Most trips make you pick a setting and stick with it. Desert or lake. Pool or shoreline. Slow mornings or days packed with things to do.
There’s another way to plan it.
LuxeModBNB has two vacation homes in two very different destinations: The Brooklyn Penthouse in Indio and Whiskey Blues Lake Havasu. Build the trip around both. Spend the first half in the Coachella Valley, then shift the second half toward the water in Lake Havasu.
It’s not a hotel-hopping itinerary. The two properties are substantial vacation homes, so the stays themselves become part of the trip. That matters with a group. You’re not simply looking for a bed at the end of the day.
Why Split a Vacation Between Two Properties?
The appeal is pretty simple: the destinations offer different kinds of downtime.
At The Brooklyn Penthouse, the setting is Indio, with lake and mountain views and a property built heavily around indoor-outdoor living. The home has five bedrooms, four full bathrooms plus a half bath, a private saltwater pool, an outdoor kitchen, a theater room, a game room, yard games, and a two-hole putting green.
Then the scenery changes.
Whiskey Blues gives you a Lake Havasu base with four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a private pool and spa, an outdoor kitchen, a game room, putting and mini-golf, and views that fit the lake-and-desert setting. The property is also close to Lake Havasu attractions including London Bridge, Rotary Community Park, and Lake Havasu State Park.
The key is not trying to make both stays identical
That’s where people can overthink this kind of trip. Don’t.
The Brooklyn stay can lean into the house itself. Pool time, outdoor meals, games, a movie, maybe a day exploring the Coachella Valley. Whiskey Blues can shift the emphasis toward Lake Havasu, with time around the water, desert scenery, downtown attractions, or simply another long afternoon at the house.
Basecamp One: Start at The Brooklyn Penthouse in Indio
The first half of the trip works best when you give yourself room to settle in.
The Brooklyn Penthouse has five bedrooms and sleeps 6 to 12. The layout gives a larger group room to spread out, while the house itself provides plenty to do without building every hour around an outside reservation.
Day 1: Arrive, unpack, and stay put
Don’t make arrival day complicated. Get everyone settled, use the kitchen, head outside, and let the house do some of the work.
The 40-foot saltwater pool has oversized Baja ledges, and the backyard also includes an 8-foot Turbo Twister slide, outdoor shower, lounge areas, and multiple fire features. There’s an outdoor kitchen with a natural-gas BBQ and pizza oven, too.
Later, move inside for the game room or the 136-inch LED theater with reclining seats. The arcade collection is a particularly easy way to keep a group entertained after everyone has already spent hours outside.
Day 2: Make the desert house your destination
Here’s something travelers sometimes get wrong about large vacation rentals: they feel like they have to leave the property every morning to justify booking one.
You don’t.
The Brooklyn has enough built-in recreation for a full house day. Swim. Play ping pong or cornhole. Try the putting green. Cook outside. Use the covered patio. Let the kids disappear into the game room for a while. Adults can spread out without everyone having to participate in the same activity.
For a trip that includes several generations or a mix of adults and kids, that flexibility is useful.
Day 3: Add some Coachella Valley time
Use the third day to get off the property and explore. LuxeModBNB’s Indio day-trip guide covers options including Palm Springs, Joshua Tree National Park, and other destinations around the valley.
The Brooklyn is also listed as roughly 13 minutes from Coachella, 20 minutes from Indian Wells Tennis Gardens, and 7 minutes from Eagle Falls Golf Course, giving you several directions to take the day.
Then come back to the pool. That return matters more than it sounds.
The Transition: Turn the Change of Scenery Into Part of the Trip
At this point, you switch bases.
Rather than squeezing an extra sightseeing marathon into the changeover, treat it as a travel day. Check out of The Brooklyn Penthouse, make the drive to Lake Havasu, and settle into Whiskey Blues.
The exact timing of the transfer will depend on your starting point, traffic, and the plans you make for the day, so it’s better to leave that portion flexible rather than build the entire itinerary around a guessed drive time.
