May 10

Road Trip #3 Jeff Vanags | Malibu, CA

One For The Road
Road Trips


Road Trip with JeffvanagsRoad Trip #3 with @jeffvanags

I’ve been lucky enough to call the coast home my whole life. If you’ve never made it to California you should book the next ticket out. There’s something so freeing about listening to the waves crash up onto the shore.

Pair that with two wheels under you and you start to feel like you’re living in a movie. We grabbed a few friends and started ripping up the coast looking for nothing other than a sunset and a place to build a fire. Isn’t that the best? Adventures without agenda. Our group traveled in a pack - two motorcycles to lead the way and two camper vans to follow. Only supplies we had were cameras and firewood. We started in Venice beach. Man that place is iconic. Streets covered with art and people who look like they came from a different time period. Only bummer about it is the traffic. As you head north from there on highway 1 you make it to Malibu. A lot less people live there and the road starts to clear up. Up past Malibu is where it starts to really get fun. Six lane highways with few people make for an amazing trip on motos.
We pulled into a gas station for a quick snack and to take a look at a map. We needed to find some sand on a small secluded beach to build a fire. We spent the rest of the ride peeking over the cliff that overhung the coast looking for a little stretch to call home for the night.
The summer breeze starts early in California, and at times it picks up to more than a breeze. Which doesn’t create the best conditions for building a fire.
We started scouting the area for any kindling we could find. After being less than successful, Morgan had the idea to use some gasoline from one of the bikes to get it started. We soaked some paper towels in the fuel tank and hoped for the best. After a few attempts we built a wind shield with a blanket and lit that fire up.
Nights like this make me wonder which I like more. The destination or the process. Because man let me tell you, crowded around the fire with some of the people you love most, telling stories that bring you joy is tough to beat. The process to get there however, is the story you’ll likely tell the next time you find yourself around a fire.



Roadtrip #2 with Jack Antal