“I have no money, no resources, no hopes. I am the happiest man alive” said HENRY MILLER. This was the beginning and conclusion of the adventure we explored on our way to San Fransciso, following the coast through Big Sur on CA Highway 1. A place where shifting reality and concept of contemporary living is hard not to throw right out the window, and fall into the realm of MIYAZAKI’S Castle in the Sky.

A quick stop off happened to find us amongst an ageless group of swing dancers, at the Madonna Inn, a couple hours before escaping into the Sur which at the time was submerged amongst cloud, and darkness. Although we missed the hour to explore its grand lands of Hearst’s Castle, passing by WILLIAMS HEARST’S pack of zebras disorientates your space of logic. From then the trip was coined by the HENRY MILLER bookshop donated to the Sur. ANAÏS NIN sits amongst the bright lights of American inhabitants, legendary minds, and collectives. They were drawn to this land, you can feel it. Phone services dropped out an hour or so after approaching the hills, and we became lost in the mountains for days, discovering the Redwood’s magic, and reconnecting over late night drives to motels up the coast, slamming old Destiny’s Child.

In our brief moment in San Fransciso, we found Vacation; standing tall, inhabiting all the good bits of San Fran, the energy of Oakland, thrown together in cassette tight clarity for your one stop shop.

Text Cara Stricker and photo Cara Stricker and Naomi Shimada