Day One: Twentynine Palms and Big Bear Lake

We have started the journey!

It seems that this time around, I am not as planned as years past. I had no idea where I was going to head until the day before I left.  I like it that way.  I plan to continue to travel that way for months. You never know who you will meet, what they might say, what you may find, or how you may feel on any given day.

Last Saturday as I was packing to head out, I received a copy of Photographer’s Forum in the mail.  I am not a subscriber so I don’t know how I received it, but alas...there it was.  Since I didn’t have any plans that night it was a welcome surprise.  I decided to relax with Max and flip through the pages.

As I was browsing through the magazine, I stumbled upon the work by Candacy Taylor (also featured on the cover).  I was instantly drawn to the photographs and as soon as I read her story about the book she created, I was hooked.  For the past seven years she interviewed fifty-nine diner waitresses in fourty-three cities.  Not just any diner, or any woman for that matter, but a combination of factors that achieved her criteria.  After all of the miles and interviews, her book, “Counter Culture” was born.

I instantly connected to her work.  The fact is, I am finally starting a project that I have thought about for a long time.  My goal on this trip is to meet, photograph and interview women about what they do for a living.  From truck drivers, coal miners, tattoo artists, National Park Rangers, firefighters, artists, construction workers and everything in between.  Her book was right up my alley.

That night, I wrote her an email to introduce myself and told her a little about what I wanted to accomplish on this trip. Needless to say, she wrote back and my initial Northern route turned to East.  On my first day out, we met at her home in Twentynine palms.  It was over one hundred degrees so she agreed to meet at the house so Max could take a break from the weather as well.  

We chatted on and on about various subjects and just like that, three hours went by.  Max and I said our good bye’s and headed out to find a camping spot.  My initial plan was to stay in Joshua Tree but the temperature was too hot for Max, so with a tip from Candacy, we headed to Big Bear Lake.

As we approached the town, we had a much needed break in the weather.  I looked up a few campsites and found one at the base of the ski lift, called pine knot campground.  We set up camp, took a walk around the area and called it a night.  It was a very exciting first day for us.  

Who knows what will happen next?  It’s fun to say yes and even better when you meet someone that does the same. Thank you Candacy.


p.s.  If you know of any women in an "odd job" that you think should be profiled, please email me at alisontravels@gmail.com