Line ups are bummers.  Mostly when they’re at the bathroom.  But even more so when you think your creative minded group of road trippers thinks they’ve stumbled upon something amazing and only they will be at on a weekday afternoon. But then it turns out that a hundred other people also wanted to see it at the same time as you.

This year, Desert X sprouted up in the Coachella Valley as part of a certain music festival that I’ve told myself I’m too cool for.  And our trip back to LA from Joshua Tree meant we had to make a stop.  With 17 artists and their installations spread across a very large and dry piece of land, we had to prioritize. Cue our design maven: Jane Heng!  One of our final stops was supposed to be Doug Aitken’s Mirage.  Looking over Palm Springs, this little ranch style bungalow was supposed to play with light and your minds.  Except a bunch of other people had the same idea as us.  So after some deliberation, we didn’t exactly get to see it (but check out that killer view!).  And then I stumbled upon this little video.  Same thing as seeing it for myself right?

Lesson learned: sunrise.