salvation mountain

"GOD IS LOVE." These three gigantic words span across an even more enormous chunk of land splashed with a myriad of colorful pastels and patterns. You have arrived at Salvation Mountain. Located quite literally in the middle of nowhere in an area known as Slab City, Salvation Mountain is a wild and magnificent statement of one man's passion project and love for Jesus. Can I get an Amen!

What started out as a small statement of a personal conviction, Salvation Mountain has now grown into a Southern California icon boasting thousands of visitors from all over the world every week. Leonard Knight, the visionary and creator, used a combination of straw, adobe, and tons and tons of paint to make what actually turned out to be his second mountain (his first attempt had unfortunately collapsed). Drawing inspiration from his spiritual background, Knight used this mound of earth as a canvas to write biblical verses and share personal items which are scattered all throughout the mound. 

I got to visit this beautiful place towards the end of last year and I was completely blown away by how grand and detailed it was. While climbing up to the top, I actually ended up having to hold my friend's hand in fear of slipping and tumbling to the ground (pro-tip: wear shoes with grip ladies n gents).

Speaking of pro-tips, here's a few more:

-stick to the yellow brick road (don't get yelled at by the groundskeeper!)

-wear sunglasses

-wear sunblock

-only park in the designated lot (someone driving a 4x4 off-road behind the mountain ended up receiving A LOT of bad words and some reprimanding)

-sure, taking a nice pic for your insta is great, but really take some time to enjoy the splendor of it all!

I hope you've enjoyed this post and are eager to book your first trip out into the desert to see Salvation Mountain for yourself! Don't hesitate to leave a question or comment below.

Yours, 

U SEE SAN DIEGO PART II:

Get ready

for a color explosion...

You can see over Chicano Park!

Welcome back to the second part of the "U See San Diego" experience!

Right after our stop at Seaport Village, we headed to the historically significant, Chicano Park. This park oozes culture and it definitely does not disappoint in the aesthetic department. Each vibrantly painted mural speaks a story about the discourse of the Chicano Movement--it depicts an era from the perspective of those directly affected by the movement. I took as many photos as I could on this stop (this was actually my favorite stop of the trip!), we headed toward Coronado Island to check out one of the oldest hotels in the nation: Hotel del Coronado.

I remember visiting this resort when I was younger and being fascinated by it's size and beach-front location--literally, this hotel leads right to the sand and water! The scenery didn't fail to amaze me when I visited again recently; however, I began to appreciate and understand it's historical content and ability to bring hundreds of people around the world just to discover bits and pieces of the past (some guests even claim the hotel hosts the supernatural!).

For our final stop, we toured around the one and only Old Town, San Diego. Filled with mouth-watering restaurants (you honestly can't leave SD without checking out these Mexican food places) and cute shops filled with souvenirs, Old Town was a good ending to a great day of traveling. 

Make sure you check out the link embedded in this post--find out more about San Diego's very best. Of course, this series only highlights few of the many awesome places you can visit when in the city: let me know if you've visited any of these places, or, tell me where you want to visit!

See ya in a few, 

Rachel 

LACMA:

Adventure time in LA...

My beautiful friends <3

I recently purchased a new lens for my camera--just in time for spring break!

Finally reunited with my friends after being away in college for so long, we decided to go for a trip to downtown LA. Following a trip to Lemonade (for the first time!) my friends and I drove over to LACMA for a mini photoshoot. It took some getting used to, but after a couple test shots, I was able to capture some awesome moments of our time together within the street light jungle located just outside the art museum. I definitely need to come back to this place during the day time and visit the special exhibits they hold every so often...

I hope those on spring break enjoy the last few days we have before returning to our busy schedules!

See ya in my next post,

Rachel

THE LAST BOOKSTORE:

Every frugal bookworm's paradise...

One of the greatest pleasures in life is being able to start a book and become so immersed and connected to its characters, plot, and underlying message that you don't know what to do with yourself. To finish a book feeling very satisfied and enlightened is an undertaking I often take for granted. Visiting The Last Book Store, located in Los Angeles, led to me to believe that there was still a hope in the tangible book industry even during the rise of Kindles and the dwindling number of Barnes & Nobles. I love flipping pages, annotating important lines, and even smelling that all-to-familiar-homey smell of books that you all know what I'm referring to.

This bookstore actually contains a lot more than just books--the two floors contain various artworks and stations that sell materials and hold workshops. Basically, anyone searching for some therapeutic alone-time (or if you're on a date, that works too!) can enjoy everything The Last Book Store offers. They offer a plethora of books, new and used, for reasonable prices that will keep your wallet smiling and bookworm heart full of content. Even if reading is not your thing, this place will keep your creative, artistic mind jogging as you venture through book-filled mazes and interestingly decorated rooms.

I bought four novels to read during the time in between classes when I'm not reading my Bible or catching up on homework. After reading Haruki Murakami's novel, 1Q84, and getting that odd sensation where I can't quite catch up to reality--where I'm caught in a limbo, still processing the author's masterpiece--I told myself that I'd read more of his work. Along with two of Murakami's books, I bought two classic pieces: All the King's Men and The Road. I will probably do an Opinon post on one or two of the books after I've finished reading...so look out for that!

Hope ya'll have had a great weekend,

Rachel

DOWNTOWN LA APPRECIATIN':

For those days when I'm missing New York...

When you think of Los Angeles, what comes to mind?

For me, some of what I conjure up in my head include: food, museums/galleries, and, of course, traffic. This array is actually very reminiscent of Times Square in New York, which I miss so dearly (only, NY has extra-food, extra-museums, and extra-traffic).

As a native of Southern California, visiting downtown L.A. is nothing novel to me. However, on some occasions, I suddenly become aware of the prominence that lies within the area I take advantage of too easily. I become inspired by the captivating architecture evocative of the 1920s style and the subtle, yet awe-inducing street art painted on random corners of certain one-way streets.

I took these shots sitting in the back of our family van, completely mesmerized by a spectacle that I never would have looked twice at a couple years ago. Everything became an adventure--I wanted to revisit all the places I had been to throughout my life and take another look, but this time with a more honest and open-minded lens. I hope these photos and what I've expressed provokes you to return to those places you haven't fully appreciated yet. Go with the desire to catch all the details you missed the first time. Take pictures too and record your memories...

Happy travels,

Rachel Park