#California and Oregon Road Trip

[thorsenmark]

Beyond the Trees (Yosemite National Park) by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: While taking in a setting of nearby trees and a mountainside backdrop in the Swinging Bridge Picnic area in Yosemite National Park with a view to the northwest.

[luaths]

Figured out how to steal my own damn video off of instagram.

Look! I compiled all the video clips from our Pacific Coast road trip in a vaguely pleasing manner!

[katherinespiers]

Have any restaurant recommendations along this route?

[minnie-mystery]

Road trip selfies

[miscreanttour]

Roadtrip pics from NM, AZ, NV, CA, & OR.

[hunybaby]

Best solo road trip EVER

[that-fema-corps-blog]

Day 350

July 18, 2023

I got up early and took a look around Diamond Lake. There wasn’t much activity, though I did see a female common merganser swimming.

We left around 7:30 and began the drive toward Crater Lake. We stopped at Castle Crest Wildflower Trail along the way for a short hike. It’s not in full bloom yet, but it’s still quite pretty. I was surprised to find that there was still some ice on the ground. I suppose that’s a result of the altitude; we were 7,500 feet up the last I checked. I was surprised I didn’t feel it, considering we were at sea level just a day before.

I promptly fell behind looking for birds and got caught in a conversation with two older women about flowers. They told me that this was the first time they’d been here this year and were coming to see the flowers before the main fire season. They pointed out several flowers including bog orchids, which they said were growing earlier this year.

They also showed me monkeyflowers, which they said would grow to cover much of the hill after a couple months.

I parted ways to try to catch up to my teammates and reached the trail clearing. It strikes me how richly this forest smells of wood. I usually don’t notice the scent of a place, but this was difficult to miss; it quite reminded me of the lumber section of a hardware store or the part of a tractor supply store that sells horse stall bedding.

The team had started splitting up to look for me by the time I found some of them. It probably took 20 or 30 minutes for the rest of us to reunite. Oops. We continued to Crater Lake, pulling over every few minutes to look. It’s hard to explain just how huge this place is. There’s no way to see it all without turning one’s head, and I couldn’t get the whole thing in one photo:

Crater Lake has a unique geological history. It is the deepest lake in the United States:

A massive eruption occurred about 7,700 years ago. It was followed by ejections of volcanic matter through fractures, in an oval shape around the mountain. These events weakened the mountain’s structure, and caused the central portion of Mount Mazama to collapse inward. The result was an 5–6 mi (8–10 km) diameter and 0.7 mi (1.2 km) deep caldera. … Soon after the caldera formed, eruptions from new vents built the base of Wizard Island, and over several hundred years, rain and snow partially filled the caldera. Meanwhile, Wizard Island continued to grow and three other volcanoes formed underwater. The final eruption was on the east flank of Wizard Island about 4,800 years ago. … Evaporation and seepage are equal forces which keep Crater Lake from filling beyond an average depth of 1,943 ft (592 m) or 4.9 trillion gal (18.6 trillion L) of water. About 34 billion gal (128 billion L) are gained and lost each year.

All three vans met at the visitor center so we could swap teammates and look around more. The visitor center itself was closed, but there was quite a bit of activity nonetheless. I ran into a birder I earlier saw on the wildflower trail, and she told me that the Clark’s nutcrackers I was watching had fledged a week ago. Interestingly, these juveniles looked identical to the adult feeding them; I wouldn’t have known they were fledglings if it weren’t for them screaming to be fed. I suppose this isn’t too surprising, considering they’re related to crows and jays, which generally don’t have the most distinct juvenal plumage.

I saw a Townsend’s solitaire flying in the distance. These robin and bluebird relatives are plain grey birds with few markings, minus some light patterning on the wings. The solid buff stripe on the top of its wing was a distinct enough field mark for me to be confident identifying it.

I watched a small flock of red crossbills land in one of the conifers. These goldfinch relatives have unique crossed bills they use to pry seeds out of cones. They are somewhat uncommon among birds for not having a distinct breeding season or location; they’ll breed whenever and wherever the conifer seeds are plentiful.

We drove for several hours and crossed into California. It looks like several acres along the interstate had burned recently:

A few more miles, and we passed Mount Shasta and met for lunch at Weed, CA. Another several hours, and we finally arrived back at campus. We took COVID tests, got our dorm keys, unloaded the vans, and spent the rest of the evening socializing and resting.

[lightofcapricorn]

I took this a few years ago while on a road trip from Oregon to California and then on to Tennessee.

