I signed up for a 5k race in Huntington Beach last year. Race day finally came. This year. It’s been a long and busy summer and I just wasn’t in the mood for running a race. Well, you already know the ending of this story: I ran the race, loved it, and signed up for […]
Glass Outhouse Art Gallery, Twentynine Palms
As I am driving east on Highway 62, leaving Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree National Park behind me, there is nothing left in my view, just a long road through the desert. A few minutes in I see a sign on the side of the road saying “Glass Outhouse Art Gallery OPEN“. I just have […]
Super bloom at Lake Elsinore, California
A super bloom is a sudden outbreak of wildflowers that exceeds a regular spring bloom. After the heavy rain and colder weather this winter in Southern California, enough water was locked in the soil for dormant wildflower seeds to sprout and produce colorful wildflowers. Desert wildflowers usually bloom only for a short period of time, […]
Colorful Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve
Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve sits on the northern edge of the Coachella Valley in the Indio Hills, just a few minutes away from Palm Springs. Wildflowers A couple of weekends ago I ventured out to look for the first signs of wildflowers. I wasn’t disappointed. When I arrived I stopped at the ranger station and […]
Desert X 2019: Dive In
Superflex’s Dive In art installation is pretty. Ok, I shouldn’t really start like this. However, the pink color stands out in the desert, specifically in the pre-sunset light. The idea behind Dive In is that the Coachella Valley used to be an ocean millions of years ago and is awaiting its turn to become an […]
Desert X 2019: Lover’s Rainbow
Pia Camil’s Lover’s Rainbow is a 2-part art installation spanning two countries, the US and Mexico. One rainbow (the first installed) sits in Baja, Mexico, the other one – as part of Desert X – in the Coachella Valley in California, 190 km apart. Pia Camil explains on her Instagram page: “The series documented abandoned […]
Early morning in Big Morongo Canyon Preserve
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve in California lies within the Sand to Snow National Monument. The desert oasis at Big Morongo Canyon is one of the 10 largest cottonwood and willow riparian habitats in California. I visited early morning one chilly December day, when the sun was coming out and the frozen dew was just thawing. […]
Landscapes: Mono Lake
A photography challenge caught my attention this weekend and I wanted to find my unique perspective to the challenge. Having spent a few minutes earlier this weekend thinking about whether it’s possible to revisit a place or whether every visit is new and unique and therefore a “re”visit isn’t possible, I figured every landscape photo […]
Revisiting Mt San Jacinto
I get to look at Mt San Jacinto from my front porch in Palm Springs. It is one of my favorite things to do when I am out there on weekends: brew some fresh coffee and sip it while marveling at “my” mountains. Mt San Jacinto Mt San Jacinto stands 10,834 feet above sea level, […]
Enjoying the stillness of the lunar eclipse
I got into a frenzy early afternoon. Which hiking group to join? Which one will find the perfect spot to watch the lunar eclipse? As I was weighing my options, I couldn’t get excited about any of the hikes. Now, I live in Los Angeles, so observing night skies takes some planning due to the […]
Simi Dabah Sculpture Garden in Joshua Tree
I always love discovering new places, especially in my beloved desert. A few weeks ago I participated in a photography workshop in Joshua Tree National Park. As part of the workshop we detoured to a sculpture garden near Joshua Tree to play with different colors, black and white, lines and forms, structures, and perspectives. This […]
Desert X – Mirage in Palm Springs
Doug Aitken’s MIRAGE is an art installation in Palm Springs. It’s part of the Desert X biennial exhibition in the Coachella Valley. Desert X first took place in the spring of 2017. Artists were invited to create installations that reflect the unique landscape of the desert. A 2019 exhibition is planned to open in February […]