Part 12

I spent a few days with friends in Sebastopol, CA. I liked the little town. It had not 1, but 2 gem shops. And a goddess shop. I was sent in the direction of an insanely good bread bakery on the way to the beach, and had one of the best days of the whole trip. It was warm enough to walk along the beach for hours. This was my first time at the Pacific Ocean, not counting my trip across the Bay Bridge. I wrote messages in the sand to friends back home and poked at the alien-looking vegetable creatures drying out in the sun. There were metal sculptures in people's yards on a couple streets in town, crazy found-object caricatures. There were a few vehicles with interesting paint jobs- chili peppers, even a black and white psychadelic swirl minivan. There are vineyards everywhere, and plenty of amazing food and wine.

Part 11

First thing in the morning I hopped in my Jeep and navigated my way out of L.A. I had a good drive ahead of me, straight north to San Francisco and Berkeley. The quickest route was Route 5, which I was told later is the "ugliest highway in California." To a foreigner it was a glorious, magical highway, smelling of sweet flowers and surrounded by the greenest earth I have ever seen. A truck full of oranges passed me, it made me smile. Later I saw a truck full of lemons. I even caught a shot of a biker gang cruising on the sun-kissed highway.

The land changed and became more flat, and huge fields of nut trees lined the road. They were all flowering with little pink blossoms, and they made the air smell like paradise. I was mesmerized by the colors, the smells and the perfect sunshine.

I stopped somewhere near Bakersfield at a fruit stand. They had amazing hand-painted signs all along the highway for their fruit. I brushed my teeth in the parking lot, then wandered inside to browse the vibrant produce selection. The guy behind the counter gave me a little slice of some sort of magical delicious orange hybrid, of which I bought 2. I also got a couple blood oranges, some postcards, and a handful of "mandarinquats"- a mix of a mandarin and a kumquat, which makes it a tiny sweet little orange fruit. You can eat the rind and everything. With my treasures I hit the highway again, anticipating the city ahead.

I got into Frisco around 4, panicked once I got over the bridge and just parked my car wherever. I walked around for about an hour, looking for the famous Haight Street. I didn't find it. I had no appetite for food, so I just wandered and looked around. It was too much, I couldn't take anything in. I saw a killer metal art sculpture of a giant woman with her head raised to the sky, chain-link hair swaying in the wind. That night I stayed in Berkeley with two very cool University students. They took me to see "The Vagina Monologues" at the college theater, where we got to watch from way up in a secret balcony. We cooked breakfast together the next morning and I headed on my way for a short 1 hour drive.

Part 10

The highways in western Arizona were beautiful. The sun was out, the sky was clear, we were so close to California. When we got to the state border, there was a checkpoint where all cars and trucks had to stop. Rich and I wondered why, as we pulled up I gave the guy a big smile. He asked us where we were coming from? “Today, you mean? Ha-ha…” I told him we were headed to L.A. He asked me if we had any plants in the car. No, no plants I told him. He asked, "Are you sure?" and looked past me to the inside of my car. I was laughing, I told him no again... and then realized that the petrified tree I had picked up in the desert was sticking straight up behind my head. I told him what it was, and he sent us on our way. California!!!

We stopped for gas just over the border and decided that we would take our sweet time getting to L.A. Rich was headed to a friend's house in the city, I had nowhere to be. We pulled off the highway a few miles later to meander around the desert again and take some pictures. A CA state trooper came to see what we were up to, decided we were harmless and told us to enjoy our day. The mountains in the distance were a perfect backdrop for the quiet tracks and abandoned lot. We threw railroad spikes around and looked down into snake holes. It was so beautiful... and I could hardly believe where we were. Finally.

This is the only picture I got of Rich.

