I woke up this morning outside Cortez Colorado. The town is completely unlike most people’s vision of the state. Many see Colorado as the ultimate example of the Rocky Mountains. Instead, Cortez is part of the southwestern deserts: dry, relatively flat, and surrounded by pine covered mesas. Cortez is a long way from Las Vegas. Why drive all the way out here? I’m here because I need to be. The time is now early October, and this month is when weather at high elevations starts to get sketchy. To see sights in this area comfortably, I need to do so now. Cortez is also close to a remarkable festival, one that provides a glimpse into another world. I drove out of Cortez heading south. This area is definitely desert, covered in dry scrub, with almost no ... read more

Las Vegas has worn me out. This city is an endless sea of experience, around the clock. Overload eventually sets in, followed by burnout. I’m now quite exhausted. Happy, certainly, but also physically spent. My guidebook mentions that three days is more than enough for most people. I’m ready to go. I did allow myself one luxury indulgence today. Remember that during slow periods luxury comes cheaper in Las Vegas than almost anywhere else. That includes the spas (the legitimate ones, people). I dropped the cash for a hot stone massage, which felt really good after being constantly on the go for the last three days. It was well worth the cost. I switched hotels tonight. I did it mostly for budgetary reasons, but it also provides an important psychological transition. The big resorts like t ... read more

Today was another long day in Las Vegas. This city may be the most (over) stimulating place on earth. It contains unbelievable amounts of lights, gaudy architecture, and things to experience at every turn. All of them, of course, require money. This may be the best city in the world for people with cash in their pocket, and one of the worst once it runs out. I’m very thankful I had to develop spending discipline during the previous parts of the trip, because here it is pressed to the limit. A little unbelievably, I’ve managed to stay on budget. Cash Machine Rip-off This morning, I encountered another of Las Vegas’ rip offs. I’ve survived on this trip by periodically getting cash when I run low. A casino would seem like a place that would encourage this ... read more

This morning, I’m in the town of Tecopa. Most Californians have no idea this town exists, and most residents like it that way. It’s one of several small towns that dot parts of the Mojave Desert. This particular one grew up around a set of hot springs east of Death Valley. Downtown Tecopa consists of two hotels, a large RV park, a really good organic coffee shop, a gun store, a tiny bar, and an artist run gallery selling folk art. Most of these are contained in buildings so weather-beaten they look like they have been here since time began. Surrounding this are seemingly endless desert mountains and the occasional sand dune. Small desert towns in the Mojave mainly attract two types of people, desert survivalists and aging hippies. The hot springs mean this particular town ... read more

Relatively few visitors to California make it into the Owens Valley. Many of that do stick to a resort area called Mammoth Lakes. For the rest, the valley holds a truly compelling piece of American history. Most museums in California now talk about the Japanese American internment during World War II (see ). Where did they end up? The answer is Manzanar, an armed camp deep in the Owens Valley. Eastern California Museum Until thirty years ago, finding anything about the camp was quite difficult. Many people, including those held there, tried to pretend that it never existed. Thanks to the dogged efforts of some detainees and local historians, that willing blindness slowly changed. The first major efforts happened at the Eastern California Museum in Independence. It’s a worthwhile stop ... read more