wish i were there

high desert test sites

the annual andrea zittel-sponsored high desert test sites is coming up out in joshua tree on may 12-13...  i highly recommend it.  it's a great opportunity to be able to be a part of something sponsored by one of contemporary art's most notable artists - not just by or about the artist, but her collective vision and community.  um, can you tell that she's one of my favorites?  she makes me want to only eat out of bowls and live in one tiny room to maximize my efficency.  (ps - be sure to check out her show at moca right now, too.)  anyway, we went last spring and weren't able to see everything because we just drove out, spur of the moment, from los angeles.  some of the work we saw was quirky, some was unimpressive, some was definitely stimulating.... overall, it was a great experience.  it's supposed to be a smaller presentation this year, but we recently invested in a bunch of camping equipment for our trip to big sur so we are going to try out some desert camping and spend the night at the indian cove campsite just inside the park from 29 palms.  i have heard really good things about other campgrounds in the park, specifically ryan campground, white tank campground, and belle campground, but  indian cove is a bit closer to HDTS, and accepts reservations, so there it is.  i bought this guide to the park by james kaiser and it has been really helpful - he's very frank about his opinions.  the author also maintains a helpful website with some links to lodging; you can find it at jameskaiser.com. 

as far as hotels go, i remember hearing about a cool little place to stay in town where many of the rock climbers and joshua tree adventurers stay after a long day of adventure.  i can't remember the name, but here are some decent-seeming options i found from a google search and from the afore-mentioned site:

• 29 palms inn - unambitious (but doable) cabins and bungalows.  rates anywhere from $85 to $280.
  
• joshua tree inn - where gram parsons spent his last days, and other music legends (rolling stones, donovan, emmylou harris, the eagles) have stayed "over the years"... i'm sure it wasn't recently, but it looks like an interesting place with a good amount of history, nonetheless.  rates are $75 - $95 per night, with deals for a weekly rate
• spin and margie's desert hideaway - 4 suite hacienda-style bungalows, each with a kitchenette.  colorful, semi-crazy decor with mexican blankets and brightly painted walls.  could be better in person than it looks online...  rates are $115 - 150 per night.  i'm generally not into the b&b scene, though.
• rosebud ruby star - a small inn with 4 private bungalows.  2 night minimum.  of the four, i think i like the biltmore bunkhouse the best - $370 for 2 nights.  but again, not usually in love with b&b's...
• harmony motel - where U2 (one of my least favorite bands of all time) stayed as they worked on their joshua tree album.  recently renovated, but with not much charm - very boring cheap-looking decor, and by boring i don't mean minimalist. anyway, not at the top of the list, but very inexpensive - $70 a night.  also has one private cabin, the "jack kerouac cabin" for $80 per night.

considering the burgeoning art connection in joshua tree,  i wish there were a motel that rocks it like the thunderbird motel does in marfa, texas... there's enough style in palm springs, i guess, but it would be nice if someone did it in a more remote area.  if you don't mind not staying in the thick of joshua tree, i highly recommend hope springs out in desert hot springs, just next to palm springs.  what an gem - we stayed here last november, and i cannot recommend it highly enough.  serene, lovely, well maintained, out-of-the-way but not too disconnected, with friendly but non-intrusive hosts.

oh, and here's the wikipedia travel guide to j-tree. 

big sur is on the books!

so, it took me quite a while to post, and yes, i have managed to travel a bit in the meantime....  but the next adventure on the books is my very first camping trip as an adult!  I haven't camped since girls scouts in the 5th grade, and my husband is in about the same place, so we are pretty much starting from scratch with this whole "roughing -it" thing, as you may have gleaned from previous posts.  we will be heading up to big sur at the end of april, and  will be staying in the pfeiffer big sur state park (in the redwood canyon) - not to be confused with the julia pfeiffer-burns sp (closer to the ocean).  i had some input from friends when trying to sort out where to stay in big sur, but in the end i chose the pfeiffer big sur state park since it seems like the classic.  it's also quite large and seems to have great facilities.  i managed to reserve us a site amongst a pocket of tent-only sites over in the weyland area, just off the river that runs through the park.  i hope it's lovely!  more to come as i prepare for the trip throughout the month, and any suggestions are welcome!

trinkets and doodads...

i was just watching an old episode of a martha stewart show, and she did a segment at a lovely store in san francisco that i must visit next time i am there...  bell'occhio is located at 8 brady street (at market; tel. +415.864.4048), and sells delicious european papers, vintage silk ribbons, and amazing trinkets and doodads a-plenty.  lots of europhile  and francophile treasures to linger over, just perfect for a collector of trinkets and geegaws like myself.  oh, and you can also order online, if you're not travelling anytime soon.  their stock reminds me of a great store called french general (1621 vista del mar avenue, hollywood; tel. +323.462.0818), which i discovered back when it lived in new york city.  lucky for me, french general moved to hollywood a few years back, so now that i am here i am able to take full advantage of it's loveliness again.  if you head over to french general, do print out the map on their site because it is quite hidden away, and call ahead, as they keep uncommon hours.  it's worth the trouble, though...

