A few months ago I was in California and tired. The lure of the road was strong but I had been wearing myself out making art and traveling. I made the call to wander from Landers to Barstow via Lucerne Valley. I had never been to either town before and maybe there’s no greater wonderment in my life than exploring (although lately I find quite a lot of joy in just sitting still in my house). Plus in a new place there might be something good to eat.
Lucerne Valley, California, Polaroid 600 (2021)
Yeah I’m not turning down a place with a small handpainted sign nestled into a Joshua tree. I’ve been a vegetarian for twenty-five years, and the road is not always kind to us,1 but places like Burger Depot always seem to have a grilled cheese or something you can get (even while we’re left behind by major chains).
Lucerne Valley, California, Polaroid 600 (2021)
They did indeed have a grilled cheese, plus crinkle cut fries that somehow kept their heat and crunch (like they had been individually fried almost) despite the vigorous wind of the Valley, which whipped around the little picnic area across from the drive-thru. I don’t often go full Stephen Shore and make photos of the food I’m eating across America but y’all, it was so good.
Lucerne Valley, California, Polaroid 600 (2021). True story, I consider this one of the best Polaroids I made out West; tell me you don’t see that and aren’t transported to this place, that you don’t want a bite of that grilled cheese.
The Burger Depot was the second best meal I had that trip, second only to Kitchen in the Desert in Twentynine Palms, where I had one of the best meals I’ve ever had.2 3
Abandoned homestead, Lucerne Valley, California, Polaroid 600 (2021)
The rest of the day, hyped up from the meal, I explored the Mojave and made my way up to Route 66—but those are photos for another day.
Old Woman Springs Road, just out of Lucerne Valley, at sunset, Polaroid SX-70 (2021)
IT’S FUN TO LOOK BACK at my time in California, even though it already seems so strange and long ago. I’ve still got a lot of boxes to unpack at the new place, but the internet works and there’s coffee and the stereo is all hooked up so that’s just fine for now.
This morning’s listening was all cassettes—the new record by Japanese Breakfast, Jubilee; Hectorine’s TEARS, which is in my Sunday morning pantheon along with Paris 1919 and Southern Nights; and a soft set of vaporwave by SucumDrule (which features one of the best song titles I’ve seen in a while, “WHITE HOT DIET PEPSI”).
AS ALWAYS I am gorjusjxn on Instagram, and you can see more Polaroids and time travel at McCartyPolaroids.
There’s been a lot of road meals of Doritos and Little Debbies in my life. Remember that the Spicy Sweet Doritos are vegan! (So are Fritos). I’m not a vegan but I think if you’re going to eat an accidentally gigantic bag of Doritos as an appetizer you’ll feel better about yourself if they are, plus you’ll need to abate the shame of eating a Swiss Cake Roll for an entree.
I ordered the Doubles and the cucumber cilantro lemonade, both of which were incredible. I also had the fried Brussels, which were quite good, but didn’t reach the stellar heights of the Doubles and lemonade.
Burger Depot even edged out the justifiably legendary La Copine, of Flamingo Heights, which is a wonderful restaurant. This time at La Copine I not only got very good food, but also had my ears pinned back by the music they were playing, including a visceral and beautiful version of “Down by the River” I’d never heard by Buddy Miles.