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Perfect day…
My first visit to Muir Woods, the redwood-filled National Monument just 45 minutes away from me, was this past Monday. I write this with some shame as I don’t have a particularly good excuse for not checking it out in the last 27 years of being a California citizen. But, as I’ve mentioned in past issues, I’ve been playing “tourist in my own town.” Knowing that everything’s going to change soon, I’ve been taking advantage of the easier-to-snag reservations from the drop of tourists. More people vaccinated mean more people traveling. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I haven’t been enjoying the great outdoors here in California, I just haven’t been to some of the more popular and populated tourist destinations.
Anyway, it’s spring break for my teen and she loves hiking and redwoods. I saw that Muir Woods was open again and went for it. Then I spent $1.99 on a “Muir Woods and Marin Headlands itinerary” digital download. From that, we picked the trails we wanted to hike and what we should pack.
LONG STORY SHORTER: It was pretty much a perfect day (and those are hard to come by)! The trail route pushed us but not too much. It was sunny but not hot, not crowded, and we got to bathe in some serious forest. I’m a little sore today but it was worth it.
me and the girl
Afterwards, we swung by Stinson Beach to put our toes in the sand and to get a look at the ocean. Amusingly, there was a guy who had brought his cat to the beach. It was on a leash and was digging holes like crazy! California, amirite?
Where should we go next? Drop me a line. I want to know about your favorite Bay Area and beyond campgrounds, parks, recreation areas, hiking spots, etc. Off the beaten path, or not. Day trips or longer. Bonus points if there’s a swimming hole or hot springs. The teen cringes when I say I’m a “water baby” but I mean it, I/we really like being in water. If you’re not from around here, where would you go if you could?
— Rusty Blazenhoff
P.S. SJ (the teen) and I also caught the tulips in bloom at the garden next to SF’s North (Dutch) Windmill recently — free and neat! We also moseyed around Golden Gate Park. I showed her the bison, and we discovered Huntington Falls together. If you don’t have a teenager, you should borrow one. It’s fun to see the world through their eyes.
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| Real art you can actually buy: tripp-ay! |
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| The first LSD “trip”: In April 1943, Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann accidentally ingested some LSD he had first synthesized five years earlier. He started feeling strange and decided to ride his bike home. And that’s the short version of how April 19 became known as Bicycle Day. It honors the discovery of LSD’s psychoactive properties.
This Bicycle Day, a bunch of well-known artists have created pieces on perforated blotter sheets which will be made available from Detroit’s 1XRun. These trippy pieces are not only affordable but also limited short runs.
Shown above: Joe Mangrum’s “Nouveau,” Wayne White’s “Fomo“ |
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| Real things you can actually buy: yay! |
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| I’m madly in love with these handtooled Birkenstocks. A little too rich for my blood at $350/pair though. |
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| [New York City: Now – 10/31/21] Kusama: Cosmic Nature is a recently opened exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden. How I wish I could make the trip to see it! The artist, 92-year-old Yayoi Kusama of Japan, is now one of the highest paid living female artists in the world. It wasn’t always that way though. When she was younger, after moving to New York City on the recommendation of Georgia O’Keeffe, she ran in the same circles as Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg, but her work wasn’t taken seriously because she was single, a woman and Japanese. In fact, it was ripped off! In the early seventies, she left NYC and checked herself into a live-in mental hospital in Japan that focuses on art therapy. She’s been there ever since, turning her trauma into art. She’s amazing and I highly recommend the 2018 documentary about her, Kusama Infinity. I’ve mentioned it here before but it deserves another nod. Also, if you’re in New York City, I urge you to go see this exhibit, if only to rub your visit in my face.
[Zoom: 4/17/21] John Waters, in conversation
[Bay Area, California: 5/1 – 5/23/21] Virtual White Elephant Sale, local pickups only
[Coachella Valley, California: Now – 5/16/21] Desert X 2021, FREE (download app and get reservations as necessary)
[Worldwide: 6/12/21] Attaboy’s Game of Shrooms, an amazing art-n-seek event I can’t gush enough about!
[Lake Ladoga, California: 6/21-6/27/21] Camp Tipsy is on, with COVID restrictions. Scholarships are available.
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TIL: “Uppercase” and “lowercase” come from letterpress drawers, the wooden trays that printers used to hold their letters. photo by
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Rusty’s Electric Dreams is a fortnightly inbox zine by Rusty Blazenhoff for positive deviants and the people who love them. If this was forwarded to you, please consider subscribing yourself.
Described as, “One of the most inspiring, weird and off-kilter collections of curated kitschy ephemera for the big-brained.” People like it.
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