California Trip

C alifornia is a land of contradictions. Nothing could be more different than the wet foggy forests of northern Califor- nia, the alpine summits of the High Sierra with its crystalline air and achingly blue skies or the intense dry heat of Death Valley. Compare these places with the never-ending boulevards of Los Angeles and San Francisco's Castro Street. Who but a pair of artist-hippies would have the adaptability to grok it all? The sum of the geography and people gives an understanding of the whole state of nature and culture that is California. California Trip shows the history of peace and love, the tradition of protest, the freedom of the open road and the highs of California's wilderness – all that is far from shopping malls and corporate cubicles. This an uncensored look at real California, not a tourist whitewash. It is a social critique yet also captures the freewheeling spirit and beauty of California. A thinking person's guide to California, outrageous and insightful, this book feels the pulse of the state. For visitors, it's a trip they want to take; for residents it describes the art of living in their state, finding both thrills and spiritual meaning in its wilderness and people. Take the California Trip–but watch out if you go to some of the stranger destinations in the book–the hippie pot farms or San Quentin's prison yard! By vicariously experiencing California through these stories and pictures, readers will be inspired to experience the incredible highs of California themselves, not in posh hotels but in a car and sleeping bag, hiking and medi- tating in the alpine peaks or shimmering deserts. Color & Light Editions is proud to publish this groundbreaking book by Richard Blair and Kathleen Goodwin. It is a book that will expand the art of the photographic essay.