”

There was a pause. “Yes, they are.”

They are really shiny!

We set a date and time for our tour.

“You didn’t really ask if they were shiny, did you?” Laureen asked, as we headed east out of Lucerne Valley on 247.

I didn’t answer. It did sound rather inane, when stated back to me. Shiny, of course they would be – they’re Airstreams.

Before starting out, research was conducted and learned that the owners of Le Haute Desert Aerie, were Eric and Lori Mueller. Eric is an internationally known artist as well as a successful custom furniture designer and builder. He had painstakingly built each section of the desert getaway himself. Native stone, scavenged Joshua tree wood, and other natural materials were used to create a sanctuary, all on forty acres of rolling desert hills.

Laureen and John beneath the Spirit Portal

For nearly a decade, they have run an Airbnb, used primarily for commercial photographers and film industry rentals. But now, they have expanded and the entire forty acre compound or specific sections of it can be rented from two nights to three million nights. A huge portion of their business is a venue for weddings.

“The photographs on line were beautiful,” Laureen stated. “The whole place looks so serene.”

“We shall see after our tour,” I stated. Being a travel writer, I have to see for myself before making judgement calls with only internet photos as a baseline. I’m disciplined like that.

The directions given to us were perfect. Just a half mile east of the restaurant, Pappy’s and Harriet’s, in Pioneertown there is a very well graded dirt road heading north. Stay on it until it reaches Le Haute Desert Aerie. It’s that simple.

A public service announcement; do not use a GPS. The Pioneertown and Sawtooth Mountains play havoc with the satellites circling the earth. 

“It says to turn around, get out of the car, and roll around in the dirt.”

“Must be the right thing to do. It is the global positioning system, after all.”

Driving up to the main entrance to Le Haute Desert Aerie was very impressive. To the right is the main residence, a large multilevel structure which appears to have come out of a different country.

Recognizable right off is a large wood pergola stationed on the lower level from the entrance way. 

“That’s not from here,” I said.

“No, it’s from Tibet,” Ryan responded, as he and Darrien introduced themselves.

All the way from Tibet

This young couple have been the property managers, and marketing team, for the resort for nearly eight months. They moved to the site from San Diego, and haven’t regretted one second being somewhat off the grid.

“We really enjoyed San Diego,” Darrien said. “But living here, and meeting all the wonderful people who visit us, is so worth it.”

“It’s so peaceful here,” Ryan stated. 

Peaceful seemed in abundance. The views of the desert were wide and open. They were also open and wide.

“Let’s begin with the tour down at the Airstream village,” Darrien suggested.

John with the managers, Ryan and Darrien

And we did. Walking down dirt paths, we were shown a garden of trees – juju bean, cherry, apple, and a whole lot more that I can’t remember. Well-tended and loved.

“The whole property is on solar, even though we are on the grid,” Ryan said. “And we obtain our water from a large underground aquifer.”

According to the U.S. Geological Survey information, the aquifer within the Yucca Valley – Joshua Tree area, is huge, and with its annual recharging from runoffs of snow in the nearby mountains, there is plenty of water to be had.

Airstream Village consisted of two large shiny Airstream trailers, with large outdoor covered decks, fireplaces, barbeques, and awesome views of the desert and mountains to the west. 

One great aspect was the outdoor shower. Well, not outdoor exactly. There are doors for privacy, but when showering there is an open view of the surrounding territory for the showerer.  

“I bet the view from this shower is fabulous at night,” I said.

“All the views at night are fabulous,” Ryan replied. “The Milky Way is our window to the universe.”

Well said, young man, well said.

One of the outdoor showers, staring into the heavens

“We have people from all over,” Darrien reported, “and say they’ve never seen such night skies like we have here.”

The places most of the folks come from are Los Angeles, San Diego, and other places south and toward the coast. Though, according to the managers, they are starting to receive guests from all over the southwest.

This place, this Le Haute Desert Aerie has an entire feeling of the Bohemian to it. It has artsy written all over it. Eric has spent years upon years creating a canvass with layers of relaxed patterns, style, texture, color and warmth.

Each section a visitor would find themselves is different. No two spots within the forty acre refuge is the same.

We learned that as the tour continued past a rather large and gracefully designed natural lagoon. Here, guests can sit in chairs while lounging on the sandy beach, enjoying the coolness of the clear and cool waters. 

On a long winding path, we came to a sign which pointed to the left to Little Tibet and to the right Marrakesh. 

This was the Safari Tent section of the resort. The term is, glamping, short for large canvass tents, with soft queen sized beds, stoves, chairs, and outdoor decks to enjoy the views.

“Now, this is rough camping,” Laureen said.

If this is Glamping - count us in!

A few moments later we were at the main residence, also available for those who desire not only a bit more comfort, but a chance to see all the love Eric put into this home. It is hard to explain in words.

Door frames, doors, floor tiles, ceiling panels, windows seem to speak of other countries in which they have come. The home is that of an artist – an artist with a perfect eye for every detail.

The main house is incredible - that's the best way to describe it

“It is absolutely gorgeous,” Laureen stated.

I had to agree. 

For further information:

https://www.lehautedesertaerie.com/