Joshua Tree’s popularity is ruining life for longtime residents: ‘You can’t see the stars any more’

As tourism surges, the desert region has become California's hottest housing market. Now many can't afford to live there

Business is booming at the Roadrunner Grab'n'Go deli outside Joshua Tree national park. Demand for sandwiches, mezze boxes and local vegan cheese has remained high through the summer, even as temperatures soar in a desert landscape that now attracts more than three million visitors each year.

But the shop's co-owner, Merilee Kuchon, has a problem. Her employees, many of whom grew up here, are struggling to afford to stay. Over the past year, she's lost at least a dozen staff, driven out by local rental prices that have soared during the pandemic. Now, she's worried about hiring enough employees to keep the shop going when even more tourists return in the fall.