One we'd had our fill of the dry sunshine, we hit the highway again. The earth was so bumpy and strange, like nothing i'd ever seen before. The mountains had been cut away in places so the highway could go through. We got to L.A. just before dark and walked around for a while. We ate fresh hot samosas from an Indian grocery store. The guy behind the counter gave me a little piece of green square dessert to be nice. It was so scary looking I couldn't eat it. I stayed the night at a way-cool artists collective/establishment. I admired the courtyard, the spiral staircase, the flames painted around the fire extinguishers. I watched some of the guys painting graffiti in the back of the house, it was ridiculously amazing. The place hardly felt real. I slept the night on a cushion on the floor, crept out early in the morning to sunshine and dew on my windshield. Headed north, to Frisco!

Part 9-LE GRAND CANYON

So the Grand Canyon is 80 miles off the highway. We got off of Route 40 near Flagstaff and headed straight north. The scenery was not what I expected from Arizona, then again it was February and north of the desert. The ground was still covered in snow. It changed to flat, dry grass, but I could feel us rising in elevation. Every so often a little green sign would tell us we were at 5,000 ft, 6,000 ft, 7,000 ft...

It took about an hour and a half to get to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. It was glorious. You could see into the veins of the earth, it went on forever. A well-organized gathering of alto-cumulus brushed along the top of the canyon. It didn't seem any more real in person than it does in a photograph. Every picture was a postcard. We walked along the edge for a while, maybe a couple hours. I tiptoed through the slush and puddles and weaved through the tourists. This is a big deal, The Grand Canyon. People travel from across the world to see it. I could see why. I would have stayed for the 3 days and camped if it wasn't still so damn cold. We left just before sunset and headed back towards the highway.

I pulled off the highway in Ash Fork, AZ. It was right on old route 66. The main street wrapped around the little town. We drove around it at least 10 times. There was a strange rickety motel that looked interesting enough to stay in, but they didn't have any vacancies. Down the street to the only other hotel in town. The sign said "ASH FORK INN 29". 29 what? Dollars/night. I should have known. I got two fuzzy tv channels, a shower and a good nights sleep. I was so glad for the bed, and Ash Fork had a strange, campy small-town feel to it. I liked it. Tomorrow, California.

Part 8

At the break of day we wandered into the McDonalds at the truckstop. I wiped off my makeup in the bathroom, Rich got one of those gross fried potato cutouts. We headed back out on the highway for some more of the enchanted desert. The painted desert. We had all day to see whatever we wanted, with the Grand Canyon on the way. I kept it at a steady 60 the whole time, totally mesmerized by the landscapes. Brush, dry desert, and huge rock plateaus surrounded the highway with the massive snowy mountains in the distance. Driving through the cutaway mountains and mesas was neat. The scenery changed constantly, and was always incredible.

We followed some signs off of the highway to a huge crater park. When we got there, we had a nice view of the desert but couldn't see the crater. It cost $20 to get in. We shuffled around the parking lot for a few minutes and then hit the road. We both agreed that natural wonders should be free. Paid for by the U.S. Government.

On the way back to the highway, I pulled over so we could kick some dirt around and look for interesting things amidst the dry little plants and warm rocks. I picked up a few little rocks, put them all back. I saw a neat petrified tree and grabbed it for some artistic purpose to be discovered later. I stuck it in my car and caught this killer shot, and we went on.

Views From American Highways, Part 7

Day 10

approx. 2400 miles

In the morning I picked up Rich in Denver, just a short 15 minute ride north from Boulder. First stop the all-powerful walmart. I replaced the fuses in my Jeep so that we could have the radio again. Alas, music! The trip is saved after all. We drove straight south towards Santa Fe, NM. Rich was very cool, 21 years old, traveling with his skateboard and a backpack. He was from Vermont, he told me that it would eventually be a nice place to settle down. He and I had similar stories, just floating around the country looking for something. We were both really far from "home," headed even further. Looking for what? Everything. Life experience. Looking for friendship and love and happiness. He was looking for a great place to skateboard. I was looking for new inspiration. Signs for New Mexico described it as the "Land of Enchantment." Driving on that highway, I-25 S, I agreed with them. The crazy huge mountains beyond the sandy plains, I was blown away. I made a note to self to return to New Mexico and spend more time there. The picture was taken around the CO/NM border. It was a long day of driving but I was thankful for the company. Rich and I got along just fine, he split gas costs with me and shared his food. We stopped at a Whole Foods market when it got dark and feasted on the salad bar. A couple miles out of Santa Fe, we slept in the Jeep at a big truckstop. I use the term "sleep," when what I really mean is rested briefly between watching headlights come and go and shivering in my hand-knitted blanket. A few times I started the truck to crank the heat because it had gotten so cold. Even though I had a terrible night's sleep, I was glad to be up early in the morning (daybreak) and get to driving. From here it was west, west to the desert, the Grand Canyon, to California. The weather was better, things were certainly looking up. I ate real food for the first time in days. ONward!

