From last week’s road trip through the Mojave Desert, and Sierra Mountains with my brother Nick and then along the Pacific Coast Highway when we were joined by his wife Heather and their dog Tikka. I’d not been to California or seen either of them since 2019, so it felt good all around to be back. With so much going on in the world right now, I experienced great solace while traveling in the mountains, through the desert, and along the ocean. So peaceful, uncrowded, and just breathtakingly beautiful.

California is so much more than the state’s big cities and I’ve been fortunate to have seen some of all that it has to offer.

I’ve not tried this yet, but with L.A. traffic permitting, it is logistically feasible to go surfing at sunrise, be on skis by midday (in the Big Bear resort area) and ride a dirt bike offroad in the Mojave desert before sundown all in the same day.

Several years ago while on a swanky travel junket to the Middle East, within 24 hours, I went skiing in Dubai’s new indoor alpine facility, scuba diving with turtles in the Gulf of Oma, and quad racing across the sand dunes in the Arabian Desert.

The above scenes were shot entirely with my trusty – albeit nearly vintage – GoPro Hero 7 Black.