I am on my very first vacation ALONE! This is the first time in my life I drove to another state by myself and am planning on spending the majority of the week with only my imagine to keep me company. It’s not as scary or sad as I thought it would be. I am actually in a great mood and looking forward to every moment I get to spend in this beautiful part of the country!
Okay, recap…
Monday, Sept 28th – Worked, napped, then headed into Hollywood to go bowling. I didn’t bowl as great as the week prior, but still had a great time. Kyle & Branden were there when I got there, and Scharff, Chris, Bobby & Laury joined us.
After bowling, I went into the karaoke room and sang “Buffalo Stance” by Nenah Cherry, “Elephant Love Song Medley” from Moulin Rouge (with Eric), and “Hungry Strike” by Temple of the Dog (with Eric). It was a great karaoke night for me! I think I stayed mostly on key. Haha
After that, Scharff went home and I met up with Kyle at Koji’s. There was a party going on, and the place was full of people I didn’t know. So, after one really awesome drink (Lotus Blossom with Pineapple Juice), Kyle & I left to hang out at his place for a bit.
Tuesday, Sept 29th – Worked, then made red velvet cupcakes for Josef’s birthday Trivia. Two new girls were at trivia, and I invited them to join our team. They were sisters. One lives here and one in Seattle area. We had a great night, but didn’t place. Oh well. Still, lots of fun!
Wednesday, Sept 30th – Worked, edited a wedding, then Violet, Jason, Kyle & I went up to the Palace to hang out. We enjoyed the hot tub, s’mores, and the Simpsons. Really nice, relaxing night!
Thursday, Oct 1st – Worked a little, ran some errands, met up with Lyse at the NoHo station, went to the Gibson Amp to see Pearl Jam! It was a fantastic show! They had such a perfect set!!! I loved every minute of it. We had great seats too!
After the show, Lyse & I went to the NoHo diner to have a late night meal. I then went home, edited a wedding, and passed out.
Friday, Oct 2nd – Shot a wedding at the Japanese Gardens at Brand Library, went to lunch with my friend Suzanne (2nd shooter), then home to pack. I had a severe allergy attack, but pushed on and got myself out the door by 5pm.
The sun set over Irwindale, and I didn’t get to see any of the road side attractions on Route 66 sadly. I stopped in Barstow to have dinner at Del Taco, then drove straight through to Seligman, AZ. On the way there, I saw a meteorite come flying into our atmosphere. At first, I thought it was a planet (it was a red dot in the sky), then I thought it was an airplane because it was moving, then I knew it was a meteor because it was shooting across the sky very fast, then it seemed to be heading straight for I-40! I was a bit freaked out, but also excited. It broke up in the air, about 100 feet up maybe? It was bright red / orange, and probably fell to earth on the north side of the freeway. It was too dark to go hunting for the pieces, but I may try to locate it when I head back to LA.
I arrived at the Historic Route 66 Hotel around 12:15am. I can certainly see how these little towns on Route 66 disappeared with the construction of I-40. There was no way to see Seligman from the 40, and it really is a great little town!
I passed out around 2am or so, then woke up at 5am or so for no reason. I couldn’t fall back asleep, so I got up to brush my teeth and wander around my room. It was pitch black. The moonlight was trying to seep in, but the curtains were thick. When I got back in bed and pulled the sheets up, I saw lights… sparks! I then rubbed my hand across the sheets again and created lots of little sparks of light. It was fascinating, but I was too tired to get my video camera and record it. They went away after a few seconds, and then I passed out til 10am.
Saturday, Oct 3rd – Talked to the hotel manager, Vicky, for a bit. She knew exactly who I was before I even said hi. These are very friendly people!
I had a pancake next door at the Roadkill Cafe, then wandered around town taking pictures. This amazing woman, Maryann, at the “Return to the 50s” shop, gave me my shot glass and two post cards for free. I didn’t have cash, but was going to pay with a card. She told me to just be safe and have fun. Wow, I love these people!
On the way down to Sedona, I drove along Route 66 and 40 to Flagstaff. I passed a wildfire on the way. It was so smokey that it was tough to breathe, even with the internal circulation set on my car’s A/C!
Once in Flagstaff, I stopped for lunch at Taco Bell. I then drove down through the forest by Lake Mary to the town of Happy Jack. There was NOTHING there but a ranger’s station. I then drove across this dirt road (no cell service) to 17, then got into Sedona just before sunset.
I checked in, brought my stuff in, then passed out!
When I got up, I went to the grocery store and bought food for the week. I got there just in time. The store closed at 9pm!
Once back, I started editing some photos and am watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I’ll probably go to bed by 1am. Not sure what I am going to do tomorrow, but I am thinking it will be a crystal shopping day. I may also try to photograph Oak Creek at Sunset. We’ll see!