June 30, 2021
Off-season in Slab City is like a Ghost Town. We drove through the self-sufficient community of wanderers out of curiosity and found our way to the sculpture park East Jesus, impressed by their fascinating display of art installations. I will leave their interpretation up to you, because: Art. Things to Read more…
Leonard Knight’s Salvation Mountain has a simple statement: God is Love. Apparently this message is best conveyed with bright colorful paint upon the area’s pale stone, local adobe clay and other such happenstance canvases. Entering the Dr. Suessian land you can feel the urgency of Knight’s saved soul even if Read more…
It was this stop that began this whole desert itinerary. Bombay Beach, California–an abandoned resort town turned artist community next to the Salton Sea, which I just told you about. To follow, a gallery of images from our visit.
In short, the Salton Sea is an ecological anomaly, proof that sometimes Nature can create the conditions to kill itself despite its characteristic web of interconnected purpose. Then, add some human error and you get a full-blown environmental catastrophe… millions of dead fish and wildlife and a mass exodus of Read more…
June 29, 2021
I haven’t seen the Cabazon Dinosaurs, the roadside attraction made famous in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, since 2005 (shown in this previous post). I was shocked that they had been painted vividly, but pleased that there was a constant stream of folks equally excited to see them. Bubblegum pink brontosaurus… Read more…
Chef Tanya is the force behind vegetarian mainstay Native Foods, an all-vegan casual eatery with locations in California, Colorado, Oregon and Illinois. Making seitan and tempeh from scratch since the 80’s (!!), her standards are high. So her latest eatery, Chef Tanya’s Kitchen, was a must on my visit to Read more…
Camping at Joshua Tree National Park was like living in a gorgeous desert painting… from sunrise to sunset. To follow, a visual report from that colorful canvas. Yield. Don’t die. This tree’s name is Joshua. Butt rock Skull rock
June 28, 2021
I first visited Joshua Tree National Park in 2017 (see here). This time I’d camp in the park despite the excessive heat warning to see its dark skies, my 17th dark sky park. Things to know: The moon rises like the sun, just as powerful in my camera’s lens. Read more…
The Transcontinental Railroad was a big deal in the 1880’s. It brought to life countless towns along its path west, towns that would supply the steam engines with water. One of them was Ludlow, California. Soon the railway boom gave way to other town developments to welcome the Gold Rushers. Read more…
The West is covered in Ghost Towns, structures miraculously preserved within time to remind us that progress can gradually kill entire communities. Trains, gold, silver, or, in this case, borax and iron all created Boom Towns in a flash. But what burns bright often soon fades thereafter… and what is Read more…
February 21, 2020
When I do my official Los Angeles Fried Chicken Battle… and I will… I know that Lettuce Feast will likely kick butt. You see, it’s likely the best I’ve ever had. And I have been sampling vegan fried chicken here on the East Coast for many months. Yes, I said Read more…
February 20, 2020
A vegan fried chicken joint in Santa Ana would definitely be on my must-visit list. Eat Love was part of my Los Angeles fried chicken brackets, a competition that would be an impossibility during my trip unfortunately. And though I plan on completing it at a later date during another Read more…
Munchies Vegan Diner is all that you would desire from diner. Gluttonous vegan fare! I stopped into their space in the hip McFadden Public Market for a late breakfast, choosing to feast upon their star breakfast sandwich: The VcGriddle: their house bacon, house fried egg, cheese (I didn’t ask), and Read more…
Vegan By Victoria’s is an all-vegan panadería in an unassuming strip mall in Santa Ana, California. Inside, a variety of authentic Mexican pastries as pleasing to the eye as they are to the tongue. Now stepping into an all-vegan establishment is exciting as it is… but an all-vegan panadería? I Read more…
February 19, 2020
I’d like to rest my heavy head tonight on a bed of California stars… I’d like to lay my weary bones tonight on a bed of California stars 🎶 I’d love to feel your hand touching mine and tell me why I must keep working on. Yes I’d give my Read more…
I came across this vacant gas station in my daytime exploration of Borrego Springs and stayed for a bit. It was squeaky clean with a positive energy that was far less alluring to capture. Perhaps because someone had sponge painted a lot of the interior walls. I did enjoy the Read more…
On solo mission now, a trip to the dark sky desert. Arriving with plenty of blazing sun, I captured the remote landscape… inhabited by enormous sculpture by artist Ricardo Breceda. Borrego Springs is a magical place where one can easily get a soy latte but also be in the middle Read more…
A true indicator of a city’s vegan-friendliness is its breakfast options. In celebration of beautiful mornings in Los Angeles, here is the food that helped to shaped jam-packed days. In the interest of the backlog of posts I am experiencing, I’ll just say that LA might have the best vegan Read more…
February 18, 2020
There are slew of neat bars in Hollywood we attempted to hit on a Tuesday evening. We didn’t hit them all. But not for lack of effort! On a slow, late night, the bars closed earlier than expected. Very different than New York City’s 4am closing time. But I was Read more…
I’ve only ever gone to Little Pine with these bozos. And we never seem to thoroughly enjoy it! It’s loud and dark and the menu has some big holes in it. So here is a final pictorial of Little Pine. Because there are far too many vegan bites I have Read more…
Los Angeles is a massive sprawl of things to do. Like pedal boating in Echo Park. We rode the swans on a lovely LA morning. The La Brea Tar Pits are an interesting stop detailing the ancient history of the area. With many outdoor exhibits there is no need to Read more…
February 17, 2020
Back in the 1930’s an elaborate compound was constructed within Rustic Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains. Its purpose, to sustain and thrive inside the political chaos amidst the aftermath of Nazi Germans fulfilling their political and military goals. You see, the 4-million dollar investment was built by Nazi sympathizers Read more…
What happens when Matthew Kenney gets his mitts on a French patisserie Beverly Hills? The whole darn thing goes vegan. And other locations get stocked with vegan options! Established in 1862, Ladurée is France’s most prestigious pastry shop. I picked up some of their macarons for loved ones in their Read more…
February 16, 2020
A lover of vintage beauty, pin-up photoshoots have occurred at many stages of my life. And every time, these shoes! With a trip to Los Angeles on the calendar, I poured through my vintage attire for a new 2020 photoshoot with the pin-up dream team, Iconic Pin-ups. I say 2020 Read more…
October 30, 2019
With a trip to Los Angeles soonish, it’ll be a mini-battle of vegan fried chicken in the city of vegan angels. Yes, the very vegan-friendly city is home to so many options for this mini-battle. But many are packaged or frozen texturized soy protein cutlets breaded and fried… not meeting Read more…
May 31, 2018
The dinosaurs featured in the weirdo-classic Pee Wee’s Big Adventure are officially known as the Cabazon Dinosaurs. I knew I wanted to see them in person when I was a little kid. I got there in 2005, as the date stamp on my photo prints that were later scanned note. They’re Read more…
