We are staying another night in Vegas but during the daytime my mom and I took a day trip up to Zion National Park in Utah. The park was really beautiful, it reminded us a lot about Yosemite in California except it was in the desert and with red rocks. We went on two hikes today, up to the lower, then upper Emerald pools and after that we headed up to the top of the park to go hike in Zion’s Narrows. It was really hot out and slightly hard to hike in but we had a lot of fun and had some great views of the park. ...

Day one of my journey to Michigan by car began today at 4:30. I miss the rest of my family already and my dog. The first day of our trip ended in Las Vegas Nevada. First thing I am going to say is this: IT WAS 111 DEGREES OUT WHEN WE ENTERED NEVADA!! I thought it being sunny was brutal but this heat was unbearable. I kept seeing cars on the side of the road overheated and I felt so horrible for those people and grateful at the same time because if we hadn’t gotten the new car that would probably be us on the side of the road. Our trip out was relatively uneventful but fun. I watched the Hangover in the car to prepare myself for staying in Caesar’s Palace. ...

Tomorrow morning at 4 o’clock my mom and I will be beginning again our yearly road trip to Michigan. This time around we are swinging low down to the blistering southern states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and so on. Everyday I will be updating my blog with details about our trip like Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Monument Valley and more. So stay tuned to see if I survive another road trip up to Michigan. This one is going to be long and hot but hopefully all worth it!

Today I went to the Woodies on the Wharf for the first time. Sad I know, I have lived in Santa Cruz almost all of my life and I have never actually been to the Woodies on the Wharf. Let me tell you, it was mobbed. There were so many cars there. I know it is all about cars but it there were rows after rows of these awesome oldie cars, ranging from the shiniest things you will ever see to cars made out of wood and cars of every color. ...

You were an interesting person and made me a little sad. You felt out-of-place, almost like you were heading upstream. You were headed somewhere but I do not know where. Maybe it was the fact that you wouldn’t look anyone in the eye that caught my attention. You just kept moving with your head held down and tried to ignore the rest of the world around you. I wonder what you were trying to hide from, who you were trying to block out. I wonder if it worked.

In a dark forest of old oak trees, where no human would enter there was a desperate fluttering of wings and the movement of tangled branches. A baby bird struggled to free itself from the gnarled grip of the trees limbs. It had fallen in the night from its nest and hung in the balance of life and death. Caught by the hands of an old oak tree. It hadn’t yet learned to fly so it was doomed to fall or be set free. Learn to fly fast or die trying. ...

Show me what it means to be you Pour out your soul Let me look into the pool It leaves behind What will I see in the reflection Will it be just you Looking back at me With somber eyes And thin face that doesn’t smiles Or will I see something I will wish I had not A demon or just the other side The side you never show That hides behind you silent eyes Just draw and let me see What comes out to see me Will you use black or grey To outline your mind Or will there be color Spring out which I never thought I would find Is there something left in there You have been hiding from me Is there life left In your dead eyes Silently looking back at me Is there love Is there mercy Is their feeling Tucked away deep inside In a place You keep just for yourself That you hide far from the world Trying to protect what little Is sacred in your heart Will you show me And open up you heart Draw it Write it Or scream it out loud Please just do something So I know not to give up So I know you’re still alive So I know to keep digging No matter what horrors I find Because somewhere in there Is the person I once knew and loved Please show me What happened to you?

I went on a small adventure with my mom and my camera and ended up in an interesting place. I found this cemetery with one of my friends near the Santa Cruz Animal Shelter and finally returned to get a better look. This cemetery is a somewhat creepy place mainly because many of the tombs are cracked, old, and written all over. It has an extreme air of a melancholy, and forgotten place that once used to be beautiful but was left to wither in time by vandalism and time itself. ...

My aunt Valri Peyser is an amazing artist and she is going to be a part of this next up in-coming Open Studios in October. I got to photograph some of her most recent projects she is working on that will be a part of the open studios show like these amazing decorated wine bottles. The bottles are really amazing, each with its own personality and flare that is unique in itself. The front portrays a person ranging from a head shot to a half body portrait and the back is a beautiful pattern like flowers, stripes, dots, swirls, or any other design you can think of. ...