more seattle finds...

in anticipation of my upcoming trip to seattle, i checked in at not martha, one of my favorite seattle-based craft blogs.  a few trip ideas i gleaned from her site:

• mora ice cream on bainbridge island (139 madrone lane; tel. +206.855.1112) seems to be a destination unto itself, but it doesn't hurt that getting there involves a fun ferry ride to a charming island full of fun shops and sights to see.  and there's even a vineyard on the island!  check out mora's website for why it seems so awesome - they don't mess around with their ice cream, no siree.  here's a ferry schedule - the ride should take about 35 minutes, one way, and costs $6.50 per person. $1 extra for your bicycle... now there's a fun idea!  also, you know i'm not big on b&b's (too much chintz!  too many ruffles!  too much closeness with strangers!), but here's a site dedicated to bainbridge island lodging, most of which (for better or worse) falls into the bed & breakfast category. 
• okay, i live in los angeles, so i need a taco truck like a hole in the head.  regardless, here's a blog dedicated to the taco truck wonders of seattle, should i feel homesick or something.  (sidenote:  we have a taco blogger here in LA as well, who can be a great resource when seeking out new trucks to try.... but none of the taco trucks in the world can compare to our strip of tamale carts in downtown LA, led by mama's hot tamales café, which has given the area a chance to revamp it's image.)
• daiso is one of japan's biggest 100-yen stores - the japanese equivalent to our ever popular $1 store.  i love all things japanese - and i am lucky enough to live near some great dollar stores that sell mostly japanese items.  however, the prospect of a dollar store that is actually HQ'ed in japan is too good to resist - and daiso has opened their first US location in lynwood, washington, a short 15 minutes north of seattle.  here's an article about the daiso phenomenon, and here's another and another.  they even have a wikipedia entry, check it out.  so, if the husband is willing to let me drag him to yet another japanese dollar store - while on vacation, no less - he wins the big prize of my undying love and affection.

the best pie in arizona

if you know me, you know i like pie.  i am not quite as crazy about it as these folks (barbara and bill windsor), but bless them for taking a trip all around america - no, not in an rv, but in a porsche convertible - to just eat pie and write about it!  those are my people!  yes!  i can't wait to be retired...  anyhoo, for someone like me, their site is a great resource - yup, i like road food as much as i like fancy food.  click for lists of the best pie in america, the worst pie in america, unusual pies (no thanks to that cheddar cheese fudge!), and the complete list of pies - all ranked.  love it.

...but somehow they missed my favorite pie in arizona, at the rock springs cafe and general store (tel. +623.374.5794) in black canyon city.  it's a 30 - 45 minute drive from downtown scottsdale, at exit 242 off the I-17.  it began as one of arizona's first 100 general stores, and they built some of the still standing brick buildings in the early 1920's.  it's definitely a roadside stop - there's a gas station, and a saloon (um, for your non-designated drivers, i guess), and a bit of a general store selling arizona kitsch and tourist trinkets. the real draw, though, is the pie... the coconut cream pie, my favorite kind, is amazing, but they have plenty of other varieties to satisfy your pie lust - crumb fruit pies, cream pies, and their famous jack daniels pecan pie.  it's a popular spot, though, so if you're worried about them being out of your pie, you can always call ahead and reserve one.  if you are on your way to flagstaff, or up for a bit of a drive, this is a required stop.  no, i mean it.  you will thank me.

bill and barbara also missed the pie 'n burger (913 e. california blvd., pasadena, tel. +626.795.1123 ; picture via potatotomato) and apple pan (10801 w. pico, los angeles, tel.+310.475.3585; picture via sundown), two of los angeles' pie institutions.  i'll let it slide for them, since california is such a big state and they had a lot of ground to cover.  but that's no excuse for you!  you're not on a round-the-country road trip!  these are landmarks, people!  so go!

and if you are planning a pie trip of your own, and bill and barbara's lead is not enough, consult american pie: slices of life (and pie) from america's back roads by pascale le draoulec for some extra insight.  i haven't read the book yet, but i did hear this chat with her on the now-defunct npr show savvy traveler.  she describes her own journey across america in search of great pie, and all of the characters she meets along the way.

looking for other good road food books?  amazon also has the bible of diner dining, roadfood by jane and michael stern, as well as their new title, two for the road.

flea market guide

southern california is is a great place to buy vintage - flea markets abound, and there are so many it can be hard to keep track!  here's a rundown of the rotating schedule of the best los angeles flea markets:

• pasadena city college - first sunday of every month.  no admission fee, and i hear this is one of the most affordable and accessible of all - lots of local rose bowl vendors come to this, with lower prices.  many l.a. locals prefer this market.
• rose bowl - the second sunday of the month.  admission $20 between 5am and 7am, $15 betweeen 7am and 8am, $10 between 8am and 9am, and regular admission begins at 9am, at $7.  free parking.  everyone's heard of the rose bowl... the market lasts until about 3pm, when the prices get lower and everyone is just trying to get rid of things - that's when you can get some great deals. it's huge, so wear comfortable shoes!
  