Part 6

Boulder, Day 2. Another leisurely afternoon walking around the sunny sidewalks. I listened to some street musicians, bought a burrito and mailed some postcards. With my backpack in tow, i walked all over town and then out to a hiking trail. The trail was all the way at the end of beautiful Pearl Street. If somebody hasn't written a song about Pearl Street yet, I will. I trudged up the little path in my Converse and decided to sit on top of a giant pile of rocks. The view in front of me was the snowy little mountains, behind me was this giant red stone castle-looking formation. I spent a little while writing, contemplating, and watching the other people on the trail. It started to get pretty cold, so back down I went. There was so much left of the sunny day. My walking shoes took me all the way back to Sandy's apartment. There I received an exciting phone call from a young guy who was willing to split gas and travel to California with me. I used my laptop at a cafe across the street while enjoying a peppermint tea, mapping and copying directions from Boulder to L.A. Sandy called me and invited me dancing. She described it as "a bunch of hippies in a room, just dancing. Doing whatever." She was bringing her hula hoops. How could I say no? I danced my heart out. I was a wild woman. It was awesome. We left, tired, and made plans to sneak into a hot tub at a nearby apartment complex. A rewarding end to the night and a bright day tomorrow. I lost a necklace in Boulder, lost a few more pounds, found a sense of direction and let a lot of things go. This was it, beyond halfway, any direction I want to go.

South, to the desert. On to California.

Views From American Highways, Part 5

Boulder, CO. I got into town late on Valentines Day, sat at a bar next to the restaurant where my host worked. I drank a club soda and stared at the wall with the 24 custom home-brewed beer taps. Back and forth I read them, dying for a good beer. At this point I was still feeling pretty sick, I didn't want to test myself. We passed out early after a cup of her homemade kombucha tea. I spent my first day walking around town by myself, enjoying the mountains surrounding the little city and the warm sunshine. I had no trouble finding my way around for the first time in my life, because the mountains were always in the West. Always. Sandy was my host, she was a super awesome chick who gave me a big hug when I first met her and let me sleep on her floor for 3 nights. When she got home from class the first day we made cookies and dressed up as Tibetan Tiger Ladies. We headed to a potluck to celebrate the Tibetan New Year, the Year of the Iron Tiger. I enjoyed some interesting conversation with interesting people all while wearing a red sari and cat ears.

Part 4

The drive from Tulsa, OK. to Boulder, CO. was a long one. I drove north into Kansas and then West all the way to Colorado. Kansas was the worst, so boring and flat. The most exciting scenery was the huge field of giant windmills that stretched for miles, and the occasional sighting of an oil pump. I drove straight all day, just stopping for gas and once in an attempt to eat something. Somewhere in Kansas my radio died. I had plugged in my cell phone charger and blew a fuse. This was a tragedy... more than 4 hours to go with no radio, no music, and the sun was going down. I listened to my ipod in one ear and the sounds of the road in the other. I was really excited to get to Boulder. I was thinking of maybe staying for a couple weeks, maybe a month. I had no idea. My sleeping arrangements were only set up until Boulder. I had a very cool chick to stay with for a few nights who lived right in the center of town. I made one last phone call and took one last picture before the sun disappeared into the western horizon just ahead.

