The historic Harmony Motel sign.

The world's largest Marine base (932 sq miles) is located in 29 Palms.  It is the premier training facility in the world for Marine operations and draws military personnel from all over the world for Combined Arms Exercises. Each year roughly one-third of the Fleet Marine Force and Marine Reserve units -- some 50,000 Marines in all -- participate in the base's training exercise program.

29 Palms residents in this photo are welcoming Marines returning from their tour of duty in Iraq.

The Palms is located in "downtown" Wonder Valley, in the heart of the Mojave Desert, just 10 miles east of 29 Palms and Joshua Tree National Park, and about 5 miles east of the Wonder Valley Fire Station on Amboy Road.  The Palms serves Wonder Valley's finest food (are there any other restaurants in Wonder Valley?), including Saturday Night Specials and Breakfast on Sunday--and also, offers a full selection of beer, wine and spirits.  They also sell old used cassettes, used clothes, have a pool table, and serve two dollar beers.  What more could you want?

The first band in the Wonder Valley 10th Ever Music Festival was The Fresas from Los Angeles.

Laura Sibley of The Sibleys, co-owner of The Palms along with her brother James.

I bought my house in Wonder Valley in 1998. When I was making my decision on whether or not to buy, I decided to visit the nearest bar to see if I felt at home. So I took the dirt road From Rt. 62 to Amboy Road and made a right. A half a mile down I spotted The Palms. I went inside and every head turned around, just like in the movies. The clientele was a collection of bikers, old men, desert ladies and a dog or two. They eventually gave me a collective look of approval and I ordered a beer. In the back room a band struck up a song. I went in to check it out. On stage were a very young blonde brother and sister (I'm guessing she was 16 and he was but a few years older) with a very gaunt older mustachioed speed freak on drums. They were performing a very interesting version of "Elvira" by the Oak Ridge Boys. That was it. I bought the house and frequented the Palms regularly. It turned out the band was called The Sibleys (Laura and James) and they owned the place with Mary, their mom. One night they debuted a new lineup (James had replaced the speed-freak drummer and their friend Thom was added on bass) and featured a few original compositions written with Mary. I was astonished by the simplicity of the music and poetic brilliance of the lyrics. I had never heard anything like it. That night I approached the band about working together. We initially recorded their whole catalog at my house only a few miles from the restaurant but the band didn't sound the same as they did on stage at the bar. I realized what was missing was the bar itself, so with the help of a remote unit, I cut them live with no overdubs at the Palms on a hot Tuesday desert afternoon. The band and I are thrilled with the results.

- Ben Vaughn

Ben Vaughn Desert Classic at The Palms.

The Palms during the 10th Ever Wonder Valley Music Festival.

"Their songs are rife with mournful social commentary, environmental tragedy, wily humor, outsider guile, and political undercurrent. Seldom has there been an album with such joyous music-making, such corrosive, acid-etched lyrics." - WM Smith, No Depression

"With its new album 'Grapevine,' the evocatively named band I See Hawks In L.A. has secured its place at the head of the city's country-rock and psychedelic cowboy faction."
Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times

They performed at The Palms with the bassist from Ben Vaughn's band on loan.