Desert Thoughts

Guides & quiet ideas from the Joshua Tree desert.

This is where the thinking part of It’s Good To Think lives — slow travel guides, notes from Stardust Haven, and reflections that tend to show up only after a few days in the high desert.

Browse the pieces below. Start with a guide if you’re planning your first trip, or a reflection if you’re already dreaming about coming back.

Start here

A few early desert thoughts.

As Stardust Haven grows, this page will fill with more guides and essays — all written from a small, quiet place near the north entrance of Joshua Tree National Park.

Best Time to Visit Joshua Tree (for Quiet, Stars & Space to Think)

If you care more about stargazing and slow mornings than crowded trails, the “best time to visit” isn’t about peak season — it’s about temperature, moonlight, and how much noise you’re escaping from.

Why the Desert Is One of the Best Places to Rethink Your Life

Cities are great for momentum. Deserts are great for honesty. A few days in Joshua Tree can feel like stepping outside your own story just long enough to edit it.

A 2-Day Joshua Tree Itinerary Built Around Deep Conversation

Less “do everything,” more “do a few things well.” A simple two-day flow that leaves room for walks, stars, and the kind of conversations you remember a year later.

Building Stardust Haven: Notes from a Tiny Desert Airbnb

Why we chose this corner of the desert, what we optimized the space for, and the little details (like light, silence, and notebooks) that matter more than square footage.

What the Desert Sends Back with You

You don’t stay in Joshua Tree forever. But the way you notice light, time, and conversation might come home with you — if you let it.