Barcelona Birthday

My birthday is inauguration day. At some point in the autumn, before November, I decided I wanted to be out of the country for my birthday. The day was also MLK Day, so I didn't have to work. I looked for direct flights from Philly, and Barcelona was the best option. I had wanted to return to Barcelona since my first visit in 2017. The weather in January isn't too bad, and it's far, far less touristy than any other time of year. A lovely long weekend seemed plausible.

We arrived on a Friday morning, somehow not jetlagged, and adventured out. The trick to avoiding jetlag is not to change time zones: we slept in and stayed up late. I've never had a trip so unaffected by the time change. That's not a sustainable plan for many trips, but it worked for a weekend.

I limited the museum visit plans to La Sagrada Família, Park Güell, and Fundación MAPFRE, a photography museum. I mainly wanted to see the light in Barcelona that I remembered: the warm golden hues, the perfect angle on every corner, the clarity of the sunshine. We managed to see it all.

After landing, we checked into our Airbnb in Eixample, stopped for coffee at Nomad Coffee Bar, and went to Mercat de Sant Antoni for some quintessential tapas at Bar Pinotxo. I had been to this restaurant in the market last time and wanted the razor clams. Then, we stopped for another coffee and a small pastry treat at Onis Coffee. Finally, though not impulsively, we found a 70mm showing of The Brutalist. After seeing Anora in San Francisco, I was excited to continue the weird idea of seeing a film in the theater on vacation. The theater was packed, and we were in the front row: no reserved seating or credit cards at Phenomena. I highly recommend the film for so many reasons.

On Saturday, after another stop at Onis Coffee, we walked the city, from La Rambla and El Born to the beach, dinner, and back. We stopped for churros at Granja M. Viader for the most memorable churros I've had in Spain, or elsewhere. They were tiny and delicate, and perfectly fried. Then we walked to Fundación MAPFRE for a Cartier-Bresson exhibit. I'd never seen so many Cartier-Bresson photos, in one place, in person. I say this every time I go to a photo museum, but the fun and delight of seeing photos as the only art form is rare and moving. I will forever wish that this experience was more available in the US.

After the museum, we walked along the beach as city dwellers enjoyed their warm, sunny, 60-degree winter Saturday. It was almost too idyllic for my Philadelphia, northeast self to handle. Then we took a recommendation and went to Bar Brutal near the Gothic Quarter. We sat for hours, drank organic wine, conversed with fellow travelers, and ate most of the menu (scallops, cured tuna, roasted carrots, bone marrow, everything). My drinking tolerance is so low at this point, but I will always love sitting at a dark bar with good company and conversation. Somehow, looking back at my iPhone photos, I didn't want the night to end, so we went to another bar, Bar Cugat, and had two classic tapas (and vermut): patatas bravas and pan con tomate.

The next day, understandably, we slept in. I wanted to venture somewhere outside the city and decided on San Cugat del Vallès for a Sunday vintage market: Mercantic. The regional rail train was incredibly easy to navigate. After a few great thrifting finds in Tokyo, I'm trying to find vintage items on trips outside the US. I picked up two key chains (and have since learned quite a bit about removing rust). After browsing and having a snack, we returned to Barcelona to visit La Sagrada Família.

I planned ahead for timed tickets at sunset. We had the last possible time before closing, which meant there was almost no one behind us on the trip up, across, and down. We lingered as long as we wanted and then enjoyed the western light and shadows on the interior. The way the red and orange stained glass reflected inside the cathedral was simply magic. Seeing the beauty of architecture and light come together was pure joy. Next, we went to a wine bar, Salvatge, for a bit. Then, we planned to watch the Eagles playoff game at a sports bar. Reddit led us to an entirely packed bar. While in line for that bar, a group of Eagles fans told us about another bar a few blocks away with seats. So, we followed other fans to a soccer bar and watched the game. As always, finding the Philly attitude, accent, and cursing ability outside the country is always entertaining and fascinating.

The next day was my birthday. I picked Park Güell and a nice spot for dinner. I also had to take my birthday self-portrait. The rules of this documentation are loose and simple: a document, on film, of myself, wherever I am. Last year was entirely composed and planned, while this year was open and unexpected. My travel partner went out to gather coffee and pastries while I shot a quick half-roll of portraits in various mirrors. Luckily, one worked out, as it usually does.

