My wife and I had only 3 nights to stay here, but we could easily see staying for much longer. We spent most of the daylight hours making various excursions around the area, but we could easily see just staying on the property for days on end. Rick and Carter have created a true oasis, not just from the desert, but from whatever kind of everyday life you might have had enough of for a while.
Before you arrive, your hosts make you feel very welcome, ensuring that you can find the location easily and, in our case, being very flexible with the arrival time. Rick offered us eggs from his chickens, and brought us apples from his tree when we arrived. We had told Rick that we were interested in hiking, and he offered suggestions of where we could hike where the conditions would be milder, as we had arrived during a sort of heatwave.
Although the owners live on property adjacent to the casita, we felt very secluded there. When you are inside the property, you could be anywhere in the world because the palm grove surrounds you so that all you can see are the mountains and the sky stretching out around you. And while Rick is very helpful and thoughtful, he was not at all intrusive. You could not ask for a better host.
The casita is very nicely decorated, and all the furnishings and accessories seem new. It is very easy to feel at home because it has everything you need, and the furniture is comfortable and not beaten up.
The grounds, of course, are a marvel. When you step out the back door, you have so many choices of social space. The area under the thatched canopy by the tilapia pond is very comfortable for lounging, and there is also the mineral spring hot tub (wonderful at night), a small table where we had meals, shaded outdoor seating by the gas grill, more seating out on the lawn in the sun, and a hammock. All of this surrounded by palm trees, gardens, and sky.
We spent our time out at Joshua Tree National Park and exploring the Salton Sea area, and we could have easily spent several more days doing that, and a lot longer on other excursions. It was great to come back after a long day of site seeing and be able to make a nice dinner and relax under the stars in the mineral spring tub. Those few hours made it easy to imagine coming back for a longer stay and never leaving the casita.
I thank Rick and Carter for creating such a wonderful experience that really enabled me to forget about work and deadlines and all those other plagues of everyday life.