[kozmophotos]

West Coast National Parks

Some of the most stunning National Parks can be found along the West Coast of the United States. This area of the US has 14 different national parks. Nine of them are in the state of California alone. To be fair, we are only considering the West Coast the states of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and California. There are so many amazing sights to see within all of these amazing national parks. See…

[natalienicosia]

Crescent Moon Farm in Oregon 🦙

[w1ldthoughts]

Stolen Glances

Anon Requested

Disclaimer: this is a work of FICTION, the characters are fictionalized versions of real life situations and some real people. It’s all based on my imagination.

Masterlist

Five days. You could do five days. It should be relatively simple. You and your friends were going to spend a few days at the Fern Ridge Reservoir in a luxury home that Justin had rented out for the group. Everyone had their own rooms, the house was massive and you’d get to relax off the grid and recharge your batteries. There was relatively nothing to complain about.

“So…are you going to tell Justin you’re into him yet or just keep torturing yourself?” Your friend Bree asks, carrying her bags to the car. The two of you had flown into Oregon from LA and were driving to the lake with Charlie and Tate, two of Justin’s friends that had really become like family to you in the last few years.

“She’s more likely to admit her feelings when she’s dead.” Tate laughs while grabbing your backpack and shoving it in the trunk. “I want to have faith in you kid but, I just don’t know if you’ve got it in you right now.”

Charlie walks out of his house and hands you your water bottle, “you can tell him when you’re ready. Don’t listen to them, they're just impatient. Like five year olds who keep asking their mom to buy them McDonald’s on the way home.”

You simply nodded, staring daggers at your friends after Charlie came in and defended you. He hopped in the driver’s seat while Bree and Tate sat in the back. Looking out the window, you let your mind roam, both excited and nervous for what this little trip had in store.

It really wasn’t your fault, falling for him was like waking up on the couch with the tv on and not even remembering that you fell asleep. One day he was a good friend, a friend who you met years ago when he was a rookie living in a frat house in Costa Mesa. Then, somewhere along the way you fell for his unwavering kindness and his sense of humor. Or maybe it was the way the corner of his mouth tilts up sometimes in a side grin. Or his ability to always look like he just rolled out of bed but somehow still looked extremely put together. Everything about Justin, especially the little things, made you want him more. You just couldn’t bring yourself to tell him that. Admitting your feelings would just complicate things. And what if he didn’t even feel the same way? The thought of listening to him let you down easy while trying to spare you the embarrassment really just made you want to crawl into a hole on the side of the road and never come out.

So yes, long story short, these so-called “feelings?” You were taking them to the grave.

“Can we just have a nice relaxing weekend and enjoy ourselves? We can leave the drama and whatever else for when we get back to California, please.”

They simply nodded and you caught Tate and Bree sharing a look but you didn’t want to even think about what that could mean for you, instead deciding to focus on the scenery for another 20 minutes before the house came into view. Charlie started honking as soon as he pulled into the driveway and Gabe came running out, pulling you in for a hug.

“Hey neighbor.” He mutters out, giving you a squeeze.

“We haven’t lived next to each other in four years, Gabe.”

“Best year of my life honestly. I don’t think I’ve had more junk food…ever.”

Bree comes up behind the two of you and gets a hug of her own. “That’s because you and Nate kept suggesting pizza and ice cream nights. When y/n told me some NFL guys moved in next door I thought we’d be seeing more vegetables and less Oreos but it really was a good time.”

The guys unloaded all the bags from the car while you and Bree caught up with Gabe’s girlfriend Jordan. She informed you that Justin had gone out to get groceries with one of her good friends that she brought with her.

“Katie just thinks Justin is the sweetest thing ever so I figured why not introduce them. I’m tired of watching her drool over his old Instagram pictures.” She jokes and you force out a small laugh, feeling your stomach turn at what this girl could possibly look like.

An hour later Bree rushes into your room and closes the door behind her after everyone has finally met and introduced themselves. “I know you said no drama but—”

“Nope, I don’t wanna hear it,” you interrupt her while you unpack your bag. “We are in a freaking mansion, on the water. Let’s focus on that!”

“Or…” she sits on the bed, completely interrupting your flow. “We could just acknowledge the fact that she took the room right next to Justin’s after knowing him for approximately two seconds. And she looks like the second coming of Candice Swanepoel. I mean it’s kind of unfair.”

You shake your head with a laugh. “She’s gorgeous, pretty unreal. And definitely unfair. But we are going to focus on other things like having fun, enjoying the weather and spending quality time with our friends. Maybe have a couple strawberry margaritas with sugar on the rim. And we will be nice to Katie, even if she does look like an OG Victoria secret model before SavagexFenty kicked them to the curb. We will be welcoming and nice.”