The first stop of the day was Park Güell. I had been to the park before but was looking forward to visiting with fewer tourists. Comparatively, the park was empty. We started at the Gaudí House Museum and then spent a while exploring until closing time, which was just about sunset. As in the cathedral, influencers were everywhere and rather annoying in a new, video-focused way. Then, we walked to dinner at Babula Bar 1937. I had wanted a nice birthday dinner, and this spot was excellent. As a restaurant/service industry worker, I'm used to the fast-paced expectations of a meal in the US. The idea that you have a table for a certain amount of time is normal. Here, we enjoyed a four-hour, slow dinner. Again, we ate most of the menu, and it was all awesome: creative, unique, and appropriately-cooked. It was a perfectly memorable birthday dinner and day. It was the distraction I wanted.

The next morning, we grabbed coffee and an Uber to the airport. At a certain age, you realize that you should plan your own birthday. You grow up, to a certain degree, and realize that no one can, or should have to, read your mind. With some privilege and calendar serendipity, you can organize your birthday, do precisely what you want, where you want, and see who accepts the invitation. And, none of it disappointed. The rest, though, is history.

Winter Break, Away

I am always learning. I take the liberal arts "life-long learner" thing to heart. I've made it my job and purpose in life. Only sometimes, though, do I apply this learning to my life. By now, I know that I must travel the first week of January. It doesn't matter where I go; I can't be home that week. This year, I had a chance to travel for New Year's and parlayed a flight to the West Coast into a research week in Tucson.

We started in Vegas a few days before the New Year. I was willing to visit Vegas if we left before New Year's Eve. Last year, on my first adult visit to Vegas, I found it genuinely bizarre. But this time, I embraced the absurd and endless adult playground (...with far too many children around). We landed late in the evening, took a taxi to the hotel, and had a snack at a bar inside our hotel.

The following day, we had reservations for brunch at Esther's Kitchen in the Arts District. Brunch was excellent, and then we walked back to the Strip, via a stop to see the Sphere. The walk certainly lets you see a slightly "more real" version of the city. We had dinner at Best Friend in the Park MGM. The restaurant is a Korean Mexican fusion restaurant, and the food was very good. We didn't have a reservation, but there were spots at the bar. Then, I had the idea to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Again, I've embraced the weird high-up tourist spots. The nighttime view was actually very cool; really, the Sphere, adds quite a bit of interest to the skyline.

The next morning, we took the open-air, hop-on-hop-off bus to the old downtown. In November, we did this tour in Philly, inspired by Robert Frank's "From the Bus" series in New York. I highly recommend the Philly tour, but do not recommend the Vegas version. Seemingly, it helps if the city has hundreds of years of well-documented history to discuss; the Vegas tour was slow and uninformative. So, we got off the bus at the northernmost stop and had nachos and giant margaritas at Nacho Daddy. Honestly, excellent and hokey. 10/10, no notes. It was a weird, pre-New Years-ish day, and being in a weird bar in Vegas felt appropriate.

Then we walked to the Neon Museum for tickets right at sunset. The museum collects the old, discarded signs from the town. It's a gorgeous graveyard that you can't bring cameras in to photograph; nope, only phone photos are allowed. Then we walked through Freemont Street, which was another truly strange experience. It's like the Wildwood Boardwalk to the max but more liberal. We bought donuts and went home for the night.

We left town on the 30th, and it was already seeming busier for NYE. My personal expiration date for Vegas is around 48 hours. You can embrace it for that time and spend whatever you want on whatever you want for only so long. I wish it had been a bit warmer, but that's okay. After a quick stop at In-N-Out-Burger, we drove to Flagstaff for a three-night stay. I love Flagstaff and would love to live there. On the first night, we had beers at Mother Road Brewing before dinner at Pizziceletta. The pizza was pretty good; I recommend it. But, the homemade gelato was actually a bit more memorable than the pizza. Then, we randomly played bingo at Dark Star Brewing.

