Beauty's Where You Find It...

Seeing Wonder Valley for the first time can be a little shocking. It's a desolate almost unforgiving section of The Mojave Desert just outside the military town of Twentynine Palms. Though it's sparsely populated there seems to be a myriad of little shacks in all directions. Cabins and one room houses dot the landscape as a reminder of the homesteading that went on in the desert back in the middle of the previous century. All that was required to claim the land was to build a habitable structure and that's just what everyone did. As small as habit-ably possible!

As you drive through the valley on one of two routes (Amboy Road or Highway 62) you will repeatedly see large dirt devils spinning dust up into the atmosphere. You will see cabins in disrepair or long since abandoned. You will see scrub and creosote and way off in the distance you might notice salt flats and granite hillsides. Wonder Valley is indeed a desolate place and you will wonder, "who would ever live here?"

So imagine my surprise when I found out that Wonder Valley is home to The Beauty Bubble Salon and Beauty Museum. The promise of this particular museum was memorabilia from different eras of hairstyles and the beauty industry such as hair dryers, curling irons, advertisements, shampoo bottles, wigs and more. I had to see it for myself.

I called the proprietor, Jeff, and he was more than happy to schedule a private tour. I did not realize that The Beauty Bubble is in fact a working hair salon so he would have to fit me in between styling appointments. We arranged a time and I was grateful as well as extremely excited to see his place with my own eyes.

The Beauty Bubble is part of The Moon Way Lodge. The Moon Way is a bed and breakfast offering private rooms with kitchenettes plus amenities including a hot tub, private pool and more stars in the sky than you will see anywhere else.

Jeff greeted me upon my arrival and took me around the property and to the salon. Almost immediately after entering I was reminded of the places my Mom used to go to get a tease and frost. I'm from Louisiana originally and back there it is not uncommon for one of the neighbor ladies to have a little beauty parlor in her back room or sun porch. The Beauty Bubble was exactly that - A sun-filled room with a sink, styling station and comfortable hair dryer to sit under. Oh the stories that must go on in there. The walls of the salon are lined with framed advertisements of beauty products from the past plus there are glass cases to show off pieces of the museum collection. I found myself particularly enthralled by a clear plastic box of Farrah Fawcett doll heads.

From there we went to the museum which is a separate structure and when the door was opened, I was speechless. Everywhere from top to bottom of every wall and in every nook and cranny was something representative of the history of the beauty salon and the beauty industry in general. There was so much that I was having a hard time focusing on any one thing. The larger items will get your attention first and there's no missing the antique perm machine once used by Veronica Lake. I had to wonder though if the machine really worked since after all, Veronica's hair was pretty straight. Maybe it doubled as a wave machine.

The shelves harbored antique hair dryers, curling irons, combs, brushes, shampoos and more... It is an amazing exhibit. If you look closely you are bound to see something completely new and foreign. For me that item was the C-Bak which is a handy device which looks something like sun glasses. However, when you put them on it has mirrors which allow you to see the back of your head. With these you'll never have a hair out of place!

Jeff also offered a tour of the lodge and grounds. I wasn't about to pass that up. Jeff's partner Mikal is an artist so I jumped at the chance to see more of his work as well as get a feel for this very special property. We toured the guest rooms and pool area as well as the loft which they call ‘Heaven'. From that loft you can practically see forever in every direction. From a second story you can easily capture the vastness that is Wonder Valley. Mikal's work is all around the property and it's fun to enjoy. Jeff is also part of a musical duo and he was telling me of an upcoming performance in Twentynine Palms. I couldn't help but think how talented and creative these guys are and how wonderful it was to spend time at their place in Wonder Valley.

My suggestion is to make a weekend of it... Book a room at The Moon Way Lodge (www.moonwaylodge.com). Get a new doo from Jeff. Visit Mikal's art studio in town. Take a personal tour of The Beauty Bubble. Take a nap by the pool. Count shooting stars at midnight. Lose yourself in the middle of The Mojave Desert. You will have no problem finding beauty in Wonder Valley.