“Creation is a better means of self-expression than possession; it is through creating, not possessing, that life is revealed.” - Vida Dutton Scudder

As you may have noticed, over the past few months, I’ve been taking 1-2 week-long trips; basing myself out of Los Angeles and exploring the South Western US. Aside from the fun and adventure that these road trips brought about, there was an underlying purpose for my experimentation with various transportation and living arrangements.

From luxury cars and hotels through to renting motor homes of all sizes, I’ve been determining the most suitable way to see the rest of the country in 2010. After getting over the initial fear of driving a 21…25…and finally a 31 foot RV, it was clear that a moderately sized motor home could take me most places and provide me with a home on the road. For all of the places that it can’t take me, I’ve attached a small motorcycle to the back of a Winnebago Outlook. (Until I am debunked, I’m claiming to be the youngest Winnebago owner in the world)

And so, three weeks ago I finished selling and donating most of my non-essential physical possessions and left Los Angeles to spend some time exploring the Central Coast of California in my new Winnebago. I’ve since spent sunny days and windy nights in the deserts of Nevada – and just left Las Vegas after a few nights on the strip.

It is both an odd and invigorating feeling to know that I don’t have a “home” to return to. Everything that I own is with me right now as I set out to see and experience more of the United States from the ground level. Below is a tentative road map of where I’ll be heading; although routes and plans will most definitely change based on interesting discoveries along the way.

Have any unusual landmarks, glorious landscapes or fantastic food recommendations along my route? I’m always appreciative of local suggestions!

I’ve been pretty busy this year; with lots of plates spinning, as usual. I’m starting on a few photo projects, including the development of my stock library and experimenting with vintage photography cameras, lenses and emulators, including my Polaroid 350 Land Camera. Here are some of my upcoming travel highlights for 2009. As always, if you have any personal experience and can offer any tips or suggestions, I’m all ears!

• Santa Barbara County, CA – September 11-13
• Bangkok/Phuket – September 18-29
• Austin, TX (Austin City Limits) -October 1-5
• NYC/NJ – October 7-12
• Indio, CA (Phish Festival 8) – October 29-November 2
• Philadelphia/Poconos, PA -November 24 – 30
• TBD (Kauai?) -December 23 – January 4

I will be hopping around the country over the next few weeks. Here is an updated travel schedule:

• San Francisco, CA – July 2?-29
• Nashville, TN – July 30-Aug 3
• Bolton Landing, NY (Lake George) – August 21-23
• NYC/NJ – August 23-26
• Middle of nowhere, PA – August 27-30

I have some availability for new projects, so if you’d like to connect while I am in your area, feel free to drop me a line.

Aside from those dates, you’ll find me here in Malibu, CA – where I’ve been exploring the cliffs, canyons and hills with Sid. Photos coming soon…

I’ve had my hands full over the past few weeks with a few commercial catalog projects and my new puppy, Sid. I’m still working on getting him to pose on command, but here are a few spontaneous photos that I’ve snapped of him over the past few weeks as a first glimpse of the little guy.

Digging in the Park

At the Cabin

In the Park

Holiday Card Stamps

Sid will be living it up at a luxury puppy spa here in LA while I am away beginning this week. I’ll be traveling through Baja Mexico again this year, photographing wild, stray and working dogs throughout the region. Mia and I are flying into La Paz, Mexico, then driving our Jeep down to Todos Santos and finally Cabo San Lucas for New Years. On the return flight, we planned a short stop in Mexico City to get a taste of the Mexican metropolis, since neither of us has been there yet.

A week after we return, we ship out from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to explore Belize. Big Fun.

And here is a restaurant recommendation from my latest explorations:

Violet (Santa Monica, CA) – A very restaurant-savvy person sitting next to me on a flight from Las Vegas the other day mentioned this little gem. I’ve been there twice in the past two weeks, giving you an idea of how I felt about their cuisine and atmosphere. What I enjoyed the most was the “small plate” approach to their menu, giving me a chance to try several dishes and share with the rest of my company.

The Chef/Owner, Jared, was extremely friendly, helpful and unpretentious on both occasions. Since I’ve now tried just about the entire menu, I can recommend my favorites: baked macaroni (mac & cheese), braised beef short ribs with vanilla risotto and the crab salad with curry sauce and sliced grapes.