On NYE, we went to the Grand Canyon after a stop for breakfast and coffee at Single Speed Coffee Roasters. I don't know why, but it felt nice to be in the park on that day. It felt like a kismet thing. I've been to the Grand Canyon three times before, but it always lives up to the name. New Year's-wise, I don't put much thought into the concept; my only goal is not to work. Before the Grand Canyon, we stopped at Wupatki National Monument, a pueblo occupied from the early 1100s to the mid 1200s CE: a place I had on my map for a long time.

After sunset at the Grand Canyon, we drove back to Flagstaff. This random town seemed like the perfect small town for NYE. Only a few days before the new year did we learn that Flagstaff has the 5th-best NYE "drop" in the US. They drop a Pinecone three times in the town center: Noon, 10 pm, and midnight. I must admit, I appreciated the 10 pm drop. It was packed; we did the countdown and went home. Honestly, no regret. Time is a flat circle.

On New Year's Day, we drove down to Sedona. I'd been through Sedona as well but never hiked. We did a 6-mile flat loop around Cathedral Rock. It felt nice to start the year with a long, warm hike in the desert.

The next day, we made it to breakfast at Martanne's Breakfast Palace, the most memorable meal from my last visit. A solid Mexican-American breakfast place that doesn't exist in the same way on the East Coast. Then, my travel partner flew home from Phoenix, and I drove to Tucson for a week of research at the Center for Creative Photography. I was so excited to return to Tucson because I'd enjoyed my past two visits: one for yoga and one on a roadtrip. It's simply a reasonable city with nice weather in the winter, ample hiking, and regular people. I'll continue to make the argument that it's the smaller, southwest version of Philly.

I arrived in Tucson on a Thursday so that I could enjoy four days of hiking. It was a rather cold winter in Philly, and it killed my daily hiking resolve. I picked an Airbnb on the very east side of town with views of the mountains and proximity to the trailheads in East Saguaro National Park. I found a hike each day. I also found myself unprepared for hiking in 80-degree weather. On one of the cooler days, I managed a four-hour hike; I kept the rest shorter. These four days were quiet: an intentional rest in the desert.

For the work week, I moved Airbnbs to within a mile of the archive. I had been to the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona in 2020 and never, at that time, imagined I'd return for research purposes. So much has changed in the last five years. I spent a week researching in their small reading room, Monday through Friday. As far as archival research experiences go, this one was great. I gathered research for a new chapter on photographer Edward Weston and collected information to add to two other chapters. After the archive closed, I'd walk around before sunset, take photos, and stop in a brewery: Pueblo Vida, Barrio, and Slow Body.

I was out of town for 15 days. It felt amazing. That's the longest I've been "away" since a summer study abroad. Being warmer than Philly was incredibly important to my well-being. The plan to miss a good portion of January worked; I'll always try to be somewhere warm that week, somehow. Some things still feel possible, despite it all.

San Francisco, As Always

There's almost nothing left for me to write about San Francisco. I've written love letter upon love letter to that city. I continue to return again and again. This trip was right on the heels of a trip to Japan and planned that way. I certainly have used and do use travel in a deeply psychological way; I'll keep that for my therapist. I am also the person who will use any excuse to travel. Halloween in San Francisco seemed like a good enough, though entirely ridiculous, reason to go. I have developed a pattern in San Francisco, so everything seems incredibly easy.

I flew out on Halloween morning and spent the day walking around, taking photos, and eating. Upon landing at 9:00 AM PST, I went to Sightglass Coffee to catch up on some work. Then, I walked through Chinatown and North Beach to Coit Tower. Coit Tower is one of the only memories I have of my first visit in 2003. For whatever reason, I visit this landmark every time. Honestly, and simply, the view is excellent. After, I walked down to Tony's Pizza Napoletana; this pizza had been on my "pizza list" for a decade. It was early afternoon, and there were spots at the bar. I ate a whole margarita pizza myself. Again, Neapolitan pizza isn't my thing, and this wasn't one of the best I've ever had.

