Moonlight Mesa Retreats

This review is the official notice of my resignation from the (dis)honorary title of "Dirt Bag Climber".


Moonlight Mesa Retreats currently offers two different homes for rent in Joshua Tree.

This review is for the "Rio House". The house is in the Monument Manor sub-division uphill from HW 62, only a half mile from the entrance to the park. From the outside the house is pretty non-descript. It sits on a five acre lot and has a fenced in backyard. Inside the house you will be stoked by the following features:

*Three huge bedrooms, we're still not sure which room is the "master bedroom". One room has a Queen size sleigh bed w/ feather cover and a patio to the backyard. One has the bookcase, and stereo, and wide screen HD TV, and sofa. Upstairs is the (master?) with it's own bathroom, and craftmatic vibrating bed!

*New kitchen with black granite counter top, ss gas range, convection toaster oven, dishwasher etc. All- Clad (copper core!) cook wear, lots of stem wear and assorted dishes.

*Dogs welcome

*Super quiet, and close to the park.

For five nights it cost $900.

Book early because all of the houses fill up fast. I was in a rush to book so I chose Quail Crossing. Looking back, it seems like Sunset Terrace or Rio House might have been a better choice for us. Quail Crossing is described on Moonlight Mesa's website as their "most secluded rental" so I expected some major seclusion but there were quite a few neighbors within a short distance. I suppose it's like saying I am the tallest of the three Asian girls but it still doesn't necessarily mean I'm tall. Get it?

Unfortunately, the weather was not very good the two nights we were there. We were only able to enjoy the beautiful outdoor space the first afternoon when we arrived. After that, it rained and was ridiculously windy. When the rain finally cleared up, it was 40 degrees outside so we spent the majority of the weekend indoors.

Parts of the house reminded me a little too much of Ikea. However, I do have to say that the house was very well equipped. It had all the condiments and spices you need for cooking, tons of toys for kids, lots of DVDs for entertainment, and all the miscellaneous items you don't realize you need until you do like extra paper to make shopping lists, tape, and even a martini shaker. Each of the bathrooms had hair dryers and flat irons and although you had to bring your own shampoo and conditioner, they provided body wash.

Also, Christa was very easy to work with and responsive by email. I would recommend Moonlight Mesa Retreats to anyone looking for a reliable, comfortable, and clean rental in Joshua Tree.

We stayed at Sunset Terrace - it was our first time to Joshua Tree which is amazing. The house is super easy to find - though easier in the daytime as there's a small dirt road which isn't so obvious.

The house was the easiest place to stay. Every detail was taken care of with small little notes everywhere that would have answered any question you might have had. We were just two people, but the bedrooms were all very nice and it could easily accommodate 6. We made all our meals in house - all the necessary equipment was provided for all kinds of meals.

The outdoor space was really well planned - hot tub worked great and was easy to just open and get in then close up when done. Grill was a little confusing for us city folk who don't have much experience with them...Wish there had been just a little more lighting outside (but possible we just didn't see it...)

They provided the most thorough guidebook of potential restaurants (dine in, takeout, and delivery), guides for the park, and other cool activities to do in the area. They also provided really easy instructions pre-arrival which helped make everything just the best.

WOULD DEFINITELY STAY HERE AGAIN!

Rio House Review:

My friends and I adored this house! It's spacious, clean, well lit with beautiful views. We came in the winter so the hot tub was glorious as well as the fire pit outside. There was already some fire wood there which we used and replaced with some more for the next guests. I want to thank Christa for allowing dogs because this trip would not have been complete if we didn't have our pups there. There were so many utensils for our use which we really appreciated since we cooked most of our meals. The house is very close driving distance to Joshua Tree - we can not wait to stay here again!

These guys have four amazing houses for rent, which is why reviewers typically ID the place in which they stayed. We stayed in the Sunset Terrace House. Want to hear about our wonderful Joshua Tree experience? Lemme break it down for you...