She looks up at the ceiling like she can’t hear you and then back at you to face your pointed look, warning her to be on her best behavior. “Fine. I will be nice to Candice Jr.”

“Thank you.” You roll your eyes and pat her on the back.

Justin suggested riding jet skis which sounded amazing until Katie said she’d just finished touching up makeup. Bree was about to make a snide comment but you elbowed her in the side before she could get the words out. Gabe and Jordan were taking a nap and Charlie was on the phone with one of the parents of the high school team he was coaching so you, Bree, Tate and Justin headed out after changing into your swimsuits.

Everyone found a life jacket that fit them perfectly and you hopped onto the back of Justin’s jet ski.

“Please promise me you won’t drive this thing like a grandma. I’m here for a good time pal, not a long time.” You joke, grabbing onto his waist. His laugh vibrates against you and you bite back a smile. He takes off and the two of you bounce against the water leaving you holding on for dear life. After a few minutes, you get used to it and it honestly feels freeing, just you and him out on the open water, taking a tour of the homes that are a little ways away until he stops at a man made cave, far away from any prying eyes.

“What are you doing?” You ask, feeling your heartbeat in your ears. Even in the shade, the reflection of the water hitting his eyes made you feel insane. But you couldn’t stop looking at him.

“Have you ever driven a jetski before?” You shake your head no and he motions for you to switch spots with him. He leans over you to show you where the on switch is and how to work the speed and the brake, curving his hands over yours on the handles.

The smile that is threatening to take over your face is too much, so you settle for a joke. “You, Justin Herbert is giving up control? This is a moment in history.”

“Just drive,” his cheeks heat up, turning a light shade of pink, “and try to get us back to the house in one piece, please.” You may or may not have driven as fast as you could with a few extra turns just to feel his body against yours for a little bit longer.

Although the afternoon was a victory, the evening brought you right back to reality. Katie had practically been glued to his side ever since you came back to the house. She sat next to him at dinner and practically jumped into the loveseat after he sat down for movie night. You resisted the urge to roll your eyes and walked into the kitchen to grab some kettle corn, taking your time in the kitchen before eventually making your way back to your seat. Luckily it was a movie you’d seen a dozen times so you weren’t missing anything. If anything, the movie in front of you was nothing compared to the horror film to your right, so Charlie cracked a joke to get you out of your head. Justin was so focused on watching his friend make you laugh that he didn’t even realize that Katie had fallen asleep on his shoulder, holding onto his arm like it was her personal body pillow. You caught a glimpse of the domestic scene that looked straight out of a romcom and it almost made you want to call it a night right then and there. But you sat through it and watched some random girl cozy up to the man you’d been falling for for the last year.

The next morning, you woke up later than usual. Truth was, you hadn’t gotten much sleep since you were thinking about Justin and Katie all night and you needed something else to focus on. You walked into the bathroom you were sharing with Bree to brush your teeth and get ready for the day.

When you swung the door open you froze, staring for a brief moment before covering your eyes. “Um—I’m so sorry I had no idea you were in here! Why, why are you in here? Doesn’t the master bedroom have a bathroom attached?”

Justin quickly covered up, grabbing his towel and wrapping it around his waist. “Bree liked the mirror in my bathroom so I let her use it. I thought the door was locked, how did you get in?”

“The lock is broken, Bree didn’t tell you that?”

He lets out a nervous laugh, “she may have neglected to mention that.” You were going to kill her.

“I’m gonna—I’m gonna go. So sorry again for the—you know what I’m just gonna leave and we can act like this didn’t happen.” You close the door before he can utter a word and you head back to your room, silently praying that no one finds out about this.

The man couldn’t take it anymore, you were avoiding him like the plague the entire day. You’d hardly looked at him since the morning even when he pulled you aside to assure you that your little encounter this morning, although awkward, was totally fine. He sat through watching you and Charlie go tubing together and share a pizza at lunch, but his final straw was when he saw you taking a nap together in Charlie’s bed with the tv playing. The two of you had always been close but the quarterback couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something more was going on and he didn’t like it. This trip was supposed to be about him getting to spend some quality time with you before training camp and Charlie knew that. Nothing was going according to plan and Justin knew he had to do something about it.

He rushed to get ready for dinner and let out a sigh of relief when he found you in the kitchen. “I know it’s none of my business but, is there something going on with you and Charlie?”