Another route I have is the walk from my hotel near Alamo Square down into the Mission. My travel partner joined me the following morning, so we met at Tartine Manufactory for breakfast. Amazing as always. There wasn't anything on at SFMOMA that I wanted to see, so we went to the Fraenkel Gallery, the SF Leica store (which had a great photography exhibit), and the photo gallery at the Academy of Art University. Afterward, we walked through Chinatown to The Coffee Movement (excellent) and stopped at Vesuvio for a drink. Afterwards, we had tickets for Pier 24 Photography. This was the museum's last show before closing its doors. The exhibit, "Turning the Page," was on the "photobook" and wasn't what I had expected. I imagined the exhibit would be about the process of making/editing a photobook, but it was simply an exhibit of random photographers who have recent photobooks. Yet, I'm glad I was able to visit one last time.

The following morning, we discovered pastries at a bakery that will stay with me for a while: Loquat—absurdly good, flaky pâtisserie of all kinds. We returned the following day as well. After one coffee, we went for another at Saint Frank Coffee. This coffee shop had been on my list for a long time, but it is in a part of the city I don't typically explore. They also had fantastic coffee; a "competition cappuccino" was notable and a unique offering.

Then, we had a perfectly lovely walk down to Fort Mason and the marina. It was a Saturday in San Francisco; the skies were blue, and everything felt okay. We ended up at the Palace of Fine Arts. I hadn't been there before, but it was an architecturally meaningful visit for me; Bernard Maybeck, the architect, was a mentor to one of the people I researched, architect Julia Morgan (most known for Hearst Castle). Originally completed in 1915 for the Panama–Pacific International Exposition and rebuilt in the 1960/70s, the faux-Roman/Greek ruins are so incredibly out of multiple time periods that I have to love its very existence.

After miles of walking, we somehow ended up at Verve Coffee on the way to the Mission. We also made a stop for cocktails at Elixir. Then, we made an unconventional decision to see Anora at Alamo Drafthouse. Going to the movies on vacation may be a new, totally achievable thing I've always wanted to do. I hadn't seen a film in a packed theater since Oppenheimer, and it was the precise communal viewing experience I wanted. We all laughed together at the correct places. The movie is fantastic, and it certainly felt that way in that theater.

The following day, after another stop at Loquat, we made my pilgrimage to the Sutro Baths. It was relatively busy on a Sunday, but the sun was out, and the waves were huge. I'm always trying to re-experience my first visit's misty, foggy weather. We decided to walk through the Presidio until we no longer felt like walking. This took us down to Seal Rocks Beach, which I hadn't been to before, and to the end of Lands End Trail. This Sunday "hike" in San Francisco let me deeply feel the differences in the landscapes and cities I've been to and lived in. We are not the same. Next, we took a self-driving Waymo (only available in SanFran, LA, and Phoenix) to Toronado. I adore this beer bar, and it's a required part of my SanFran itinerary.

Before the redeye back to Philly, we stopped for beers at Zeitgeist and then finished with a dinner at a restaurant I have long revered but never visited: Zuni Café. I'd had a solo reservation before but canceled. Yes, I'm entirely willing to order their signature dish, a whole chicken for two people, on my own, but my trip last fall wasn't the time. This was the time. And every dish was as perfect as I had imagined for the previous ten years.

The quick trip was everything I wanted. It was the pre-election, last-days-in-paradise-trip I needed: an absurd, brief visit to one of the most expensive cities in the US. The notion that the election was only a few days away was nowhere to be found in this blue city. It felt like the last moments of true freedom of mind, and, ultimately, it was just that.

Fall Break in Japan

I visited Japan in 2018. It was a wonderful, busy trip. We went to Tokyo, Hakone, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, and Naoshima. I planned that trip with almost no room for error or downtime. During the pandemic, I made a few vows about things to do when it was over. Returning to Japan was one of them. Japan reopened to tourism in November 2022. Just about two years later, I made a return trip. But, this time, I wanted a more "relaxed" trip and more time in Kyoto.

Luckily, my travel partner had already been to Japan as well. We felt like we could relax and made the trip simple: three days in Tokyo, four in Kyoto, and two more in Tokyo, which turned into an unexpected three. I wanted to minimize travel days. While trains in Japan are excellent, I've come to value full days in a location. On my last trip to Japan, while it was longer, there were too many days of maneuvering transportation, and my obsession (and anxiety) with precise planning went to an extreme.

