desert souvenirs

i went to the mojave today with my pops and ma. it was such good times. my dad had given me this beautiful film camera years and years ago. (the camera is 45 years old and awesome!) i never learned how to shoot with it because digital has been my way of life. but enough was enough! it is a total treat to have a photographer as a dad. he taught me the "how-tos" and hopefully when i process my film there are some promising results...
we began our adventure with a nice lunch at a local diner filled with vintage toy cars. after the meal we headed into saltdale which is made up of many abandoned salt beds. there were so many incredible objects decaying all around the shrubs. you wonder what went down, putting together all the clues. there is something so undeniably beautiful about decaying man made metal and nature coexisting.
while at the salt beds we encountered a couple of tourists from the netherlands that got stuck in the salt beds. we weren't about to get stuck ourselves so our rescue was made up many phone calls in search of a towing company and a ride into town. they were a really sweet couple. and we were happy we were there to help! if we hadn't been there, at this remote and HOT location when they were there... who knows what the outcome could have been. the desert can be a scary place. don't drive into the salt beds! just DON'T! trust me.
after the rescue mission we headed to the ghost town of randsburg.
it is so cool... there are still people that live out there. and such great antique shops operated by the nicest people. totally worth a trip out. i especially recommend austin's antiques. tell ROM that Bianca sent you! she bought the deer head! and say hi to erma at charle's ore house (thats were i got my stones... and she has the best jewelry on)...

here are some of my treasures. and my adorable monsters that i came home to...