The American Dream Trip

September 24th - December 23rd 2014

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Death Valley National Park

Our final stop on our desert road trip was Death Valley.  A good four hours away from Joshua Tree, we were put up overnight by MORE friends of Mark, who he met during his time in Napa.  Jeph, Tara and their two-year-old Lily were incredibly hospitable...incredible because Tara was pregnant...38 weeks pregnant, and possibly in labour.  This didn't stop them taking us for dinner, staying up talking into the night, and having breakfast with us in the mornings.  Just amazing.

From their place, positioned just on the edge of the national park, we drove off the face of the earth and into a new realm, a new planet, a new universe.  That's what Death Valley feels like.  You drive over the Pass and down in to a whole new world.  Star Wars comes to mind, Mars comes to Mind, the moon comes to mind.  It's just absolutely unbelievable nature.  Thankfully, being there in December, the weather was great, for the most part.  Death Valley has the hottest record temperatures in the world, and is one of the driest.  Day One...it rained, it fogged, it snowed on the mountain tops.

But deep down in the Valley it was beautiful.  Perfect hiking weather.  We took two days to explore, and needed a month more.  It is just amazing.  So what did we see?  Ok, here it goes.

Mosaic Canyon:

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes:

Golden Canyon:

Natural Bridge Canyon:

The Artist's Palette:

The Devil's Golf Course (pure salt and mud flats as far as the eye can see):

and last but definitely not least, Badwater Basin (the lowest point in America):

We shared the Badwater Basin with a couple of newlyweds...because why wouldn't you come to the lowest point in the country on the highest point of your life?

I hope these pictures have whet your appetite for the desert.  It really is absolutely stunning, and out of this world.  I would say though, be careful of when and how you travel.  Summer months see temperatures regularly above 110 degrees (fahrenheit, sorry guys) where you can't use your air conditioning for fear of your car overheating.  I don't know if I've mentioned we're driving a convertible?  I can't remember, so here's another couple pictures just in case.  Point being, come to Death Valley in a convertible, in December, and you'll be living the dream.

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FOOD ALERT

Post Oasis hike, we ate in The Carousel Cafe.  This is a static shell of a former carousel, with miniature carousel ornaments, so ridiculous you feel like you're revolving.  Impeccable service, ginormous portions and great tasting food.  Oh, and CARAFES OF COKE.  

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Joshua Tree National Park, California

800 000 acres of desert wilderness, home to the Joshua Tree (pictured below - can you spot me?)

A perfect location for picturesque hikes, with surprises around every boulder, this landscape reminded me of Hampi in South India, which up until this trip, had the most incredible natural beauty.  Now, it is rivalled.  

Sunsets in the desert are unrivalled, don't you think?

Oh, and then there'e the 49 Palm Oasis, hidden beyond the boulders in a 3 mile hike...well worth the scrambling.

On the road from Joshua Tree is a Dinosaur gift shop, in the shape of, wait for it...a dinosaur.

Because, well, it just fits, and, because, it's America.  Carrying on with that reasoning, and I can't quite believe I don't have any pictures of this to show you, we spent a night in Pioneertown.  Pioneertown was a Old-Western movie-set, in the middle of the desert, which kinda just stayed, and real people moved in and just started living there.  It has one motel, in which we stayed, transported back into the lives of John Wayne and the Milkybar Kid.  Like I have said before, only in America.

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Palm Springs, California

Monday morning, we took our convertible and drove into the Desert.  (Did I mention we had a convertible?)

We stayed in Palm Springs - a desert resort popular with the rich and famous...in the 1900s.  Still now, it retains that retro mid-century glamour with an injection of modernisation with such hotels as the ACE.  We took a room in a Boutique Hotel with a 24 hour pool, and more importantly, hot tub.  We had dinner at a fish restaurant and spent the evening in said hot tub, in the desert, in December.  I can't get over it.

Palm Springs was our base for the desert.  This is something we've both been looking forward to for the whole trip.  When I first met Mark I remember occasionally (!) looking through his photos, on facebook and his website, in a healthy way obviously, not for hours at a time....!  Anyway, I remember seeing this photos that blew my mind - so artistic, unbelievably beautiful shots with great composition and such interesting subject matter.  This was the desert.  Mark has been before, loved it, and was excited to show his new wife.  He said he always imagined bringing his wife to these places, showing her how beautiful they are and enjoying them together.  The risk was, in his mind, that the beauty of some of these places in the desert is in the eye of the beholder.  But I'll let you be the judge of that...

