Breathe in that desert air.

I went to Joshua Tree last weekend for a friend's wedding. I left the travel plans to someone else, and it was great to be able to pack a bag, hop into the car, and head out on a road trip. First stop, donuts.

We stayed at the Joshua Tree Inn, where rock star Gram Parsons died in Room 8 in 1973. We were in Room 4, and I sadly report no paranormal experiences, although my friends snarked that John's snoring was otherworldly.

Before we headed out to the national park, we stopped by the Integratron in Landers for a Sunday morning sound bath. The Integratron is an all-wood dome with excellent aucoustic properties. (The architect cited extraterrestrials as consultants on the building design.) The sound bath is a half-hour meditation with tones played on crystal bowls that reverberate throughout the building. The woman who played the bowls described the experience as feeling the sound "flossing your brain."

The rest of the trip we spent in the part making frequent stops for large rocks and freaky-looking plants. My favorite was the ocotillo. It blooms with orange flowers at its tips.

We wrapped up the trip with a visit to Zelo in Arcadia for corn, red onion, and balsamic vinegar pizza.