The first discourse is recorded in chapters 1 - 4 and is a review of history of the Exodus up to the Plains of Moab. The first verse sets up pretty much the whole book:
These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the desert east of the Jordan -- that is, in the Arabah -- opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab.
Then we have an interesting parenthetic note in verse 2 that doesn't mention desert, per se, but it does give some perspective on the almost 40 year journey from Sinai...
(It takes eleven days to go from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by the Mount Seir road.)
Eleven. Days.
I'm assuming that's a small group of folks, traveling light and quick, but still...how long do you suppose it took them to make that trip, back in Numbers 10 through 12? A couple of months, maybe, at the most, traveling with livestock and all? It wasn't a long journey, really. It was probably less than a year and a half after they left Egypt that they set up camp there....and most of that time had been spent at Horeb, making the Tabernacle and all its furnishings.
Then, as the LORD our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through that vast and dreadful desert that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea. (1: 19)
Yes, they were well acquainted with the vast and dreadful desert. And we all know what went down at Kadesh Barnea...the Great Complaint.
Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. the LORD your God, who is going before you will fight for you , as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.' (1:29-31)
But they wouldn't have it, rebelled, and God pronounced his judgment on them, concluding,
And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad -- they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea. (1:39-40)
How discouraging! Back into the 'vast and dreadful' desert! But...they had made their choice by refusing to believe that God would give them the land he brought them to through multiple fantastic miracles.
Then we turned back and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea, as the LORD had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir. (2:1)
There really isn't any account of when they moved or how they moved during that 'long time'. They really didn't have a purpose in the journey during that season...they just hung out. And complained. And died. Until, finally, they began the march towards the promise again.
The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything. So we went on past our brothers, the descendants of Esau, who live in the Seir. We turned from the Arabah road, which comes up from Elath and Ezion Geber, and traveled along the desert road of Moab. (2: 7-8)
On God's instruction, they did not engage the Moabites or the Amonites, who were descended from Lot, but when they encountered the Amorites things changed.
From the desert of Kedemoth I sent messengers to Sihon king of Heshbon offering peace... (2:26)
Moses offered to cross quietly, not disturbing anything, purchasing any food or water or any other necessity, but Sihon brought his army out to stop him and was the first king defeated on the way to the promise. More kings were similarly defeated and ultimately Israel found themselves camped on the plains of Moab. Moses concludes his review by exhorting the young generation to learn from these things and remember what God had done for them. He also specified which three cities would be designated as cities of refuge on the east side of the Jordan:
The cities were these: Bezer in the desert plateau, for the Reubenites; Ramoth, in Gilead, for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites. (2:43)
I think it's interesting that the last mention of 'desert' in the first of Moses' discourses is connected with a sanctuary city...a place of safety. The whole 'sanctuary city' concept was an interesting one...with the 'eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth' concept of justice, if someone accidentally was responsible for the death of another...well, life for life. Unless the individual could make it to a sanctuary city before the designated 'avenger of blood'...ie, executioner...could catch them. There, they could plead their case before the elders of the city and if the elders agreed that the death was an accident, without malice, the person was safe so long as they stayed within the walls of the city. Outside of the city...they were fair game for vengeance. This sentence stayed in place until there was a change in high priest. Then the slate was wiped clean and the individual could return home without fear of retribution.
It was a hard core sense of justice, but it was somewhat tempered. Families were separated while folks were in exile...but they could be reunited. And that law underscored the value of life. It was a serious thing to cause a death...even accidentally. People mattered.
But there was sanctuary on the desert plateau. Even there.
Even there.
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