Experiencing van life, farmers markets, seals, olive groves & dinners under the stars
February took me to Southern California for the second year in a row. My camera in hand, I was on week three of wisdom teeth recovery, craving sunshine, smoothies, and salt air.
I decided to rent a van since I wanted to see what it was like before investing in one myself. I rented a really nice one from a new friend, Sara, and spent two weeks traveling between the coast and the desert while photographing three events for Outstanding in the Field. Between shoots, I explored small towns, local cafés, farmers markets, and some of the most beautiful landscapes on the West Coast.
This trip reminded me why I love traveling for photography: the in-between moments are just as meaningful as the work.
San Diego: Seals, Smoothies & Slow Mornings
I started in San Diego, where my friend Tito was able to pick me up form the airport and helped me get started, easing into the trip gently (and carefully chewing everything, thanks to my still-healing mouth).
After picking up the van, one of my first stops was La Jolla. I grabbed a rose latte and smoothie from Point Café by the sea while catching up on both business and personal work, with a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean. This particular location was on UCSD campus and had all of it’s seating outside, perfect on a sunny day that starts from 50F and warms to 75F.
Another morning while I was still in the area, I walked toward the coastline to see the famous baby seals I had seen exactly one year prior for the first time. Watching them bask along the shore felt like the softest welcome back to the West Coast. The animal lover inside of me was absolutely squealing and filled with so much love for the wildlife that lives among us.
Just north of La Jolla, I spent some time in Encinitas, and discovered:
- A rosemary latte from Lofty Coffee that I’m still thinking about because it was so flavorful and NOT sweet which I really appreciated
- A smoothie from Choice Juicery that I slowly ate with a spoon while editing photos, and gave me 10+ extra nutrients I didn’t know I needed.
California just does nourishment differently. You are never too far from a green or ginger turmeric juice and it does genuinely make me feel more inspired to be the best version of myself.
Photographing Farm Dinners Across Southern California
This trip centered around three events with Outstanding in the Field:
- February 7 @Temecula Olive Oil Company
- February 8 @Tuna Harbor Dockside Market in San Diego
- February 15 @Flying Disc Ranch
Each setting was a unique experience and the mission was the same: gathering people around food, farmers, and place.
That’s the magic of these gatherings. They are not just dinners. They are social bridges.
People from different cities, backgrounds, professions, political beliefs are seated shoulder to shoulder, passing bread, asking about each other’s lives. The act of eating becomes a shared language. It softens edges. It reminds us we all depend on the same earth.
These evenings also shine a light on something we too easily forget: the complexity of our local food systems. The farmers who wake before dawn. The ranchers navigating unpredictable weather. The fishermen who rely on healthy oceans. The chefs translating all of it into a plate that tells a story.
When you photograph it, you realize quality food is never accidental. It is infrastructure. It is ecology. It is culture. It is community. These truly are my favorite events to photograph, ever.
Laguna Beach & Wandering Los Angeles
Between events, I drove north and stopped for a night in Laguna Beach. With rain coming I walked around for a bit before heading back to the van for the night. I was pretty tired this day, after spending 2 hours just to find a gas station with diesel to fuel to van, and refill the water tank. It was a 1 hour drive from where I was, and I hadn’t eaten much accept 4 eggs with spinach for breakfast. I had some yogurt for dinner, edited some photos, and fell asleep.
The next day I met up with a friend near Venice Beach and we ate lunch at Great White. She got pancakes and I got a perfectly cooked 30$ Cod dish, but it was 100% worth the money and I needed the protein. I spent the next two days there, working on my laptop in cafe’s, and weaving through different neighborhoods. Exploring slowly instead of rushing. I even went to the YMCA in Brentwood since I have a nationwide membership, got in a run around the neighborhood and showered there.
Travel feels richer when you leave room for it to surprise you. Though I did feel like I spent a lot of time making decisions on my next move, it was also very intuitive. If I felt like it wasn’t worth the traffic I stayed put exploring Brentwood or Venice further. I did the hike to Griffith Observatory around 7:40am, and took some beautiful photos of the morning light glowing on the birds and the winter vegetation. After a great hike, I got a bagel from Layla’s in Beverly Hills, just so I could drive through the neighborhood it and see what it was like. Their bagel was so fresh and incredible, I was happy with my pick. I had to eat it sooo slowly though because of my ever so fragile gums, still in recovery from my wisdom teeth trauma that occurred weeks earlier.
I went up to Calabasas Friday morning and had the most beautiful hike in rolling green hills with purple and yellow flowers. Suddenly, winter felt like spring in California. It’s nature, doing her magic. “Oh how I love it here”, I thought over and over again to myself. I also went the farmers market that day in Echo Park, which felt a lot more city like to me than Brentwood and Venice Beach area, but that park is iconic and I had been once before so I stopped by again just to wander a bit more. Overall, I spent probably 2 hours just driving through Los Angeles blasting my favorite music and seeing all there was to see. It’s a lot of hardworking people, in one giant city of dreams.
Valentine’s Weekend in Joshua Tree
For Valentine’s Day weekend, I headed east to Joshua Tree Friday evening after hitting the farmers market. I bought myself tulips for the road, and powered through a hell-ish traffic that took me 4.5 hours to get where would normally take only 2.5.
I stayed at Joshua Tree Lake Campground, which I cannot recommend enough. They were super easy to book with, and very good pricing for a tent/camper van spot with no hookups. You can still fill up your water tank at a station whenever and they had the cleanest hot showers I’ve ever experienced at a campground. It was super cozy and everyone seemed nice and respectful.
The next morning, I hiked trails on both ends of the campground. Originally my plan was to do the Panorama Loop and then maybe a shorter trail at sunset, but as I drove past, to my surprise, downtown Joshua Tree was hosting a farmers market + vintage flea market. Of course, I had to check it out. I left with $50 worth of stickers for future journals and gifts (no regrets).
By the time I got to the Panorama Loop it was 12:30, so I hiked until 1:30 and turned around. It wasn’t hot, but I could feel the sun beating down on my pale winter skin and decided to checkout the other side of the park before sunset. I did the Split Rock Loop at golden hour and got some lovely photos. It was not crowded at all, and I really tried to be present with the desert here. It was my last day of just exploring before going back into work mode. The desert gave me many more questions to ask myself, and made me realize how unfamiliar I am with this type of ecosystem, having grown up in the Mid-Atlantic.
I saw a beautiful sunset, and tried to FaceTime Tyler and share the moment with him on my drive back to the campground. When I got back, I felt so full of love for my life and for myself. I had built confidence doing new things like this on my own, and hope to keep doing more of it in the future.
Other notable coffee stops in Socal: Parakeet Cafe , Everbloom Coffee , The Press Espresso Old Town Temecula , Yipao Coffee <3
On my way to the final event in Thermal, CA , I had to stop for DEF and fill the van after the gas light came on. It was pretty simple after looking it up on youtube and getting guidance from Sara. New van-life skills unlocked.
Traveling like this teaches you quickly:
- How to problem solve
- How to be adaptable
- How to trust yourself
Creating in the Rain
My last day, I photographed content for Sara’s private chef company, Functional Med Kitchen. It was raining, not ideal for bright California content…but the plants were thriving and flowers were blooming everywhere. We did what we could in her kitchen and I love how filmy and moody they turned out.
Reflections
I love traveling for photography. I love discovering the world more and more each time.
I enjoy the way work and exploration blend together when traveling in this way. I’ve always been an observer, even since I was a small shy child. But I love it. It’s a very present way of being and creating memories.
Traveling for photography feels like the most aligned version of myself. More of this in 2026.
