twentynine palms 5 years on
After we postponed our trip to Tel Aviv and Istanbul, we decided to take a breather on the road. It was the last of our California road trips for a long while, so we decided to head southeast for some good hot weather in the Mojave.
Five years ago this Thanksgiving, we went to Joshua Tree and stayed in 29 Palms right next door. It was a brilliant trip, we loved the desert and late fall was no different. What the hell, we decide to return -- not thinking too much about it. Just getting in the car and going.
Five years ago, you might never suspect that 29 Palms is home to the largest Marine base in the US. Five years ago, you might never think twice about any development, economy or real estate. This time around these attributes loomed larger than life.
We captured a bunch of photos of the trip. To be explicit, we had a ball running around the desert shooting the complicated signifiers crashing against the raw beauty of all the desolation that is the desert. The downtown area is a tiny strip of commercial property much like the images in the postcards above. Instead of super small-town USA, we encountered a strange blurring of military and civilian life. Add the new fact that 29 Palms has the most foreclosures in the US and well… this was our vacation! A perfect match for news junkies high on the sluggish time which vacation facilitates.
Strangely we weren't able to leave with any imagery of the toll the economy and housing bubble crash has taken on the communities(s). We passed several billboards along the freeways warning citizens that copper wire theft is punishable by law with time in prison. Another reference to the economic turmoil – many businesses appeared to be closed -- seemingly random closures, seemingly indefinite.
What remains now is a set of photos to compare yet again with the 29 Palms in another 5 years out. I've begun reading up on the history and future of this small town. Some people have big plans to turn this into a thriving community in support of alternative energy R&D. Conceivable, because of the low cost of living along with proximity to the wind belt. I certainly hope this place rocks out with alt energy. But if they don't, I'll still be visiting every so often.
