MOJAVE DESERT ROADTRIP: SUNSHINE + CACTI

The real title of this should be "that time 5 girls and their 7 (8?) bags of luggage sardined themselves in a BMW and drove across the desert" ... but I thought that seemed a little winded.

This past March, I flew out to Vegas to meet a bunch of photo friends for WPPI (an annual photography conference). We came, we partied, we saw pretty sample albums...it was awesome! But the real adventure began when we over-packed the tiniest car and drove from Vegas to Photo Field Trip in Santa Barbara, CA!

We stopped at the oh-so-gorgeous Red Rock Canyon just outside of Vegas, and it blew my mind! I've never seen such beautiful terrain!

Meet my good friend Mikkel Paige! She's an explorer extraordinaire with a heart of gold. We planned this whole adventure together and along the way added 3 other ladies to join us on this crazy trip of a lifetime!

Amy Emily, from Boston, is an absolute gem! When a simple lunch date turns into a 9 hour marathon, you know you've got a real keeper!

Chelsea Brown, from Detroit, answered our social media call for a 4th person to join our car. It was so great having another adventure-seeking photographer to share the fun with!

Our suuuuper last minute addition, and she *almost* didn't fit, was Justine Milton from Canada! We instantly bonded over Gilmore Girls at a fun group dinner at Wolfgang Puck, and without her I don't think I could have stayed awake the whole drive. If you ever need someone to keep you peppy at 2:00 a.m. on a boring highway, Justine is your girl!