Joshua Tree, California
March 4–5, 2022
March 4–5, 2022
After dropping off my friend Carly at the airport in Phoenix, I stopped at Original Gravity for lunch. I sat outside with the dogs, and the server brought not only a bowl of water for the boys, but also a bowl of bacon. (The human food and drink were also excellent.)
On the drive to my campsite in Joshua Tree National Park, I had to pull over at the defunct, abandoned gas station that apparently has become a graveyard for shoes, tires, and dog collars. Stickers and graffiti tags were represented in force, as well. The dog collars made me think perhaps this was a memorial site, and for a moment I considered leaving Sushi’s old collar as part of the installation. (I have it with me, of course.) But then I gazed past the old gas station frame and saw a scrubby palo verde festooned with discarded face masks, fronted by a spray-painted sign instructing people to “de-mask America here.” (”Who’s actually ‘oppressing’ you way out here in the desert?” I wanted to ask the absent graffiti artist.) I decided I’d rather hold on to Sushi’s collar a bit longer, after all.
Driving through the Sheephole Valley Wilderness at sunset left my jaw hanging open, and I had to concentrate very hard to keep my eyes on the road ahead. The photos I took through the windshield really don’t do it justice. I swear I would have stopped for better photos, but I was concerned about getting to my campsite in Joshua Tree before dark.
Unfortunately, I failed at that, but I eventually found my site, and when I awoke the next morning I realized it was a stunner. I went on two good hikes during my time in the park (neither with dogs, sadly, as they’re not allowed on the trails in Joshua Tree), and I could hardly stop taking photos during each hike. In addition to the numerous bird species fluttering about, a coyote crossed the trail less than 20 feet in front of me at one point. I hadn’t been to California for 26 years, at this point, and Joshua Tree’s majesty was an excellent way to leap back into the multiform California magic.
I also spent a little time in the town of Joshua Tree, most interestingly at the World Famous Crochet Museum and the Art Queen shop selling the creations of artist Shari Elf. There were stickers, magnets, screen-printed T-shirts, and lots of other objets d’art for sale in the shop (and I bought my fair share!), and the crochet museum housed in a repurposed old drive-through photo-processing lab was a little box of delight for me. I didn’t get to meet Shari herself, but I felt like our aesthetics are right in line, and her spunky little shop and installations made me want to get back into my own work.
I also spent a bit of time working from and dining at the Joshua Tree Saloon. During my second visit there, I met a fabulous couple from Long Beach, Sabrina and Lisa, and they gave me lots of pro tips about LA and shared some excellent giggles. As is often the case during my travels, I thought, “If I lived here, I’d want to be friends with these people.” Alas, my travels take me from town to town too quickly for that, but I still appreciate the lovely people I meet along the way.
On the drive to my campsite in Joshua Tree National Park, I had to pull over at the defunct, abandoned gas station that apparently has become a graveyard for shoes, tires, and dog collars. Stickers and graffiti tags were represented in force, as well. The dog collars made me think perhaps this was a memorial site, and for a moment I considered leaving Sushi’s old collar as part of the installation. (I have it with me, of course.) But then I gazed past the old gas station frame and saw a scrubby palo verde festooned with discarded face masks, fronted by a spray-painted sign instructing people to “de-mask America here.” (”Who’s actually ‘oppressing’ you way out here in the desert?” I wanted to ask the absent graffiti artist.) I decided I’d rather hold on to Sushi’s collar a bit longer, after all.
Driving through the Sheephole Valley Wilderness at sunset left my jaw hanging open, and I had to concentrate very hard to keep my eyes on the road ahead. The photos I took through the windshield really don’t do it justice. I swear I would have stopped for better photos, but I was concerned about getting to my campsite in Joshua Tree before dark.
Unfortunately, I failed at that, but I eventually found my site, and when I awoke the next morning I realized it was a stunner. I went on two good hikes during my time in the park (neither with dogs, sadly, as they’re not allowed on the trails in Joshua Tree), and I could hardly stop taking photos during each hike. In addition to the numerous bird species fluttering about, a coyote crossed the trail less than 20 feet in front of me at one point. I hadn’t been to California for 26 years, at this point, and Joshua Tree’s majesty was an excellent way to leap back into the multiform California magic.
I also spent a little time in the town of Joshua Tree, most interestingly at the World Famous Crochet Museum and the Art Queen shop selling the creations of artist Shari Elf. There were stickers, magnets, screen-printed T-shirts, and lots of other objets d’art for sale in the shop (and I bought my fair share!), and the crochet museum housed in a repurposed old drive-through photo-processing lab was a little box of delight for me. I didn’t get to meet Shari herself, but I felt like our aesthetics are right in line, and her spunky little shop and installations made me want to get back into my own work.
I also spent a bit of time working from and dining at the Joshua Tree Saloon. During my second visit there, I met a fabulous couple from Long Beach, Sabrina and Lisa, and they gave me lots of pro tips about LA and shared some excellent giggles. As is often the case during my travels, I thought, “If I lived here, I’d want to be friends with these people.” Alas, my travels take me from town to town too quickly for that, but I still appreciate the lovely people I meet along the way.
