With the 12 Hours of Sebring just over a week away DSC’s plans are coming together.
One element is already underway as our very own Dan Bathie has chosen to take a somewhat different route to the race.
Not for him the Gatwick to Orlando Disneybus, nope, Dan is already Stateside, he flew into Los Angeles yesterday with something of an assignment from DSC – He, together with the uniquely named and supremely talented Camden Thrasher are now several hundred miles into a several thousand mile journey which will take them from LA to Sebring (and, as you’ll see next week, beyond), by car, and via an eclectic mix of locations – A truly fantastic road trip.
Day One – LA – Vegas – Miles covered – 611
LA, I was finally here. The start of my 3000+ mile road trip across America with fellow photographer, Camden Thrasher. The destination, Sebring, Florida.
Burgers, beer and bed the order of the evening I landed, as I kept my eyes open to get acclimatised to the time zone change.
March 4th, 2014.
Waiting outside a Walmart at 8am for it to open, I realised this must be the Hollywood dream.
In search of an audio cable for the rental car we accidentally found the worst stocked shop ever. Still we didn’t come away empty handed. Beef Jerky and T-shirts decorated with ‘SWAG’ a cat, and a crowd of eagles were purchased, obviously!
On the road and the first stop was breakfast in Long Beach as we checked out the street circuit there.
Camden gave me a tour of the track, avoiding traffic cones, workers and school buses. The preparations already getting underway for the race there in April.
Then back on the road – and what a road!
Salton Sea was our next stop. Originally planned as a rival for nearby Palm Springs, Salton Sea now is pretty much deserted.
It’s actually a very beautiful place, but quite eerie at times, derelict buildings litter the shores of the heavily salty water.
Nearby, just outside the town of Niland is something called Salvation Mountain. It’s nothing like I’ve seen before. A religious art installation in the middle of the desert.
After watching the sun go down on the shore of the Salton Sea a 4 and half hour drive to Las Vegas was next. I don’t have a lot to write about this as I fell asleep, but I can tell you a great mix of Taylor Swift and some 80s driving music was played. The audio cable purchase really was a life saver.
So here I am in Vegas. Writing this in a hotel that has roller coaster inside. And there was me thinking that this place was meant to be over the top…
DB
