Pitstop at the Chiriaco Summit Coffee Shop
Sometimes in life you find yourself in a place where you don’t have enough in the tank to move forward so your only chance of making it is turning back. This is true both...
Tagged: California
Close Encounters of the Kenny Scharf Kind
Kenny Scharf is a dynamic artist who emerged in the 1980s as a prominent figure in the vibrant East Village art scene. With his bold use of colors and imaginative style, Scharf quickly gained...
I’ll See Your Angel Queen and Raise You a Lodestar
When I stood in the whipping wind off of the Salton Sea, I had no idea what I would find on the streets of Bombay Beach. From the vantage point of the welcome sign,...
Muffler Man of Mentone, California
The muffler man of Mentone, California stands watch over the desert valley from behind a fence in someone’s front yard. The plaque on his middle, like an ersatz giant belt buckle says “Outboard Inn,...
Long and Lonely Views – A Train to Nowhere
Where are those places in which you feel at home, feel like your true self? What do the landscapes that tug at your heart and anchor you look like? Have you found mind-expanding inspiration...
International Banana Museum Proves Slippery
Everyday I count my lucky stars that I am fortunate enough to have been born and live in a place in which we have such roadside attraction gems as the International Banana Museum. What...
That Time I Rode My Way Into a Live Sex Show
Riding along in the scrubby desert of eastern California making my way to the Arizona border, the light was just beautiful. The sun cast a warm romantic glow over everything, the way it tends...
Big Josh – The Joshua Tree Muffler Man
As of 2018, there is a new guy in town, the Joshua Tree Muffler Man – Big Josh. In December of 2016, I traveled south along Route 111 on my way towards Salvation Mountain...
World Famous Crochet Museum – Joshua Tree, California
In the town of Joshua Tree, California at the gateway of the National Park, sits another glorious American institution – the World Famous Crochet Museum. While on a riding trip in January of 2020,...
Palm Springs Window Reflections
Having my picture taken isn’t fun. I hate the way I look. Sometimes I go through the process of taking selfies to try to work through these feelings. At this point, it seems like...
Giant Chicken Army: San Bernardino Original McDonald’s Edition
Wouldn’t you know it? I had myself another run-in with a member of the Giant Chicken Army. At the end of January, I flew to California to do a little ride about. While cruising...
Will Ride for Donuts
My love of donuts is known far and wide amongst my friends. Perhaps you’ve even noticed the pink donut sticker on the BonBon. I don’t know when the love affair began, really. But I...
A Yeti, an Art Gallery, a Kickass Road – This must be Ranchita, California
In December of 2016, I was in California taking a week-long riding trip. I flew to LA, rented a bike and wandered about. While heading towards Borrego Spring on Montezuma-Borrego Highway, I passed a Yeti in...
Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch – Oro Grande, California – Route 66
A Whimsical Wonderland In January of 2017, I was riding my motorcycle on a solo trip through California. I followed a leg of Route 66 back towards Los Angeles. That’s where I learned about...
One Year Later: My Desert Awakening Went Back to Sleep
One year ago today, December 28, 2016, I stood in the golden sun of the California desert taking in Salvation Mountain. The day shimmered with magic, possibility, and the excitement unique to being on...
New Year’s Day with Beggars in Death Valley
On New Year’s Day, I awoke in Las Vegas. The rest of the world was still asleep after a long night of reveling. As I rode down the strip towards old Las Vegas and...
One Of The Simplest Pleasures of Riding a Motorcycle Is When You Stop
Sometimes the simplest pleasure in the world is doin’ nothin’. There can be so much to see when you’re just standing around being. Life becomes uncomplicated and yet expands far beyond the reaches of...
Riding a Motorcycle Through the Big Wide World
Riding across the Mojave from Twentynine Palms on my way to Amboy, California was something of a spiritual experience. Seeing an ocean of sand spill out before me with dappled light spread across the...
Route 66 Amboy, California – Roy’s Cafe
When something from popular culture becomes a fixture in my mind, often when I visit such a place I don’t know how to react. Almost like standing around at a party and not knowing...
California Desert Art: Noah Purifoy Outdoor Museum
While near Joshua Tree, California – I made a pitstop at the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Museum. When I pulled up in the early morning, the light coming east across the desert was glorious. It bathed...
