SeeCalifornia.com

Pictured: Joshua Tree rock gardens that fascinated rock musician Gram Parsons

There are plenty of mysteries in the California desert and among them is — what  compelled rock/country musician Gram Parson to return there so many times. The talent who performed with The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers and was hoping to work more with love interest Emmy Lou Harris, was mystified by the desert and spent many hours searching and hoping to make contact with  UFOs. On one fateful night  in Room 8 at Joshua Tree Inn Gram died of a drug and alcohol overdose at the age of 26.  The Gram Parsons Memorial rock slab where his friends tried to burn his body, thus fulfilling his wish of his ashes being spread in the desert, was moved by the U.S. National Park Service to the Joshua Tree Inn. Fans of Gram Parsons now own and operate the hotel, which attracts more fans who assemble simple rock structures and writings on the rock. Some even book Room 8 where the father of “Cosmic American Music” went from rock-star to rock-legend…and some say his spirit still lives. Bring your guitar and write songs, look for UFOs and  uncover hidden stories buried beneath rocks on the desert floor. Here is one traveler’s account…