Category: Off the Beaten Path

Ghost domesWard Charcoal Ovens State Park, NV

Ward Charcoal Ovens sketch by Chandler O'Leary

This hidden gem is one that’s been on my road trip bucket list for many years, and when I drove the Loneliest Road two springs ago, I finally got my chance. These strange stone kilns have been empty for more than a century—but thanks to their sturdy construction and the desert climate, they look like… More

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Forgotten canyonZion National Park, UT

Zion National Park sketch by Chandler O'Leary

When I think of solitude on the road, I’ll admit the last place I’d associate with it is Zion National Park. In the twenty years that had passed since I first visited the park (when it was a sleepy secret), word had definitely gotten out. Nowadays Zion is a lot like the Grand Canyon: there… More

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Twists and turnsGrand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, UT

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Well, it wasn’t the Loneliest Road, but I certainly had a lonely-road solo drive on the day before I crossed Nevada. I was in southeastern Utah, and I wanted to tick another highway off my road-trip bucket list: State Route 12, which cuts through part of the mostly-wilderness, sprawling, painted-desert expanse of Grand Staircase-Escalante National… More

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The Loneliest RoadHighway 50, Nevada

The Loneliest Road sketch by Chandler O'Leary

If you’re looking for a truly solo road trip experience, look no farther than the Loneliest Road: US Highway 50, where it crosses Nevada. The mostly two-lane road traverses the Great Basin desert, which consists of basin-and-range topography: wide, flat, parched valleys punctuated by parallel mountain ranges. I wasn’t alone for the whole trip; the… More

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Summer of SolitudeYosemite National Park, CA

El Capitan at Yosemite National Park sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Even though parks and other road-trip destinations are beginning to open back up, my family and I are choosing to extend our self-quarantine for as long as we can, to help minimize the risk of spreading the virus. But that doesn’t mean I can’t host a virtual summer road trip instead! Since so many of… More

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Home and awayPalm Springs, CA

Palm Springs gate with citrus and bougainvillea sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Though parts of the world are beginning to open back up, travel is still something we’re all doing from the comfort of our armchairs right now (and besides, I am firmly in camp #StayHome for those of us who can, to help others who can’t). So lately I’ve been remembering one of my all-time favorite… More

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Quarantesima from quarantineMount Saint Helens, WA

Mount Saint Helens sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Sorry about the non-English post title—I realize it may need a bit of explaining. Italian is my other language, and since we’ve all heard the word “quarantine” a zillion times lately, this title just popped into my head. “Quarantine” comes from the Italian word quarantena, which means a period of forty days. It comes from… More

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Land’s endChannel Islands National Park, CA

Channel Islands National Park sketch by Chandler O'Leary

Speaking of sunny SoCal islands, on my last book research trip I finally got to cross a big line item off my national parks bucket list: Channel Islands National Park. I made this sketch at Inspiration Point (I really should do a post sometime about all the Inspiron Points in the various national parks…there are… More

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Island paradiseSanta Catalina Island, CA

Catalina Island sketch by Chandler O'Leary

One of the things I’ve been doing in my little metaphorical lighthouse lately is dream of sunny shores and road trips past. And my favorite place to remember right now is Santa Catalina Island—26 miles off the coast of southern California—which I visited a few years ago while researching my book. The centerpiece of Avalon,… More

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Points of lightPigeon Point, CA; Pacific Grove, CA; Tacoma, WA; and Port Townsend, WA

Pigeon Point Lighthouse sketch by Chandler O'Leary

I wish I could remember where, but long ago I read some author’s opinion that lighthouses were mankind’s greatest invention, because they were entirely selfless in nature. That thought has stuck with me all these years, and it pops into my head every time I draw a lighthouse. The memory has occurred to me again… More

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