Keep the first Lake Havasu evening easy
Whiskey Blues has its own pool, spa, outdoor kitchen, covered patio, and game room. There’s no reason to arrive and immediately start chasing reservations.
Get comfortable. Cook outside. Take a swim. Watch the sunset from the backyard. The property is set up for exactly this kind of first evening.
Basecamp Two: Settle Into Whiskey Blues Lake Havasu
Whiskey Blues sleeps 5 to 8 across four bedrooms and has five bathrooms. The house also includes a private pool with an 8-foot waterslide, spa, outdoor kitchen, firepit, putting and mini-golf area, and a climate-controlled game room.
The game room is a serious part of the property rather than an afterthought. There’s air hockey, basketball, Dance Central 3, a poker table, a 9-foot pool table, a 14-foot shuffleboard table, and other arcade entertainment.
So, again, don’t build the entire second half around being away from the house.
Day 4: Explore Lake Havasu
Start with one of the area’s recognizable landmarks: London Bridge. LuxeModBNB’s guide to things to do in Lake Havasu without a boat also points travelers toward the Bridgewater Channel Boardwalk, Rotary Community Park, desert trails, local art and murals, golf, and other activities.
For a more outdoors-focused day, Lake Havasu State Park offers shoreline access, nature trails, boat ramps, beaches, and the Mohave Sunset Trail. The official Arizona State Parks site is the place to check current park information before you head out.
Day 5: Water, pool, repeat
This is where the two-basecamp idea starts to make sense.
You already had a pool-centered day at The Brooklyn. But it doesn’t feel like repeating the same vacation because the setting has changed. The lake environment, the desert around Havasu, and the Whiskey Blues backyard give the day a different character.
Spend part of the day exploring the area, then come back to the house for the pool and spa. Or skip the outing altogether. There’s no rule saying every vacation day needs a headline attraction.
Day 6: Pick your pace
Lake Havasu works for more than boat days. The LuxeModBNB guide covers hiking, lighthouses, downtown exploration, golf, disc golf, pickleball, craft beverages, spas, and desert off-roading.
That gives your group room to split up for an afternoon. Some people can head out while others stay at Whiskey Blues. Later, everyone comes back together for dinner and the game room.
How to Make the Two-Basecamp Trip Work for a Group
The practical part is simple, but it’s worth thinking through before booking.
- Match the length of each stay. A roughly even split makes sense for the concept, especially if both properties are available for the dates you want.
- Plan around the homes, not just the destinations. Both properties have pools, outdoor living areas, kitchens, and entertainment, so leave unscheduled time.
- Pack for two settings. The LuxeModBNB Lake Havasu packing guide covers seasonal considerations such as desert temperature changes, sun exposure, and wind around the lake.
- Give the transition day some breathing room. Moving between properties is the one part of the itinerary that needs actual logistics rather than wishful thinking.
- Check current availability before building the schedule. Both properties have their own booking pages, and dates matter.
Who Is This Two-Basecamp Itinerary For?
It makes particular sense for families and groups who want more than a single-setting getaway. The Brooklyn accommodates 6 to 12 guests, while Whiskey Blues accommodates 5 to 8, so the right property depends on the size and makeup of your group.
It also works for people who get bored doing the same thing for an entire week. A desert home in Indio gives you the Coachella Valley as your backdrop. Then Lake Havasu changes the scenery without changing the overall vacation style: private space, pools, outdoor living, games, and plenty of room to spend time together.
The best part is the change in rhythm
Start with the desert. Settle in. Swim, cook, play, explore the valley.
Then move toward the lake. Walk around Havasu, explore the shoreline, get outside, come back to the pool, and slow down again.
It’s still one vacation. You’ve just given it two places to happen.
Planning Your Two-Property Stay
Start by checking the dates for The Brooklyn Penthouse and Whiskey Blues Lake Havasu separately. Availability won’t necessarily line up, so the properties should be treated as two reservations that need to fit together.
Once the dates work, build the itinerary around the houses instead of filling every open space with activities. That’s the part people tend to miss. With properties this entertainment-heavy, an afternoon with nowhere to be can be exactly what you wanted.