You took a big breath, not exactly ready to have this conversation but here you were. “No,” you state blankly, “there’s nothing going on between Charlie and I.”

“Then what’s going on? You’ve barely said two words to me all day so there has to be a problem.” Justin knew he had no right to be jealous, especially of one of his best friends but something was just nagging at him to keep asking questions. It was like word vomit and he couldn’t stop.

“Why are we even talking about this right now? It’s really not a big deal Justin, seriously, just let it go please.”

He clearly wasn’t having your attempts to dodge him. “No! I'm not going to let it go until you tell me. I mean, if this is about this morning I thought we handled that.” You don’t miss the subtle clench in his jaw. His patience is quickly running out and you really don’t get why this has him so worked up. Possibly because you’re so focused on your own rollercoaster of emotions.

“It’s not about this morning!” You blurt out. He was backing you into a corner, literally.

His pleading eyes were begging you to talk to him. “Then what is it about?”

“You! It’s about you. How I feel about you is a problem. It is THE problem, okay?” You shake your head, mentally shutting down at the look on his face. There it was, that horrible look you wished you’d never see…pity. Honestly? It looked worse in real life than it ever had in your nightmares and the sigh he gave you afterwards was just the icing on the humiliation cake.

“Y/n, I—”

“Are you guys ready to head out for dinner?” Gabe pops his head in, catching an immediate whiff of the uncomfortable air in the room. “Uh sorry. Was I interrupting something?”

“No.”

“Yes,” Justin says at the same time, furrowing his eyebrows and giving you a sideways glance.

“You didn’t interrupt anything,” you huff out, stepping around the man who was whispering for you to wait. You ignored him and kept moving your way out of the house, sliding into the car without turning back. Charlie took one look at you and asked if everything was okay but you really weren’t sure how to answer.

That evening, your phone lit up as you sat motionless in your bed, contemplating going home the next morning. Of course it was a text from Justin.

I know you’re awake, I can’t sleep either. Can we please talk?

You texted him back a simple “fine” and there were two tiny knocks on your door less than a minute later. He was probably standing outside your room door when he texted.

“We didn’t get to finish our conversation earlier.” His voice is even deeper due to the exhaustion. You didn’t even think that was possible.

“I said everything I needed to,” you say with a casual shrug.

“Well good because I need you to listen,” Justin closes the door behind him and takes in a breath. “You’re one of my best friends…”

“Oh god please, you don’t have to let me down gently. I’m a big girl I can—”

“I’m not done. And I’m not—I’m not letting you down gently. I’m not letting you down at all. You have been one of the most consistently good things in my life and somewhere along the way you became a lot more than consistency. You’ve become somewhat of a necessity, an essential part of my life that I don’t think I can or want to live without.” He sighs, running a hand over his face and you just stand there, limbs shaking in anticipation, waiting for him to say what he needs to say.

Justin closes his eyes, visibly collecting himself and his thoughts. “What I’m trying to say is that you aren’t the only one with feelings here. And that your feelings? They aren’t a problem.”

“You—you mean that you share the…you like me too?” You laugh a little, in complete disbelief.

He steps toward you, nodding with a smile of his own. “I really like you.”

“Wait…but what about Cand—Katie? She’s gorgeous and fun and is super into you. Plus she looks borderline perfect in the morning and I’m pretty sure I drool in my sleep sometimes and I have eye boogers.”

That really sends him over the edge and he covers his mouth to stifle a laugh. “It’s a good thing I love eye boogers, they’re my favorite.”

You smack his chest at the playful joke and his energy pulls you in, pressing your bodies together like magnets. And right there you feel like a kid again, standing next to your crush with your heart racing. He leans down and his lips brush against yours and he asks if this is okay, causing you to nod because obviously you want this with him, and more. Your lips fit together seamlessly and he tilts your head up by lightly cupping your face, running his thumb across the length of your jaw while deepening the kiss. Your entire body is covered in goosebumps even though the kiss is so soft and gentle. He pulls away slightly, pecking your lips after he takes a second to process, then begins peppering your face with more feathery kisses.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that,” he whispers, kissing you again. You happily oblige, smiling against his lips with a satisfied sigh.

The next morning you were pretty sure you were still smiling. You woke up comfortable, turning around to catch a glimpse of him, thinking about pinching yourself to make sure this was real. He looks so peaceful, his clothed chest moving up and down rhythmically, a slight pout on his face. You can’t help but run your fingers through his hair, smiling to yourself once again when he begins to stir in his sleep. With his eyes still closed, he pulls you into his arms, lazily kissing you like he’s been doing this for years.

