April 5, 2009. DAY 16.

I arrived at Death Valley National Park after dark and, of course, all the campsites were full. So I said fuck it and drove to the Badwater stop, the lowest point in North America, and slept in the car there. It turned out to be one of the most amazing things I've done: with the moon bright and full in the sky, I walked out on the salt flats at midnight and it was like I was the only person on the face of a strange planet. Truly amazing and moving... hard to photograph though.

April 4, 2009. DAY 15.

Sunset on Venice Beach...

The boardwalk at Venice Beach...

At Cisco's burger joint, near West Coast Choppers. Hmmm...burgers.

A gate at West Coast Choppers.

Along the coast, north of Los Angeles...

April 3, 2009. DAY 14.

The Hi-Time Wine Cellar in Costa Mesa, CA had the best tequila selection that I had ever come across. This is outside after we have made our booze purchases inside and we are riding home on bicycles, drunk, in the dark. It was crazy...

This popular place had fantastic food!

Having fun on or around Balboa Island, CA...

Susan Slavik and Greg Cripe.

On the California coast near Newport Beach...

April 2, 2009. DAY 13.

Salton Sea was supposed to be this thriving recreation area, but then 40 years ago it all went horribly wrong...

At the Salton Sea, in eastern California. This huge body of water and not one boat or swimmer. The only things on the water were pelicans...

Greg somewhere in the deserts of California...

Kelso Depot inside the Mojave National Preserve, a beautifully restored old train station.

Joshua Tree National Park.

Greg worked hard on his photography. You knew when he stuck his tongue out that things were getting serious...

Our campsite at sunrise in the Mojave National Preserve. The only difference between a National Park and National Preserve is that hunting is allowed on Preserves...

Greg really liked our time camping in the Mojave National Preserve. For starters, we were actually able to find a campsite. A reoccurring theme of my travels was how packed the campgrounds were in the state and national parks...

April 1, 2009. DAY 12.

Sunset in the Mojave...

Waiting for the sun to set in the Mojave...

Greg out hiking near our campground inside the Mojave National Monument.

Greg on a lonesome stretch of highway...

On the Colorado River at the Arizona/California border.