Death Valley

Tecope Hot Springs is one of the best places to visit in Death Valley (that's the Paiute Chief Tecope pictured above). One always thinks of endless sand and desert when you hear about Death Valley, but there are hot springs and pools there too. At night you can find springs under the moonlight surrounded by bullrushes and sit in the warm, sandy water being serenaded by bullfrogs.

During the day you can go to the pool!

Another magical place in Death valley is:

The Amargosa Hotel and Opera House


It's a little bit David Lynch (think Wild at Heart) meets vaudeville and it works!

There's even an award winning documentary about Marta Beckett who painted the amazing frescoes inside the theater and for decades has performed to desert audiences. She truly embodies the creative spirit .

Cafe C'est Si Bon - better known as the Internet Cafe is in Shoshone, CA (the gateway to Death Valley) and is the best place to stop for a lovely meal - order crepes filled with savory cheeses or sweet concoctions created by David (pictured below with my girlfriend Taura) - the vibe is friendly and his son Oliver has a lemonade stand for thirst-quenching refreshment as well - if you are lucky, you might meet his potbellied pig named Pizza.

Then it's time to sleep in the back of the VW bus with a few of my friends...

Seattle and Victoria

Over the July 4th weekend we visited our friends in Seattle, Washington and took the ferry to Victoria, B.C. to visit our Canadian pals.

Being the 4th, there were beautiful fireworks we watched from under the Fremont Bridge and signs along the way reminded us that Independance Day celebrates our fight to (or is that right to) vote!

If you want big juicy Cuban sandwiches then Paseo is for you - the pink straws make everything taste better I think. Curtis Steiner's Souvenir in Ballard was hosting a show in their windows featuring these beautiful glasine dresses by Albuquerque artist Ann Dunbar.



Pink hollyhocks and pink elephants and my host Rudy who walked me past tree ladders and pretty houses with pink doors.

Dale Chihuly's glass at the Tacoma Glass Museum reminded me of fireworks too!

Speaking of Dale, his boathouse studio is next to this bench overlooking the water where bike trails meander and white barked trees offer shade.

After visiting the boathouse we hung out in the locks where boats hang out too - I love the mossy green walls and the salmon ladders.



One morning we got up and took the ferry to Victoria to see old friends and have tea at Murchies because tea at The Empress Hotel was $58 a person! The Canadian economy really must be improving. A great bargain is Red Fish Blue Fish where they serve fish & chips on the waterfront and it's delicious. Last stop was a walk on the beach before we took the ferry back to Seattle - so good to see old friends and celebrate summer.

New Zealand - Once were Warriors

Once Were Warriors

I've been thinking about New Zealand a lot lately where my father was born & raised. This is Milford Sound - possibly one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Of course one thinks of the funny looking flightless bird and the proud warriors rowing their canoes out to meet Captain Cook - my dad used to tell me and my brothers Maori folktales and spoke quite a bit of the soulful vowel-laden language.

My grandmother would send me tikis made from green jade like the one above and paua shell pins made from abalone that lives in the waters off the coast.

My dad grew up on a sheep station and went to Timaru Boy's School on the South Island.

He often compared Northern California when I moved here to New Zealand as their growing seasons are very similar and I love kiwi fruit!

Check out Flight of the Conchords

Sandcastles

This weekend I had the good fortune to follow the coastline to Stinson Beach where friends invited us to play in the sand - even in the fog there's a magic to playing by the sea.

Last weekend in celebration of summer we found ourselves in the company of old friends (and new) hiking & biking along the trails of Sea Ranch in Mendocino. It was great to hang out with a family who cook together, play music together and take great "Risk" together - thank you everyone!