Views From American Highways, Part 3

Both pictures were taken at Brushy Lake Park near Sallisaw, OK. I had a really short drive from Fort Smith to Tulsa, maybe a couple hours, so I took a few side trips. I took the exit for Sallisaw to check out some of the Native American gift shops. Nothing worth buying, so I followed the signs out into the country for Brushy Lake Park. I thought the name was funny. It was a cute little spot, and I got to get out of my car and walk around for a while. It was a pretty nice day, and I was enjoying the state. Oklahoma was a pleasant change of scenery. Earlier I had passed the town of Toad Suck, Arkansas. No joke. Arrived in Tulsa early afternoon, I stayed with a very cool girl and her 2 cats. She had an awesome view of the Arkansas River from her back little patio. She took me out to a little swan pond and for a cup of tea, and then gave me a great tour. It was a pretty nice city, but it seemed they couldn't get their finances right. Later we went out for Mexican food, but I got sick again. We watched some tv at her boyfriend's house (his name was Starr. Really!) and then went out for some live music. The music was great and the bar was cool, but since I wasn't feeling so hot I didn't drink and she took me home early. I had a comfy couch to sleep on and I was so glad for it. The next day was another big leg of my trip, from Tulsa to Boulder, CO.

Part 2

Nice clouds above I-40 W in Tennessee. Before I got on the highway that day I ended up on a byway that took me through some farmland and tiny towns, over the border from North Carolina a secret way. It was great even though I got stuck on the mountains while it was snowing. It stopped snowing as soon as I was out of the mtns, and I rolled down the window and munched an apple for breakfast. I was headed toward Memphis to an artists collective in the middle of the city. I got so sick there I didn't even stay to visit Graceland. I will probably never eat Vietnamese food again. Even the thought of it made me nauseated for a week after I was better. Memphis was a sad city anyway, full of poverty and crime and cancer. While getting a local "tour" from some of the folks from the collective, someone mentioned that the particular part of the city we were in had the highest percentage of cancer in the US. How nice. Lets blow this fruit stand. I booked it out of Memphis after sleeping for 2 nights on a cot, the second night complete with repeated trips to the toilet to throw up. I just headed west on 40 for a few hours, taking my sweet ass time. I ended up at a Super 8 motel in Fort Smith Arkansas. I paid $65 for a shower, cable TV, and bedbugs. Ugh. At least I didn't have to bother anybody with my stomach ache. Early AM I got up again, stopped at a grocery store for some "safe" food. Like corn torillas, corn chips, hummus, bananas. They seemed safe enough. Next stop Tulsa, OK.

Views From American Highways, Part 1

This is somewhere just north of the NC/VA border, heading South. That day I left Philadelphia around 9AM and drove 12 hours (what was i thinking?!) to Asheville, NC. I skipped taking pictures of the cold, snow-covered East Coast up until this point. Virginia was really beautiful and I even took a little detour up a mountain trying to get to the Blue Ridge Parkway. I was somewhere near Bridgewater, VA, off of I-81. So I drive up this huge mountain and the grey sky starts to snow pretty hard. When I finally get to the top of the mountain, the roads are all blocked off because they are completely covered in snow. Feet of snow. I turn around and balk at the view I have through the trees of the dark green, brown and white mountain divide. Back down the mountain, back to the bleak highway. For some reason, I didn't take any pictures. Maybe I will next time. I stayed with a nice chick that night who lived with a pretty crunchy family in Asheville. She went to some super rad environmentalist oriented college in the next town. I had so much trouble finding the damn place, in the freezing raining night, so I got there pretty late. I wowed them with my bag of black squid ink pasta and we cooked it up with some tomato sauce I also happened to have in my handy-dandy automobile. (thanks dad!) I felt like Felix the cat the entire trip. Anything you need, its in my Jeep! Seriously. I packed well. Anyway, that was an early night, on a fluffy little pad on the floor of her room. I zonked out super early, and woke up around 7. This was a theme for most of the trip. I did all my driving in the daytime. Why go anywhere if you're not going to at least LOOK?