Road Trip begins LA to Ely

After a day working at the Gold Company in Beverly Hills, at 5.45 pm I headed off to Sonoma. The journey proved to be less painful than expected. I guess a bucket of coffee and the Kings of Leon lessened the pain. Arrived in Sonoma at 1 in the morning. Vacation begins. Mileage: 450 miles.

OK, so I am conscious that the blog paints a picture of LA being a non-stop holiday. Well for the record nothing could be further from the truth. Last four-five months at the AFI have been brutal. The whole thesis film process is dreadful. The college is rife with politics and ineptitude. An expensive way to shoot a short film. I am proud of the film we made, reception has been fantastic and credit to Jeff (Cinematography) and Jeremy (Editor). There are good points and I must admit that I have developed some great connections and working relationships while at the AFI. I will explain with more clarity in another epistle.



Relaxing day in Sonoma catching up with Julia. Lovely evening with Michael, Julia and Alex at the Harvest Moon Café, even saw a side to Michael I never expected. He knows practically all the lines from Snatch and is even a big fan of Dr Doolittle, not the Rex Harrison version but the Eddie Murphy one! Scary.

Wanted to get up at six, but the plan fell apart. So I’m to blame for this. I overslept. On the road by nine and off through the green fields of Northern California. Straight down highway 80 to Sacramento then on to Lake Tahoe where we stopped for lunch and a stretch of the legs. The lake is beautiful and crystal clear. So good to be away from the concrete of LA. Drove round the lake and the headed east on highway 50, deemed the loneliest road in the US. It lived up to it’s claim. Beautiful but bleak Nevada. Desert surrounded by white capped mountains. Settlements like scabs littering the plains. Seems the idea of a garden and keeping it tidy is alien to the locals here. That is unless burnt out cars is a new form of rockery.

Through Carson City, the State capital, and on to Sand Mountain via Fallon.

Sand Mountain was extraordinary. There was a whole community of quad bikers and dune buggy enthusiasts. A whole village in the sand was set up, a modern day wagon train. Country/soft rock competed with the roar of V8 engines. Like ants, the vehicles careered up the massive dunes. The nearest comparison, a Mad Max village in the desert.

Through Austin and Eureka, where there is a famous Opera House. Alas no sign of Placido Domingo. Decided to head on for the night to Ely. Where we stayed at the Rustic Inn. Mileage: 550 miles.

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