Miranda Stone [photos & film (all of you, all of us)]

North Southwest Trips

One of the nicest things about being a traveling musician is the beauty you get to see along the way (if you take the time to put allow for it in your schedule!) Some tours end up with shows booked every single night. Those can be harsh and unhappy, especially if you're touring alone (If you're making money, then… hey!) Happily, I've been able to fit in a lot of exploring. The west coast of Canada continues to haunt me. I wish I could spend more time there. As far as the south west, I didn't play any shows while in Mexico (May 2000), but took a few pictures. I also attempted at least one horse ride along the beach, was thrown off, forever lost my glasses in the sand, before limping back home. A lot of writing happened in that trip (which you can find in the "dangerous writing" section of this site.

Please be reminded that these photographs are copyrighted images. That means that you need to get permission by the artist to use them.

Summer 99- a tour across Canada. A show in Langley, BC (?) I forget. (I think Chris took this photo)

Collecting Moss from a rock hanging over a huge waterfall somewhere near Banff National Park (cross-Canada tour, summer 99) Feeling very small while traveling across such a large country brought a lot of tears when confronted by such awful beauty.

I played another show or two in Victoria, BC (Sept. 1999) and I can't gush enough about that place. I took a few days vacation and hunted down a walk-in campsite called "mystic beach" that I had visited a few months prior (on the summer tour) (Visit the site) as well as the incredible Botanical beach, and place you have to visit if you ever drive along the coast of Vancouver Island! When I woke up from my over night on the beach, I spent several hours making "art" in the form of a house structure using large drift wood logs because… I like building things. If you do this hike, remember to pack enough drinking water (a mistake I made) also pack up all your garbage, not just for the environmental reasons but….bears happen.

In May 2000 I did some personal traveling out to California. I had a friend out there, and besides, there was the lure of a thousand windmills. (I also wanted to check out an old artist retreat tucked into the mountains near Temecula, Dorland Mountain Arts Colony.)

In the valley below Joshua tree National Park, thousands of windmills stand like gangly flower stalks in an almost vacant desert. Two sounds are heard- a howling wind and the low creaking of turning blades. This self-portrait was taken shortly before the wind blew my camera off the car.

Another photo taken near Desert Hot Springs, (still chasing windmills, now with newly dented camera)

I spent a little over two weeks in California, writing, exploring and making pictures, and on one of those weekends, took off for Mexico with a friend for two days. We spent one night camping in the desert before crossing over the border, through Tijuana. We drove until we hit Ensenada (where I think I had that little horse accident)… This VW photo was taken the next day, in Rosarito.

In Rosarito, moving through a market, I heard beautiful singing coming from this church. There was a wedding going on…

This photo was taken in one of the markets…

… and in the same market I met this old man who sweetly said (when I asked if I could take his photo) "What? Why wouldn't I want a pretty girl like you to take a photo of me?"

Before leaving for home, I spent one night camping in Joshua Tree National Park. Joshua Trees- made famous by U2 (that album is still my personal favourite)

Heading back home, via the LAX airport, I watch the planes come in.

[close window]