I write a lot about music here on the blog. It’s always been an important aspect of my life, providing a continual soundtrack running through my head since I was a pre-teen. But I really marvel when one song can be so influential as to change an entire perspective of a place in history. Such is the nature of San Juan Capistrano. Continue reading
“If I can just get off of that LA Freeway without getting killed or caught.” Yep. Another song lyric – written by Guy Clark, made famous by Jerry Jeff Walker, circa 1972, for those who might not recognize it. A popular hit from my University days in Austin, hanging out at the Armadillo World Headquarters.
Anyone who knows anything about Los Angeles knows there is no “LA Freeway” per se. Everyone speaks in idioms of numbers these days, all proceeded with a “the.” Continue reading
Some might be wondering (in fact, even I am wondering!) why someone would come to a place named “Desert Hot Springs” when it is already hot. Who wants to soak in a hot springs when it’s ninety-six degrees hot?? My friend John got it halfway right in his comment on my last post. He writes, “Sounds like you’re looking for a place to park the rig for a while, while you take a walk on the wild side.” Only half was true. I was looking for a place to park the rig… Continue reading
Back in February while camped in the middle of Anza Borrego State Park, I came across a news article that President Obama had just signed 1.8 million acres of southern California wilderness into National Monument status; Mojave Trails National Monument, Sand to Snow National Monument, and Castle Mountains National Monument Continue reading
Where can you sit poolside and bake in the 90+ degree sunshine in a lounge chair one day, and hike in snow the next without ever packing a bag? Why, Palm Springs, CA, of course!
I say my goodbyes to Jim and Gayle in the Joshua Tree south boondock, with plans to meet up further north this summer. We are off to pursue our mutual passions Continue reading
Mecca Hills, California that is, not Saudi Arabia. Hhhmmm, wonder if that blog title is gonna get me any extra traffic. 😉
While having a beer with the Jacumba Hiking Club, one of the members mentioned a “must do” hike in the nearby Mecca Hills which he called “Mecca Hills Ladders” hike. It sounded so intriguing that I didn’t want to chance it to memory. Continue reading
I have no shame in admitting that I steal some of my best ideas and tips from other bloggers. It’s how I began shaping this dream back in 2010, when I first found “Jennifer-Living-in-my-Car’s” blog, as well as To Simplify Glenn back in his “Falcon Days.” They were like “pushers” in the schoolyard, teasing out something in me that I always knew was there…the gypsy element. Continue reading
The intention on arriving at the Hole in the Wall Campground in Mojave Preserve was that we would spend a night or two while scouting around for a suitable boondocking spot to finish out the remainder of the Spring Break week/Easter weekend. However, we are unable to find a signal on our nearby scouting attempts, driving down dusty roads in Jim and Gayle’s Subaru while monitoring our respective devices, me with a Verizon Mifi in one hand and an AT&T iphone in the other, both which indicate “No Service.” Continue reading
Having moved from the thriving energy of Manhattan to “Fatlanta” in the “aughts decade,” I was pretty miserable. I had not yet established any relationships in Atlanta, and missed my lifestyle back in New York so badly it hurt. I was now owned by a 3 bedroom beige ranch-style home, and confined to house arrest by an imprisoning job. I would sit at my desk with the only 3 x 3 window in the room at my back, and stare at travel pictures on my “Wall of Inspiration.” Continue reading
It’s no secret that the trifecta of monochromatic monotony; first Quartzsite, then Yuma, then Anza Borrego all did a number on my mood this winter. I just couldn’t seem to overcome the austere bleakness of my surroundings on the heels of what was a difficult holiday season. So the prospect of heading back into a place called the “Mojave Desert” seemed a bit daunting. But Jim and Gayle were headed there to wait out the spring break and Easter holiday crowds, which seemed like a good idea after yielding to a human train of hikers coming down Ryan Mountain in Joshua Tree. Continue reading