We landed in the afternoon, checked into our hotel in Shinjuku, and made it out to dinner for the best ramen of the trip at Menya Sho Honten. We wandered around Golden Gai but didn't have the energy for much more.

The first full day overlapped with a coincidence I was most excited about: seeing my favorite (living) photographer, Alec Soth, give an artist talk at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum. I knew he had a retrospective opening that weekend, but luckily, he was also in town for the talk. The first 200 people in line before the museum opened received tickets to the afternoon talk. After lining up about 45 minutes before opening, we were tickets 173 and 174. If we had missed the subway or slept in a bit longer, we would have missed it. Things felt meant to be. High on espresso and jet lag, I was delighted.

We went through the exhibition, "A Room of Rooms," and then went to lunch. I had wanted to return to a pizza place, Seirinkan, that I had visited on the first trip. From the museum, it was a nice walk through the quiet neighborhood of Nakameguro. After excellent Neopolitan pizza, we went back for the artist talk. While the jet lag hit hard in the afternoon, and there was extra time for translating, I was so excited to hear Alec talk. He's as humble as he seems in everything I've listened to, watched, and read by him.

We finished an ambitious day with a sunset ticket for Shibuya Sky. It's basically a ready-made selfie and photoshoot location. I had read that it was worth visiting at sunset. While I do not like touristy stuff, I do enjoy the touristy, high-up viewing spots. This stems from my love of maps. I can see the city's layout from above, recognize the landmarks, and discern a sense of geography and proximity. The sunset was clear enough, and the people-watching was excellent.

After a quick nap, we ate late-night sushi and stopped at an organic wine bar, Pitou, in Golden Gai. We had found the wine bar the night before, and luckily, there were two seats left at this ten-seat bar. Classic rock was playing; it was intimate, dark, and one of the trip's most memorable moments. While I barely drink anymore, sitting in a dimly-lit, cozy bar with good music and conversation will always be appealing.

On Sunday, we wandered around Ginza to explore random and specific department stores. I stayed in Ginza on the first trip and remembered it as the shopping district without much character. This was still the case, but some streets were open to pedestrians, and observing a Sunday in Tokyo was interesting. After stopping in a few shops, we found a ramen place and returned to the hotel.

Monday morning, we took the Shinkansen to Kyoto. I was most looking forward to Kyoto. I felt photographically stuck in Tokyo but knew I'd find what I wanted in Kyoto. The city is slower and has a more local feeling.

On the first day, we spent a while wandering around Kyoto Station. The station's architecture is futuristic (completed in 1997), and I'm obsessed with the adjacent Kyoto Tower (1964). Yes, the mid-century towers are space age, but they are also so obviously masculine. After photographing around the station, we rented e-bikes and picked one temple to visit: Kiyomizu-dera. I visited many temples on the first trip and didn't want to spend the whole time in the unavoidable crowds of tourists. My friend's family is from Kyoto, so I asked if she had a favorite temple. She recommended Kiyomizu-dera, and we biked up the hill to the temple. It was the most crowded moment of the trip, but it was fun. We took photos, had green tea/black sesame swirl ice cream, and left within an hour.

After, we biked miles north to the Kyoto Botanical Gardens. The architecture of the greenhouse conservatory (1992) is gorgeous and aging in the most perfect way. Next to the gardens is the Garden of Fine Arts, Kyoto, a Tadao Ando-designed outdoor art museum with waterfalls. The Japanese architect created the space for outdoor viewing of eight masterpieces reproduced on porcelain panels. Then we stopped at Circus Coffee roaster and a random donut shop (donuts became the surprising obsession on the trip) and biked back to the hotel through quiet neighborhoods. For dinner, we went to an izakaya and then a few bars.

The next day, we quickly walked through an empty shrine and a random flea market on the way to Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art. A very trippy exhibit, "Gucci Cosmos," was on view. After, we stopped at a lovely coffee shop with the best donuts of the trip. I spent a few hours working in the evening, and then we walked through Nishiki Market for dinner.

