Escapes

A Roadtrip in California

Written by '74Escape

Traveler: Alice Balas – Fashion Designer, Art Director & Photographer

What is your most unforgettable escape? A 2 weeks road trip in California with a friend.

What was the purpose of your travel? To get away from London, from work. Get some sun!

With how many people did you travel? Only one, a long time friend, she is a photo curator and also has an independent publishing house dedicated to making artists’ books.

Where did you stay? At the standard in LA, in a beautiful house in SF and in a few strange motels on the road.SF, Point Reyes, Carmel, Big Sur, Yosemite, Lake Tao, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Road 66, Joshua Tree, Palm Springs, LA.

What did you most like about the trip? The diversity and the immensity of the landscapes.We also saw a beautiful photography collection with such great original prints that belong o an old Hollywood producer.

Could you share an unforgettable memory about the trip? We got arrested by the police because I was driving to fast. We prentended we could not speak english and did not understand, we kept listening Serge Gainsbourg loud in the car and manage to get away with a big smile. I also remember that we almost ran out of gaz in the death valley and this was pretty stressful.

Your most surprising find during the trip? Listening to the whales in Point Reyes.

Favorite restaurant(s) or food you have tried during your trip? I could say organic food in SF and burgers but to be honest, French are better with food from far…

What are the must tries of the city? A day with a friend on a great sailing boat in San Fransisco. We sailed around Alcatraz island and under the Golden Gate bridge.

Would you go back? Definitely!

Could you list a few of your favorite finds you came back with? A beautiful « perfecto » leather jacket from a vintage shop in San Francisco, California.

Any tips that might be useful to know before going there? Don’t take a car with a GPS, just get a simple paper map, don’t organize your trip, keep it open and decide where you go in the morning.