Just outside of Palm Springs is an accidentally formed Lake called the Salton Sea.  In 1905 engineers attempted to increase waterflow into the valley by creating canals in the Colorado River.  Unfortunately, one cut was just too big, breaching the banks of the river and flooding the area, creating the sea over two years before repairs were completed.  Initially, people saw this as a resort gold mine - a Lake in the middle of the desert?  It's a no-brainer.  However, the water was just too salty, resulting in swathes of dead fish lining the shore, and salt encrusted ruins formed.  Beauty (in the eye of the beholder).  

It was an incredibly beautiful place in my eyes, partly because it is so Mark.  It's his style exactly.  In photography anyway.  The smell though - I'm glad these pictures don't show that sense.  That's something I am happy to forget.  Dead fish and stagnant water?  You can't imagine the smell.  Forget that though - just look with your eyes and hold your nose.

The craziest thing about the Salton Sea is, people live here.  Bombay Beach sits on the shore, home to a population of about 300.  It looks like a ghost town, with salt covered abandoned broken structures, and shipwrecked boats, with no shops, and one bar.  It's an eery place, with that smell, so who lives here?  Well, we watch a documentary which explained that pretty well...http://bombaybeachfilm.com.  Highly recommended viewing.

Inland from the Salton Sea is another photo-memory...Salvation Mountain.  Here's Mark's original shot, stolen from www.marksherratt.com

Sadly, Leonard Knight passed earlier this year, but his art lives on.

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FOOD ALERT

Los Feliz brunch spot, Little Dom's, couldn't be more LA.  Beautiful clientele, healthy menu (I had cauliflower rice with oven baked eggs - so. yummy) and al fresco dining conditions.  Apparently a place to celeb spot too, if that's your thing.  Minutes from the Hollywood Hills where you can work off your food with a hike.  What better way to spend a Sunday?

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Los Angeles, California I

Our final American state is giving us so much joy.  It is a state I have visited before, when I was much younger...too young to fully appreciate it's beauty.  Well, I must have grown up because I am in heaven.  Los Angeles is not just Hollywood, is not just glitz and glamour, but is so much more.  It is like London - a sprawling metropolis containing multiple different towns, each with their own unique vibe.  We're staying in Pasadena - a northeastern town, with Mark's friend Cate.  Mark met Cate years ago, through Jo and James (from Boulder, Colorado), and I've had the pelasure of meeting her myself, in London, on various visits by her.  She's incredible - so beautiful, so FUN, so cool...yes, I have a girl crush.  Anyway, she wasn't in on the night we arrived, so we head out to meet with Garon.  Garon is Aaron's nephew (Aaron of Colorado - you must remember me talking about him).  Garon is named after Aaron, and his dad Gary...hence Garon.   We met him in London, when he was visiting..with Aaron, obviously.  A chance of travel?!  Aaron's all over it.  So, Garon works in North Hollywood at a bar/restaurant full of people who look, and come across, famous...and who look at you to check you aren't famous, or important, or both, or neither.  Amusingly, by knowing Garon, we got bumped to the top of the list for a table, had special treatment all night, and a private guided tour of the building, including the club upstairs, which meant queue jumping and free entry.  People were like, 'who are these guys?!'  We certainly felt famous, so thank you Garon!  

The next day it was time to drop off our rental car at the airport and pick up another one.  We had hired the car in San Francisco, to drop off in LA, which makes the price much higher.  So, in order to bring costs down, we started a new agreement, with a different rental company, for the remainder of our time in LA.  Why am I boring you with this story?  Well, the idea was to save money.  But then...the 'helpful' lady behind the FOX rental car company 'generously' offered us an upgrade...to a convertible, for the same price it would have been for a normal car with the former company.  To Mark it was a no brainer.  I tried to desist but in the end...guess who won?

Feeling pretty pimp (and ever so slightly cold) we head to Venice Beach - a Camden-on-the-Sea, with extra cool.

We took a stroll from Venice Beach down to Santa Monica, listened to a Hungarian folk band on the pier followed by oysters in a beach-side bar.  Blissful right?!  