On the last day in Kyoto, we took the subway north and walked back to the train station through Pontochō alley. Some of the best advice for visiting Japan is to go out early before the crowds; well, really, that advice holds for any trip. We took the Shinkansen back to Tokyo for what we thought would be two more nights. We stayed an extra night after our first flight was delayed, and it made more sense to return a day late. After returning from Kyoto, we took the subway to Shimokitazawa, a younger, LGBTQ-friendly neighborhood with second-hand stores. One of the most fascinating things was how these second-hand stores are filled with American clothing from the 1990s.

We spent the first two nights in Shibuya, and the highlight for me was JBS Jazz Blues Soul Bar, a tiny vinyl-listening bar near Shibuya Crossing. The owner/bartender/DJ is in his late 60s and routinely tells customers how annoying they are. To one member of a group of Australian tourists, he said, "You talk loud but say nothing." The man replied, "Thank you for your opinion." With brevity and clarity, the owner's words really did mean more than all the words the tourist had spoken in the last hour. We spent a while there listening to jazz and 90s hip-hop.

The next day, we visited the Museum of Contemporary Art. The museum had a massive exhibit on, "A Personal View of Japanese Contemporary Art: Takahashi Ryutaro Collection." It was the largest single exhibit I've ever seen; one person's collection was fascinating. I left wondering how one stores such a diverse and, literally, giant collection. Afterward, we walked through Kiba Park and found a traditional kissaten, complete with indoor smoking. We wrote postcards and had cocktails and coffee.

On the bonus day, we stopped at Shibuya Food Show for pastries, went to the Mori Art Museum for a Louise Bourgeois show, and switched hotels in the Ueno neighborhood. In Ueno we went to the food market, Ameyoko, which is unlike the enclosed markets. This one is on the street and felt more like being in an episode of a Bourdain show: makeshift tables, fewer tourists, handwritten menus, the sound of the elevated train tracks nearby. It seemed more working-class and authentic. The kushiyaki was amazing; we ordered lots of meats on a stick (I was not vegetarian for the trip). After, we walked through Akihabara; the various "maid cafe" solicitations seemed more concerning this trip.

Before the airport, on the last day, we went to the Oedo Antique Market, which happens once or twice a month on a Sunday. I thrift at home but have never been terribly successful abroad. This trip was different; I was excited to find a few Japanese mid-century-modern items in Tokyo and at the flea market in Kyoto.

Overall, Japan was, again, everything. As someone who loves "order" and quiet, I appreciated Japan differently this time. The subways and trains are packed but quiet. There are crowds, but lines and paths and clarity. Japan has changed slightly since 2018; most places now accept credit cards, and there seems to be an even more significant push for control. For example, smoking (and drinking) on the street is "banned" in Shibuya, but there are areas for smokers to stand together behind plastic walls. Also, there were signs all over Shibuya indicating that Halloween celebrations were banned (apparently, the ban on Halloween began in 2023); it felt similar to Miami Beach trying to crack down on Spring Break last year. I wonder if the extended pandemic closure allowed the government to enact and enforce new rules before tourism resumed.

When I returned home, I immediately started thinking about a third visit. I know it will happen; after all, anything can happen, and my desire for travel knows no bounds.

Joshua Tree and Los Angeles

With a nine-month job, I'm left with quite a bit of time. While I have the summer technically "off," it's not my favorite time to visit crowded places. I'm the tourist who wants to avoid being with other tourists, as if that were possible. My fall and spring breaks are the best for off-season travel. But, this past summer was different from other summers. I had goals to relax and recover from the culmination of a many-year effort at something big. I tried to relax. I failed. I worked my second, third, and fourth jobs. At one point, I stopped hanging out with everyone and instituted "Quiet in July." That extended to August and into this very hot vacation in the desert.

I love California. I've written this so many times that it feels ridiculous to restate. I enjoy so many different parts of California, and I've been to most regions (a few key spots remain and are on the list for 2025). I'm unsure if it's an unpopular East Coast opinion, but I like Los Angeles. Yes, visiting is different than living, but the light, the trees, the space, the options. Since I grew up in the suburbs, I don't mind the car/driving stuff. Having lived in Philadelphia, I get the "I don't leave my neighborhood" concept. Maybe it's my tendency toward seasonal depression, but forty northeast winters are enough for one person. At some point, it'll really be enough.