“Good morning,” he whispers, his eyes finally open, looking alert and bright.

“Good morning, I cannot believe you just tackled me first thing in the morning. I probably have morning breath.”

“You don’t and even if you did, I wouldn’t care. And you don’t have eye boogers or drool on your face, you actually look really good first thing in the morning.” You want to kiss him again but you decide to hold off, leaning over to check the time on his phone. “It’s 5am, you should probably head back to your room before everyone wakes up and this turns into a CIA interrogation.”

He chuckles, kissing your forehead before he gets up to stretch out his limbs. “We have all the time in the world to figure this out when we get back to LA, keeping this between us is probably our best bet for now. I do not want to hear all of Tate’s questions. And Gabe would be even worse, he’s been telling me to do this for years.”

You tilt your head towards him and whisper yell, “you’ve thought about this for years and didn’t say anything?”

“Yeah, you’re not the only one who was helplessly pining over someone and refused to say anything about their feelings out of fear of rejection. I was scared too. And now I’m not. Now, I’m going to head back to my bed and count down the minutes until I get to kiss you again.”

You shake your head, laying back down ready for your second round of sleep. “You’re a dork.”

“I am. And that is your favorite thing about me. Get some sleep, I’ll see you in a few hours.”

[thorsenmark]

A View Looking to the Skyline of Austin by Mark Stevens Via Flickr: A setting looking to the southeast while taking in views from Mount Bonnell and then across a forest of trees that seemingly stretches everywhere leading up to the downtown buildings.

[sp0o0kylights]

Being from PNW as I am, I really want to do a Polybius AU with Steddie (I just don’t want to write it lmao) 

We begin with Eddie being absolutely attached to this growing urban legend. An arcade cabinet shrouded in mysterious gameplay, awash with rumors of kids disappearing or even dying, and men in black “collecting” something from the cabinet every week? 

Throw in his own little weird encounter with an arcade game as a kid, one Eddie cannot for the life of him find again and yeah, he’s salivating over this shit. 

Hellfire’s tired of hearing about it. This has been Eddie’s white whale since they met him, they’re done listening to him chase down rumors and insist the game was checking for psychic powers in the population. (Or testing a “mind weapon” or six other things.) 

 He gets met with nothing but groans and complaints when he catches wind that something like Polybius popped up on the west coast, igniting the rumors all over again, but this is a new tale for Hellfire’s freshmen.

They sit, enraptured  and asking six million questions, by something everyone but Mike thinks is just some silly bullshit story--but it’s so out there that Lucas and Dustin placate him. 

(“Why on earth would Brenner use an arcade cabinet when he was just kidnapping kids at birth Mike, you just want an excuse to see El…”)

Obviously Polybius IRL takes place in Oregon, but let’s say things have grown a bit. Extended, like the growth of a disgusting, pulsing vine, into California. 

Will is walking home when his hand flies to the back of his neck, a buzzing overtaking his ears as this weird, black arcade cabinet from a nearby shop seems to slide into his focus.

Slowly, like a camera lens being focused, it pulls him in until El yanks him out of it and he realizes he hasn't been breathing.

 Later he tells Mike--because he has to tell someone that isn't Jonathan and isn't El and absolutely isn't his mom-- and Mike absolutely loses his shit. 

This, of course, accumulates into a blowup at lunch, in front of the rest of Hellfire. 

Who are rolling their eyes because oh God, not only has Eddie infected the freshman with this, they’re now doing that thing they do where they get all secretive and try to talk in code words. 

(As if all of Hellfire isn’t aware they think “Mike’s girlfriend” who is about as real to them as Suzie is, has superpowers. 

The party is good at a lot of things, but whispering isn’t one of them.)  

There's an argument about whether this means Brenner, or someone like him, is collecting kids again and if so, do they have a responsibility to stop it, and that this isn't the Upside Down this is human horror, but what if it is actually the Upside Down, they don’t know--and it goes round and round between the Party in Hawkins and El & Will up in California, via phone calls. 

The Hawkins crew decides they need to go to California, together. 

They just…have to figure out a way to get there, first. 

Will & El on the other hand, decide they can’t wait, because they can save kids.

They can make a difference--prevent this shit from happening in a new location all over again.

El doesn't want to be like Kali anymore, but she understands what Kali was trying to do and she feels that same sort of responsibility to stop what she can. 

They disappear. 

Jonathan calls everyone he can, frantic, because he thinks Will and El have decided to go back to Hawkins, and his mother just left with Murray to do something she was extremely vague about and Argyle does not have enough weed for this.

