For Thanksgiving weekend, as mentioned in a couple of recent posts, we decided to take advantage of the first long holiday to start exploring California beyond Los Angeles County.

We divided our journey into two distinct stages. The first consisted of setting up base at Lake Isabella and then making day trips to Sequoia National Forest. Perhaps an unusual choice given that there are other accommodation options within the national park, but with Panna 🐕 in tow, we opted for a place that also welcomed pets.

The second stage was Death Valley and visiting some interesting spots. Here we stayed at a very spartan resort with a strong Old Wild West flavor.

We covered almost 2,000 km, and our Jetta performed very well on dirt and muddy roads despite being a city sedan. It showed some signs of strain when we went from 20 degrees to 2 degrees and several meters in altitude within an hour: the tire pressure sensors started going crazy, making us think we had a flat tire. Fortunately, none of that happened, just a bit of low pressure.

It was a beautiful trip. We discovered rural America. The one tied to land, work, and religion. Communities far from big cities that have their own history, but which are undoubtedly among the founding stones of this country.

The only flaw was me and my Sony Alpha. I was super convinced that I had taken some decent photos beyond those published here and taken with my iPhone 15 Pro Max... and instead, very few worth noting and that I really like were saved.

I'm very rusty and haven't shot with my mirrorless camera for quite a while, and it shows. I hope to do better on the next vacation. These are the only ones I managed to save...