Afterwards, we raced up the Hollywood Hills to catch the sunset at the Griffith Observatory, along with about 50% of LA's residents, and 80% of it's tourists.  Still, with that view...who even notices?!

Believe me, I could carry on.  The thing about watching sunsets with a photographer is, you're pretty much watching them on your own.  But what's a sunset if not the perfect photo opportunity?  This way, we get to watch the sunsets on our screens forever.

That evening we met up with another of Mark's friends - Cara. Maaaaaaaaaaark (!) you have so many friends!  I was also, briefly, introduced to BJ and Chris, more of Mark's friends, a lovely couple that hopefully we will spend more time with before we leave.  Cara took us out in Silver Lake - the 'cool' part of town, and we bar-hopped from incredibly trendy cocktail bar to incredibly trendy cocktail bar, to incredibly tasty taco truck, to home.  Epic night.

The morning brought the gift of Cate - returned from her holiday upstate.  Together, with Cara, we hit up brunch, in Los Feliz - the real-life set of the movie 'Swingers'.  Dream. Come. True.

In the afternoon sun we hiked through the Hollywood Hills, with the sign in front of us...

and then behind us...

So LA.

The evening brought our little crew together at the ACE Hotel in Downtown LA.  Cate, Cara, Garon, Mark and I sat on a rooftop sipping cocktails, enjoying the view.

The night ended in the usual way - Taco truck dinner.  You've gotta love LA.

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Malibu, California

Do I need to even say anything?!  

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Santa Barbara, California

So the storm hit California.  Pretty bad in parts.  In Santa Barbara, however,  the storm reminded me of an average day in England's November.  Well, maybe more tropical...

The girl in the photo is Skyler.  Skyler is the girlfriend of Chase.  Chase is the step-brother of Mark's friend Cate, who lives in LA.  The reason we know this, and have a picture of Skyler is because Chase lives with his step-Dad Ron, Cate's Dad, in Santa Barbara.  Ron was out of town, so we were able to stay in his room (with his permission).  Get it?

Essentially, we spent a couple of glorious nights with Chase and his girlfriend, and his sister Carlee, feeling festive, drinking mulled wine, eating Mexican and generally having just a wonderful time.

Oh, and this is was the view from their house...

and at dusk...

The storm settled, and we were treated to a Californian December day at it's best.  

After a walk downtown, a smoothie on the pier and lunch, we left, for LA.

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FOOD ALERT

Fish tacos gourmet-style at Marie's Garden Cafe.  Amazing, but lacked the authenticity of true Mexican cuisine.  Probably the wrong choice mid cycle ride.  Should've saved them for breakfast.

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Monterey (et al), California

From Northern California, we cruised down southwards, to visit beachside towns, in a last ditch attempt to catch the December sun.  

First stop: Santa Cruz 

Since arriving in California, I've undergone somewhat of a transformation.  No longer do I crave the full American breakfast, the horseshoes, the burgers, the anything fried.  After two months I have reached my limit.  Bring me salad, albeit with a caesar dressing.  Bring me sushi, bring me fresh vegetables, bring me hikes, bike rides.  So long obesity, hello feet, I haven't seen you for a while.  Adjacent to Santa Cruz is the Wilder Ranch State Park - a heavenly coastal clifftop park littered with trails embracing all the elements.  This was where we spent the afternoon.  As the sun was setting, we arrived in Santa Cruz - a surfer's mecca, only enhanced by the impending storm, and watch the world go by, one wave at a time.

Once the sun was tucked nicely behind the horizon, we carried our journey further south still to our

Second stop: Monterey

- another coastal town where an airbnb awaited.

The next morning, true to the new me, we hired bikes and set off down the historic 17-mile drive, home to Pebble Beach (a world famous golf course) and natural coastal wonders beyond belief.  I'm from Devon, so am used to the glory of the sea, but there's something grander, more dramatic, more...American to this coast line.  Do you see what I mean?

We stopped halfway for lunch at our

Third stop: Carmel-by-the-Sea

- a quaint historic town with multiple galleries, boutique stores and independent cafes and happened to google the weather.  'Tomorrow expects the worst storm in 5 years expected to sweep across California'.  Ah.  Tomorrow was our planned day of driving Big Sur, down the Pacific Coast Highway - 5 hours of jagged coastline, with spectacular views and challenging riving conditions, in good weather.  So, we jumped back on our bikes (a little too soon after lunch...hello stitch) and raced back to our airbnb, packed and left.