If you guessed this accumulates with a Eddie + the Extended Party (Nance/Steve/Robin) going on a road trip you’d be right. 

Also they collect Suzie on the way because no one ever uses her in stories and fuck it she’d be fun to bring in. 

With them being in California you have Max’s past coming into play, as well as Eddie’s own mystery with the arcade cabinet, everyone crashing together at the Byers house (one bed or no bed either is hilarious for Steddie) and as we left the rest of Hellfire back at Hawkins to try and dodge six million questions about where like, ten people vanished off to (“Uh….camp?”) we get to have some fun there too. 

Throw in Eddie’s massive ass crush, “out of Hawkins”  Robin + Steve (who is perhaps a lot more chill with things than Eddie realized) and a need to go “undercover” at a gay bar purely for selfish reasons on my end (I want to see Steve flirt shamelessly with men and watch Eddie blue screen bc of it) and you have a lot of fun with the entire groups dynamic. 

I don’t have an ending other than Eddie at some point needs to play Polybuis and Steve drapes himself over Eddie’s back, whispering encouragement in his ear as a way to keep him from getting pulled into it the way Will was while the kids work together to kill whatever it is the government's unleashed this time (not Brenner, but instead another branch or faction who took his research and ran) but I’d love to parallel Eddie more to Will, on both the gay and supernatural fronts.

[myemuisemo]

Suddenly, Letters from Watson dumps us in the middle of the Great American Desert (part 1 of "On the Great Alkali Plain," 2/7/24). This is not anywhere I expected to be transported from London, and the contrast makes the Mountain West feel exotic for a minute.

The Great American Desert -- stretching from about Grand Island, Nebraska to the Sierras and pretty much the entire north-south length of the U.S. -- had become a thing of legend since explorers' accounts in the 1820s. When Dad and I drove across it in 2022, we talked about how incredibly daunting it must have been for emigrants seeking their land of milk and honey on the Pacific coast.

The way we went, out I-80, Nebraska shifts from green to gray as it rises toward the Rockies. After a while, the wind picks up as you go uphill into Wyoming. There's a lot of Wyoming, and after Cheyenne and Laramie (both of which would be small towns in most states), it's very, very empty. When we finally started the descent toward Salt Lake City, and the little valleys beside the road turned green with running water, it was truly like entering paradise.

Of course, in 1847, Salt Lake City was just barely being settled, as Brigham Young led his Latter Day Saints west from Council Bluffs, and its location wasn't part of the U.S. yet.

The Mexican-American war had started the prior year, 1846, and was still going. Spring-summer of 1846 saw the Bear Flag Revolt in California, followed by the U.S. just annexing the state. Gold wouldn't be discovered at Sutter's Mill until 1849, so while emigration to California happened -- the Donner Party made their ill-fated trip in 1846-47 -- it wasn't anything like the scope of movement along the Oregon Trail.

As far as I can tell, "Sierra Blanco" is not a real place. There's a Sierra Blanca in New Mexico -- which would fit with all the specific landscape, plus White Sands National Park in New Mexico specifically has alkali flats. Last time I drove through New Mexico on I-40, in late 2018, it was delightfully desolate, so I can buy that in 1847, it seemed completely empty, with even the native peoples avoiding some stretches.

Why anyone would be crossing New Mexico is a mystery, since neither Arizona nor southern California were much settled by Americans. There was some sort of wagon route across New Mexico used by U.S. soldiers during the Mexican-American War, so if I'd expect anyone to be about, it'd be the U.S. Army.

Utah, now, is downright famous for its salt flat, but that's west of the site of Salt Lake City.

Regardless, parties screwing up their trip to the west by taking an imprudent shortcut or mistaking the route was definitely both a thing that happened and, thanks to the Donner Party, a trope. Our haggard and starving traveler sounds about right.

Then he reveals a Plucky Innocent Victorian Child.

That "pretty little girl of about five years of age" is the absolute ideal of Victorian childhood, being perfectly behaved, utterly imperturbable, determined to see the best in all things, sweet, trusting, and looking forward to being reunited with her mother in heaven.

This kind of child is why Louisa May Alcott was seen as innovative for writing Little Woman about girls who worked on their character flaws. (This is also the ideal the March girls were being aimed at. Polly in An Old-Fashioned Girl comes closer, but even Polly would have been upset about being hopelessly lost in the desert with no water.) Contrast this with the street urchins that Holmes employs in his investigation, who are good enough sorts but scrappy, resourceful, and street smart.