As the summer went on, I realized I needed to go somewhere else to relax. It wasn't happening at home. I had wanted to revisit LA since the pandemic, and I wanted to be in the desert. So, Joshua Tree. While I'd been to Joshua Tree three times before, I was eager to spend more time near the park and explore it on multiple days. We figured out a ten-day combination of LA and Joshua Tree, complete with an Airbnb with a pool. I would have no choice but to relax.

The trip started with a long day in LA. At some point in the planning, we realized that the Phillies played at the Dodgers on the first day of the trip. I had started a pinhole project on the Phillies and wanted to explore other stadiums for the project. We landed early, went to the Boy and the Bear Coffee Roastery, and then walked Venice Beach for photography and people-watching. I had a different summer-long photo project on beach towns, so I wanted to stop in Venice for a few reasons. We had beers at a bar on the "boardwalk," took photos of skateboarders, and went to Pizzeria Sei. I continue to try the best pizza places; it was solid, not the best I've ever had for Neopolitan style, but good. Then we drove to Dodger Stadium.

I'd heard the rumors about Dodgers fans: they don't care, show up late, and certainly aren't like Philly Sports Fans. Somewhat hilarious to me, we hit 45 minutes of traffic going to the game, but within a mile of the stadium, there was no traffic. No one was driving to the game an hour before start time. We parked and were first approached by someone else from Philadelphia asking us about parking. It was funny and fitting to hear the Philly accent out there.

I wanted time to walk around the stadium and check out the angles, but our first stop on the top deck was excellent. The light and the view were LA-perfect. We stayed up there until sunset and then walked around the lower levels. Only the daughter of a football coach would want to see and evaluate a stadium. I've been to many stadiums. I have opinions. Dodgers Stadium is one of the original concrete monsters; while Citizens Bank Park is a fantastic venue, I still miss the Vet. Dodgers felt a bit like the Vet, but with the renovations, it felt pastiche, a mix of old and new. You only get the feeling that it seats 56,000 people when you're in the outfield looking towards the upper decks. While it was nice to see the Phillies somewhere else, they lost, and we had to drive to Joshua Tree after the game. We made it by midnight and checked in. Even at night, it was very warm.

I knew it would be hot in the desert in August. I did not know there would be a heat wave and 110 during the day. I've practiced hot yoga for fifteen years. I've taught four ninety-minute classes in one day. I've taken six classes in one day. But, 105 and east-coast humidity is not 110 in the desert. Humans are not made for 110. By midday, it becomes too hot to be outside or have the energy to do anything. In a way, the heat forced me to relax and slow down. It felt amazing.

We went into the park on four different days. The light was different on each visit, and we picked our favorite spots for sunset. We hiked a bit but kept it very reasonable, given the heat. We also took a day trip to Salton Sea and Palm Springs. I've been to both before, but seeing how much the Salton Sea had receded since my last trip in 2019 was interesting. It's still a weird, weird art place. We also stopped by the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Desert Art Museum. There's a reason the desert is good for art.

Foodwise, I didn't have high hopes, but was pleasantly surprised. We found excellent food at Kitchen in the Desert, a fun dive bar (Out There Bar) in 29 Palms, had BBQ and saw live music at Pappy and Harriet's in Pioneertown, and had an awesome breakfast at Crossroads Cafe. Also, Joshua Tree Coffee Company is solid.

We spent the last night in LA. I don't exactly know why, but I develop things I must revisit in certain places. I have pilgrimages in San Francisco. I have spots in LA. The Comedy Store is one of them. After drinks at the Snake Pit, we spent a few hours in the Main Room. Then, we went back to our Airbnb in Laurel Canyon. We had a few hours before the flight the following day and grabbed coffee at Go Get Em Tiger in Larchmont.

Overall, the trip was what I needed. Sunny. Blue skies. Far away. Desert-y. A mix of adventure and photography. I finally relaxed. Just two days before the back-to-school meetings began.