The excitement of our spontaneity was the gift that kept on giving.  We managed the whole drive before and during the sunset, in perfect conditions, experiencing views like this:

Thank God for google weather.

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Yosemite, California

The most beautiful natural scenery ever encounted, on a clear sunny day, with a picnic, a hike up from 5000 feet to 7000 feet, and flowing life-giving waterfalls.  That was our day in Yosemite.  Perfection.

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Napa --> Yosemite road trip.

Our overnight stopover, thanks to airbnb, was an American-ranch slash African dream home.  Owned by Fred and Doris, the house was lovingly named Fredoris (get it?!)  The property consisted of 20 cats, with their own outhouse bigger than our front room, two mountain horses they regularly take mountain-horsing, a 6000 square foot private family home and our place for the night - a 5700 square foot dream home, to ourselves.  We had access to an open bar and a wonderful breakfast spread, all for 70 bucks.  Incredible value, incredible owners, and an incredibly large number of cats.

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Napa, California II

The other exciting opportunity we had was to spend time with Matt Mcmann, his beautiful girlfriend Mary-Beth and their incredibly gorgeous and mega-chilled baby Treyson.  Their baby is the calmest baby I've ever met, with hipster hair and insatiable giggles.  I got to feed him, and he slept in my arms.  Couldn't be more broody.  Couldn't be more excited to see Martha May Harwood.

Both Matt and Mary-Beth work in wineries, where we literally got to enjoy the fruit of their labour, multiple times, with gifts to take home!  The generosity of our American friends knows no limits.

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Napa, California I

Napa, Napa, Napa.  Mark's home for a year back in 2000 - 2001.  He moved here under the guidance of John and Ruth Debow - a pastor and his wife, who met Mark on a visit to England where they stayed with his parents.  The year in Napa was a life changing one for Mark.  His passion for photography was born, his career was started, and he was further exposed to a beautiful way of life that has shaped his morals, values and direction.  Fast forward 12 years, he meets his wife-to-be and regales stories about his time here, about crazy Pastor John with his Jesus bus and addiction to antique stores.  Three and a half years after that, I'm shaking hands with this John, and hugging this Ruth, like their family I've known my whole life.

And family is what they are.  They welcomed us into their home with open arms, loving smiles and inappropriate stories (John only, well, mostly).  We ate home cooked breakfasts - the best yet!  And took a visit to the dump.  No word of a lie, Pastor John took us for a tour of the dump.  

The reason for this, and yes there is a reason, is that John and Mark used to spend their days going to the dump, and rewarding themselves with the breakfast of Kings at Highway 29 cafe.  I had oatmeal, Mark had bacon and eggs.  It was delish.

   There's a reason why John and Mark spent many days at the dump...can you work it out?

Maybe you can, maybe you can't.  The Debow property has a number of acres covered in 'things', deserved of an episode Hoarders.  John is a hoarder.  He knows it.  He don't care.  Need tyre chains?  He's got em.  Need a violin?  He's got it.  Need painting supplies, bear hides, fishing rods, desks, paintings, zebra-print panties?  He's got em all.

John and Ruth treated us to an evening at Fume - their brother-in-law Terry's restaurant.  'Slightly' more upmarket than Highway 29 cafe, we were treated like royalty VIPs.

We were able to spend some soul-nourishing time in the Debow's community, cherishing the Christmas spirit.  We were honoured to be notable guests at John's Sunday service, invited to the annual ladies and girls ornament exchange, and an evening showcasing the developmentally disabled bell ringing society.  I joined it and was accused of being crazy by several of the developmentally disabled audience members.  It was an incredibly proud moment.

Oh, and I did I mention the Debow's have a vineyard on their property?  Just over 1 acre, it makes for a beautiful site, and delicious wine, of which we were given personalised-labelled bottles, thank you John!

I have fallen completely and utterly in love with John and Ruth and wish we could stay here for longer.  Next time.

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FOOD ALERT

Delicious Dim Sum so good I've posted the picture twice.  $2.50 for the above consumption, enough to fill two (very stretched) stomachs.  The clue's in the name.  Downside?  It's a bakery, so take out only.

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SF skyline