• long beach antique and collectible market - third sunday of every month.  held at veteran's stadium, this is another enormous one to tackle.  admission is $10 from 5:30 am to 6:30 am, and $5 from 6:30am to 3pm.  same principle as the rose bowl, and as at any flea market - the later it gets, the cheaper things are.
• santa monica antique and collectible market - fourth and fifth sunday of every month.  admission is $7 from 6am to 8am, and $5 after 8am - location is the santa monica airport.  this one, i have heard, is on the pricier side - loads of high-end antiques and serious collectibles.
• the bustamante shows - an almost-monthly antique and collectible book fair in varying locations, generally around pasadena or santa monica.

... and here are some l.a. area markets that are held weekly:

• melrose trading post -  every sunday, $2 admission.  held at fairfax high school, on the corner of melrose and fairfax, the profits from this weekly show actualy benefit the school district!  it's a nice manageable size, perfect for a casual browse.  great vintage clothes - keep an eye out for shareen.
  
• peddler on the roof - less vintage, more crafts - and throw in some local "fashion designers", as well... eek.  i haven't been to this, so be warned - this could be questionable.  10am - 4pm, the first saturday of every month, admission is $3 with free parking.  held at the top of the parking structure at the sunset gower studios.
  
• roadium in torrance / redondo beach - open daily, from 7am to 4pm.  i haven't been to this one either, but it seems like there is a lot of new stuff mixed in with the vintage items.  admission varies from $.50 to $1.50.  weekdays are geared towards vintage and collectibles, with wednesday being the best day to go, i have heard.  weekends are primarily focused on new items.
  
• san bernardino outdoor market - from the same people that put together the rose bowl every month, this one is held every sunday.  admission and parking is free.  lots of new stuff, unfortunately, cuts the focus of the market.
  

here are some other general flea market links:

• an article on some of rachel ashwell's favorite flea markets.  who doesn't want to know where the instigator of the whole shabby chic phenomenon shops?
• good housekeeping's top ten flea markets, nationwide.  how did i live on the east coast for 4 years and never make it to brimfield?
• fleamarketguide.com - a comprehensive listing of flea markets across the country.
• a yahoo guide to "collecting events".
• openair.org - this gets pretty global, which is interesting... it sort of seems like someone's graduate thesis project, or something.  the site promotes outdoor markets of every kind (flea, farmer's, souks, etc.) and discusses the economic and social roles these markets play in society.    not as user-friendly as i wish, but check out the archives and links.
• even more listings of california flea markets.

wishing for a long weekend...

wow.  after a really rough week at work, i had an idea to have a bit of a local escape from all the stress.  i was hoping to lie about in a fluffy hotel bed, soak in a fabulous hotel bathtub, and hibernate all weekend in an attempt to recover!  unfortunately, i was foiled by president's day weekend.  everyone was booked, or only had their most expensive rooms available.  we went out for an amazing dinner instead, and i am still glowing from our meal at jar, 12 hours later.  but here are some of the options, next time the urge should strike for a much-needed getaway...

in los angeles area:

• hotel casa del mar, santa monica  :: 310.581.5533 :: 
• maison 140, beverly hills  :: 310.281.4000 :: 
• avalon hotel, beverly hills  :: 310.277.5221 :: 
• malibu beach inn, malibu  :: 310.456.6444 ::
• viceroy, santa monica   ::  310.260.7500 :: 
• the belamar hotel, manhattan beach  :: 310.750.0300 ::
• shutters on the beach, santa monica  :: 310.458.0030 :: 
• chateau marmont, hollywood  :: 323.656.1010 ::
• downtown standard, los angeles  :: 213.892.8080 ::
• the crescent, beverly hills  :: 310.247.0505 ::

in santa barbara:

• inn of spanish gardens, santa barabara  :: 805.564.4700 ::
• hotel oceana, santa barbara  :: 800.965.9776 ::
• bacara resort and spa  :: 877.422.4245 ::
• san ysidro ranch, montecito  :: 800.368.6788 ::

in palm springs:

• korakia pensione, palm springs  :: 760.864.6411 ::
• parker palm springs  :: 760.770.5000 ::
• viceroy palm springs  :: 760.320.4117 ::
• movie colony, palm springs  :: 888.953.5700 ::

in the o.c./ san diego:

• casa laguna, laguna beach  :: 800.233.0449 ::
• montage resort and spa, laguna beach  :: 949.715.6000 ::
• rancho valencia, del mar  :: 800.548.3664 ::