NOUNS: sanctuary, hot tub, private patio, stainless steel appliances, 3BR, wifi, coffee
VERBS: sleep, caress, drink, kiss, hike, inhale
ADJECTIVES:tranquil, restful, clean, romantic, warm, beautiful, perfect, restorative
ADVERBS: passionately, happily, sweetly, thankfully
PRONOUNS: I, she, we
INTERJECTIONS: oooh! cool! ahhh...! mmm...! awesome!
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Moonlight Mesa Retreats - Christa
Sunset Terrace House
61584 Terrace Dr, Joshua Tree National Park, CA 92252
$135-$185
(760) 401-3289 ; www.moonlightmesaretreats.com;

If you're going to vacation in Joshua Tree, I say take your pick: either rough it up and camp, or spoil yourself lavish. My friends and I are divas, and we opted for the latter.

There is a two-night minimum stay on the weekends, all for the better. Our first choice would have been the Sunset House, which has a hot tub in addition to what will be described next -- but it was booked. ;\ Still, the Rio House was a dream desert sanctuary. For only $200 a night (if your group is between 2-4 people), you get a well-decorated home that has a kitchen fully stocked with appliances and various condiments; three hulking bedrooms (the upstairs room is a loft with a vibrating bed) with two bathrooms; and a fenced-in backyard area with a bonfire pit, barbecue equipment, and access to five acres of land to explore. One of the rooms has a flatscreen TV with a DVD/book/CD library. There is a friendly manager on call to answer any questions.

After a long day of trudging out in the Joshua Tree National Park, the entrance to which is under a mile away, it's the perfect place to come back, pop open a few bottles of wine, cook up a nice little dinner while blasting your favorite CD, and have a bonfire while gazing deliriously at the stars.

We stayed at the Desert Casa for two nights and wished we could have moved in for two months (or 2 years!).

The house was perfect: furnished beautifully, nicely maintained, and with the most amazing pool and views you could ever imagine.

And, to make the ideal getaway even more perfect, the property owners are as nice as can be. I cannot recommend Moonlight Mesa highly enough and we cannot wait to go back!!!!

Holy smoke, what a great experience.

My wife and I rented "Sunset Terrace" for four nights and really didn't want to leave. I've been in plenty of rental houses throughout the years and this was really the best I've ever had. The hot tub ruled, the WiFi worked, the house had everything you needed, and it was CLOSE to the "main drag" as well as being just minutes to the park.

Not much else to say except that the next time we go to Joshua Tree, there's only one place we're going to stay.

(This review is for the Sunset Terrace house of Moonlight Mesa Retreats.)

My friend and I spent two nights at Sunset Terrace. It is situated a few blocks off the highway down a dirt road, so it feels very secluded and peaceful. The house was beautiful: 3 bedrooms, a kitchen stocked with dishes (and some condiments, although we didn't make use of them), a nice little living room with a huge picture window looking out towards Joshua Tree National Park (one of the park entrances is only a couple of blocks down the highway), and a backyard with a hot tub. Nothing like enjoying the beautiful desert sunrise from the warmth of a hot tub! The living room has a DVD player and some movies to choose from, which came in handy after a long day of hiking. I would definitely come back here!

We just enjoyed an absolutely perfect stay at the Sunset Terrace House in Joshua Tree. The moment I walked through the front door, I could literally feel my stress evaporate. The kitchen: amazing. The backyard: tranquil. The bed: fluffy and comfortable. The location: close to town and one National Park entrance. The price: affordable. The result: everyone was jealous of our amazing digs.

Enjoy a bottle of wine or a pot of coffee on the back porch, watch the quail, bunnies, and road runners wander through, listen to the soft rustling of the leafy tree that covers the hammock, relax in the desert sunshine, and dip into the hot tub-- you will feel absolutely amazing.

This was the perfect place to relax in J-Tree.