Just Kids

I just finished reading Just Kids by Patti Smith. What a wonderful book about two amazing artists. I was introduced to Patti Smith about 6 years ago. I found her voice amazing, her lyrics heart wrenching, and an amazing poet with an amazing life. She was the lover and friend of Robert Mapplethorpe. Both their works controversial. As a fan of black and white photography, and a fan of true rock-n-roll, I absolutely fell in love with this book. It inspires not only creativity, but makes you wonder if in this time of narcissism if a true connection to another human being is really achievable. Their love and admiration for one another tugged my heartstrings in a way that I cannot explain. For those of you who appreciate art of various mediums, I hope that you will find this book as inspiring as I did.

Patti Smith - By Robert Mapplethrope 1977

Muir Woods National Monument

Yesterday I went to Muir Woods National Monument with my mom. This is my third trip to the woods. It was crazy busy on Saturday, didn't quite think that one through, but it was still a fun and beautiful day.



This park is very much geared towards ecotourism. So many tourists, so many screaming kids, but what was funny is that as you continued down the path, past the 1 mile mark, the less people that were there. It started to fad out to the people that actually wanted to come and hike mount Tamalpais. There were many cool trails that took you to Stinson Beach, however, my mother isn't exactly the "walking' type, so hiking up a hill for about 3 miles wasn't so appealing to her.

Sequoia's 

The Metamorphism of the Roots 

The Ferns

Clovers covered with morning due

Carlsbad Caverns

On the way to the caverns we had to travel through West Texas. It was a warm dry day, the sun was intense, even more so then in Arizona. This road was desolate, only passing a few cars here and there. The clouds were amazing. It just makes you think about how different the regions in America can be. The landscape seemed endless, and the vastness of place could make you feel as though you were just a speck in a petri dish.  

Finally we made it Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. I've been wanting to visit the caverns since I was a kid. Luckily I have an awesome partner that was just as eager as me  to go there. We entered the caves through the natural entrance that took us below the earth about 800ft. The descent was amazing, I believe we walked about a mile and half down a very steep descent till we reached the main room that was littered with stalactites and stalagmites, to say the least, it was amazing. Is was as if we had entered an extraterritorial world.  

The chill and dampness in the air created an atmosphere that was a little creepy, but at the same time it was a relief from the heat that was outside.  

 The day we left Carlsbad a storm system moved in. Thunder, lightning, and rain. It moved across New Mexico and Texas. This photo was on the plains across west Texas, although I'm sure that is New Mexico in the background. 

As we entered Carlsbad we had to pass through the Guadalupe National Park in Tx. This is Texas's highest point at over 8000 ft. David wants to climb it. It was beautiful peak and I wish we had time to explore it.