Ordinarily, a Victorian child who was utterly sweet and pious would be a cinnamon roll, literally too good, too pure for this world, and thus would die beautifully but tragically before long. Being lost in the desert seems ideal for this, but --

She turns to prayer, and since someone must survive in order for this scene to be relevant,

Yes, darn it, I am on the edge of my seat to know what happens. I'm also grateful that crossing the Great American Desert in 2022 was a quicker process. I've been reading Carey Williams' old-but-interesting California: The Great Exception, which has a lot to say about how 19th century isolation shaped California's economy and power structure, not always for good. But that's neither here nor there -- I don't think we're headed to California.

[kasewichser]

crossing a line (i)

doug remer/joe cooper (?) x gender neutral scolari!reader

wc: ~1.7k words

warnings: light swearing ig, (small & LEGAL) age gap but nothing really happens right now

a/n: this is not only my first time writing for BASEketball, but writing fics in a long time. so bear with me if my characterization is off in any way. and i havent fully figured out who im writing this about, so bear with me on that too! any feedback is appreciated!!

edit: part 2 here

As a teenager, you fell in love with living “out west” somewhere. Wisconsin was lovely, yes, but tales of California filled your eyes with stars. So, you made it your goal to reach The Golden State. At fifteen, you started to work after school, saving up money from your crappy cashier job to afford out-of-state schooling. You even took a gap year to secure enough money. Unfortunately, you couldn't afford a California lifestyle even on a scholarship and with your saved-up funds. Luckily, you had applied for backup schools in the northwest. You chose a school in Seattle because you heard it was nicer than the schools in Oregon that you applied to. And that's how you ended up moving to Washington for school. It had been a hard choice and an even harder goodbye with your brother.

Despite the six-year age gap you two shared, you and Kenny were really close. He, despite his short stature, was always the protective big brother, sometimes to an extreme. And as a kid, you found it overbearing, as an adult you mostly found it endearing.  While you two had kept in contact over the years, you hadn't had a chance to see him in person since you left. At first, it was because school and work kept you busy plus you figured that after the sport he and some old friends of his created, he was pretty busy himself.

But, eventually, you stopped talking to him because you dropped out of school after about a year & a half. The expenses built up, you couldn’t keep up with the workload and it was stressing you out far more than it should, so you dropped out, mid-semester. And the fear of being shamed for that decision had made you never want to return to Wisconsin. You even stopped watching Beers’ games for awhile because even seeing your brother on TV made you feel guilty. You avoided calling him, but would always answer if he called you. When he asked about school, you lie, saying it was going great, but keeping it vague. And as much as you missed your brother, you didn’t want to have to face him. But, as luck would have it, he would call you after the season had ended and arranged your coming home. He’d brought you the plane ticket and told you that you were going to be on that plane. The excitement, fear and guilt you felt was indescribable. You were excited to see him because finally it would mean the Scolari’s were back together, but the fear of disappointing your brother was immense. 

Kenny had picked you up from the airport and the two of you were driving back to his place. The trip was fairly quiet as part of you didn’t want to there, but everything else was quiet as well. The road, the radio, the wind. The silence felt awkward to you, but you just telling yourself that your brother didn't notice it.

“By the way, I forgot to tell Coop and Remer you’re coming...” He explained, flashing his eyes over to you. Your eyes widened a little, recalling the names and the people attached to them. You were eleven the last time you saw them in person, but of course, you watched Beers games all the time. 

When you last saw Airman and Sir Swish, It was your brother's high school graduation. You were standing with your brother when the two came over, calling Kenny ‘Squeak’. You laughed at the nickname. Your brother shot you a disappointed look. You apologized as the two men then turned their attention to you. Coop would be the first one to say something, 

“So, Squeak here’s your brother?” You nodded, with a smile. Coop, you noted, had blue eyes, something you always wanted because you thought they were cool. Remer, whos hair was his most defining feature, then butted in,

“What’s it like having ol’ Squeak here as your brother?” Kenny rolled his eyes and tried to pull you away from the conversation. But you, the stubborn kid you were, refused to move. At the time, high schoolers were so immensely cool to you. You would answer any question they had for you.

“Kenny is so cool. He’s always telling me cool facts. Like, uhm, did you know the president was in a movie?!” You beamed. It's true that you thought the world of the brother, and you said what you meant in good faith but the two older boys started laughing. Once again, your brother tugged at your arm, signalling he wanted to leave. 

