Month: January 2017

I was born and raised in California and lived there a total of 37 out of my 61 years, and yet there were places I had never seen till this trip. With the luxury of time on my side, I traveled slowly, becoming a tourist in my native state. I was here three months and still didn’t see it all, but what I did see made me proud of California’s natural beauty. We have mountains and oceans, redwoods and deserts, big cities and wide open spaces. It’s an amazing state. This, then, is my tribute to California in 10 of my…

There are few things more unexpected than an art museum in the middle of the desert. Meet the East Jesus Art Garden, an outdoor collection of art by different artists, all from found objects. It’s amazing. And it takes recycling to a whole ‘nother level. This is the entrance, and, yes, the wheels spin in the wind. It’s the first indication that you’re in for a most interesting time, courtesy of the artists Charlie Russell and Royce Carlson. There’s a little four-banger car covered with found objects, from shell casings to circuit boards. You may need a bigger screen to see all…

Sunday was an adventure day, with my desert guide, Doug, and his drone, taking three of us on a trip east of Victorville to Soggy Dry Lake. Along the way, we tried to see just how much desert off-roading our Subarus could do (mine an Outback, his a lighter Crosstrek Hybrid). Our first stop made for a good Subaru photo op of my car, although I have to confess that is as far up the sandy road as it would go. Still, makes a good photo! It was a perfect day to be out in the high desert, clear and…