the incomprehensible guide to road tripping across the states [1]

After flying into LAX on Christmas day we sorted out a rental car (otherwise known as the Mobile Womb) and spent hours navigating the spaghetti junctions to leave L.A. The roads were rough, litter covered the grass banks along the highway and a thick smog, cloud mix made everything feel dense and aery. That night we reached our first destination, Palm Desert. Because it was Christmas, everything was shut except McDonalds. In desperation and irony we drank eggnog thick shakes and watched a group of Tumblresque teens make out and shout. When that, inevitably, got dull the deranged woman crying about people from the show The Biggest Loser proceeded to occupy our attention. Merry fucking Christmas America.

Palm Desert is where rich people go to play golf, die and avoid things like young people and contentious disputes. There were quite a few hawks flying around too.

The famous Route 66 is deteriorating due to the development of newer roads and routes between states. However, at different points of the trip you can make a detour to see what is left of the once thriving Route 66. There are many gimmicky inns and hotels - making for bright coloured ghost towns where Elvis impersonators go to overdose.

On the second day of our road trip we drove to a high altitude town called Flagstaff in Arizona. Along the way, the weather turned from a threatening grey into an on-the-edge-of-death white. Many strange little towns we passed were buried in snow. However, the beacons of all that is American (a.k.a. fast food signs) remained glowing and indestructible. We saw a lot of strange things that day. I particularly loved seeing the many miles long trains that go up and down America all day, everyday.

Our road trip started in CA and ended in FL.
xx
Lou