“If you guys are gonna be assholes, I’m leaving.” Kenny snapped. Coop and Remer minimized their laughing. Remer then patted your head lovingly, and smiled,

“You’re a good one, kid. You want a cool nickname like your brother here?” You were star struck at the offer and excitedly nodded yes. High schoolers were cool after all. Your brother was protesting but you didn’t care. The two teens looked at you for a moment before Remer spoke again,

“How about Pip. As in Pipsqueak?”

“Nah dude, that's too close to Squeak.” Coop gestured to your brother.

“Thats the point dude.” Remer rebutted. Coop was about to argue back when you spoke up, saying you really liked it. Kenny, Coop and Remer all shared a glance.

“Well then, nice meeting you Pip.”

“You think they’d remember me?” You question after a moment. Kenny shrugs his shoulders as he pulls into a driveway for his shared house.

“Guess we’ll see.” He opens the door and gets out of the car. You follow suit and walk back to the car’s trunk where your luggage is. Ken unlocks the trunk, but as you go to grab your luggage, he hits your hand away. You nod and offer a quick thanks as he pulls them out. You look at the house, taking it in. It’s nothing spectacular but it’s certainly larger than any home you’ve been in. Above the garage is a hoop, presumably for baseketball games between the three men who reside in the home. You’ve fallen behind your brother who’s now waiting on the doorstep, luggage next to him with keys in hand. You rush over to him and watch as he unlocks the door.

It swings open revealing a fairly large and nice room. Guess basketball was more profitable than you first thought. Directly to your right is a living room with a TV, a couch and a small coffee table. It was messy; beer cans scattered across the floor, what was likely day-old dishes on the table. A dust-covered VCR next to a pile of VHS tapes. The living room was clearly lived in, but the kitchen directly ahead of you was a different story; it looked unused. As much as you disagreed with stereotypes, three men living alone having a clean kitchen didn't strike you as odd. Your brother sighed in relief, seemingly glad his roommates-slash-friends-slash teammates were MIA. You pulled your luggage inside across the threshold as you took in the new environment.

“You’re staying in my room. No arguing about it!” You jokingly pouted but nodded. Kenny guided you to his room. It was down a small hallway. When he opened the door, you saw it was fairly basic. He had a few honours from his ongoing career as a professional baseketball star and some photos of the family scattered around, but it was otherwise unimpressive. You threw the luggage on the bed and trying to decide if you wanted to unpack it when a voice from behind startled you.

“Holy shit!” You hadn’t expected to recognize it as easily as you did. You were greeted by the tall and lanky Doug Remer. Of course, you’ve seen him on TV since you watch a lot of Beers' games, but he looked different than your memories. It was like he was a new person somehow. Maybe it was the height, something which once was very noticeable between the two of you, but now so much. There was something just…different, and not in a bad way either. You offered a small wave to the man who gave a huge smile in return.

“Lil Pip, all grown up.” You joked. It was surprising, but the familiarity of being back with him was comforting. It was another reminder of a past you missed. Remer just stood there unsure of what to say. You offered a smile to Doug, and he replied with two finger guns. You giggled before Kenny, quickly butted in,

“Remer, if you try anything, I’ll make sure you regret it.” Always the defensive brother. You scoffed, rolling your eyes. Of course, during one of your phone calls, you’d heard about the playboy that was Doug Remer. Kenny complained all the time about Remer hooking up with random chicks and even making out with a few guys a couple times. But you also knew that sometimes Kenny would embellish stories as a way of “protecting you”.  Regardless, you figured Doug wasn’t stupid enough to pull anything with you, knowing how it would upset Kenny. And after all, any bad blood between the team was bad for the game. Remer, in response to your brother’s threat, raised his hands up defensively and walked off without saying another word. 

“Ken, you didn’t need to do that. I promise I can handle myself.” You said after you were certain Doug was out of hearing range. Your brother apologized but you could still tell it was bugging him. Even though most of the time, the protective act was endearing, this was certainly not one of those times. As you pulled your luggage off the bed (you weren’t going to unpack, that was a lot of effort), you asked your brother a question,

“What would you do if I did hook up with him—or Coop?” It was mostly to see his reaction. It was a fun thought experiment. Kenny tensed up and responded with mostly stammering and confused tones. You laughed, both at the notion AND Kenny’s reaction, and you saw him relax instantly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll behave myself, Ken. Besides, he’s not even that good-looking.”

[iminthetunnels]

my christmas present from my bf was a trip to portland, so i stayed there for a month and explored oregon. we even went to washington. then we took a road trip down the coast. we saw the entire coast of california.

papas got to see his family. we stayed in LA the longest. then we road tripped across america, from slab city to tennessee. such a unique and beautiful trip