If there is one thing that I’m good at, it’s stretching out a birthday celebration. Even better yet? Now that the twins are officially born, we’ll have 3 months of celebrating birthdays back to back. Get ready kids — because in 2021, the birthday party run roughly a quarter of the year! For my August birthday, Kevin planned a getaway to Malibu for us to drink wine and play with baby goats. The bar was set high. I mean, how can you top that?

Pandemic or no pandemic, I wasn’t going to let the challenge break me. To kick off Kevin’s birthday celebration, we did a mystery picnic through Malibu, solving clues in order to find our next snack. Okay, so it took us nearly twice as long as most people. But I’d like to think we enjoyed a leisurely pace (and we got completely lost). In my family, having just one day to celebrate a birthday simply is not enough. That’s when I came up with a wild idea he’d never expect — visiting a hidden llama farm near Joshua Tree National Park. So we packed up our bags, including the dog and the kids, and hit the road to spend a week at an incredible Airbnb near the llama farm.

Ever been to a llama farm? I’m going to guess no. Here’s what you can expect and why it should be part of your next Joshua Tree adventure.

Why Visit a Llama Farm? 

I have to admit. I’ve always loved llamas — they’re weird, they’re cute and who couldn’t fall in love with those awful buck teeth? As a little kid, I was obsessed with the Sesame Street song Me and My Llama, singing it for hours on repeat. I’m sure my parents loved it. Like many things now as an adult, I look back at this video that seemed so normal as a kid and I am beyond confused. A child walking through the streets of Manhattan alone with a full grown llama? Someone, please call child protective services!

What To Expect On Your Llama Farm Visit

Upon arriving, we were greeted by Melissa, known as the ‘llama whisperer,” for her ability to teach rescued llamas to trust humans. In reality, she and her husband Sam have spent years working with llamas and studying their pack behavior. Together, they have built an oasis in the middle of the desert. As we pulled up to the farm’s gate, we could see the llamas eyeing us. Clearly, they knew it was dinner time.

Melissa greeted us and gave us a rundown on what to expect for the evening. But most importantly, she assured us not to get scared. Llamas are big and can be intimidating. However, they are mostly gentle giants. We’d be feeding the llamas nutrient-filled pellets along with other treats. Also, we’d get to interact with her other farm animals including a particularly friendly goat that loved Kevin.

We followed Melissa inside the gates where she demonstrated the best way to feed the llamas — hold out your hand and stay calm. The llamas definitely knew it was dinner time as they galloped towards us, showing off their long strides.

The llamas plowed through the pellets and it was onto some grass for dessert. Not sure that would be my choice but they seemed to love it.

How Long Should We Expect to Stay On The Llama Farm?

In total, the ‘Touched By a Llama‘ experience lasts 1 hour and can be booked on Airbnb experiences ($40 per person). You can either do it early in the morning or at night time as the sun is setting. In addition to all the animal interaction, you’ll also get a bottle of water and a salty snack to enjoy for yourself after the experience on your drive home. Melissa also offers a ‘LlamaMazing fun desert walk‘ with the llamas through the desert ($75 per person). And if that’s not enough llama time, you stay overnight on the farm, and watch the llamas.

Here’s to another wild birthday, and cushioning the blow of getting another year older. The twin babies better get their rest now — because clearly we are party animals! Looking for other ideas for special occasions? Be sure to check out all our recommendations here, including 5 secrets spots in LA you (probably) never knew existed (but should!).