This trip has taken us across the country, through the south and up the east coast over a time period of 5 months. It has been nothing like I expected, and I have done my best to absorb the experience by photographing, writing, and thinking as much as possible. The volume of it is starting to add up: I've snapped ten thousand photos and written one hundred eleven pages in my daily log. It reached a certain point after New Orleans where I was struggling to wrap my head around the scope of the work. After pouring through images repeatedly we have begun to sort and categorize them, a continuous process that is constantly evolving, swirling and churning like this storm cloud that rolled in on us at a grocery store parking lot outside Cincinnati, OH.
We are about to leave New York City, where we've been holed up for the last three plus weeks, get back in the van and take a roundabout route back to California that will take us to every remaining continental state. These photos are a selection from the last few months, after we left New Orleans all the way up to just before the Big Apple, snapshots from the neverending story that is my life
Florida had incredible beaches, there is certainly no disputing that. America's southeast corner was our home for a few weeks, as we frequented the warm waters of the Gulf and went all the way out to the Keys (Photo #4) at the tip of the Atlantic coast. Had a memorably dour birthday in Miami (Photo #5) where we all recovered from food poisoning. Spent valuable time with my Aunt and her three kids in Seminole (Photo #2-3), giving me perspective on my own youth. One of the most sensationally impeccable moments was stopping at Fort Pickens in Pensacola (on the tip of our oil change technician) and plunging into the surf (Photo #1). Water has never felt that good before.
Our journey led us up the north, to historical coastal havens Savannah, Charleston (Photo #1) and Annapolis. We spent time with a large collection of my family in Maryland, and venturing into Washington D.C. for long museum and landmark sessions (Photo #3). Virginia was a pleasantly surprising chapter of the trip, much more lush and green than I imagined. The two couples that hosted us, family friends of my parents, had incredible scenery right in their backyards (Photos 2&4). On our way out we drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway towards North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains (Photo #5) for some really wonderful camping and scenery.
This country is enormous and full of so many people, places, and things. Trying to synthesize all of these elements into something coherent has been a weighty undertaking. I try to keep my eyes open all the time, actively aware of the world around me , and do my best to capture it. So much of this trip has been experiences and feelings that are hard to express. The immaculate ceiling of the first American Cathedral in Baltimore (Photo #3). Sheer joy on children's faces who played in the fountain in Charleston (Photo #1). Lonely back road gas stations that protrude from the country's scenery (Photo #5). The pulse and energy of a summer baseball game in our nation's capital (Photo #4). Palpable history at the Naval Academy in Annapolis (Photo #2).
There's a satisfying feeling that comes from being on the road. Driving is an immersive experience into a location. It serves as our safe, consistent space in an unpredictable world. We have a large series of photos of the van, such as in front of the Pittsburgh skyline (Photo #3). The van took us through Bardstown, in the bourbon fields of Kentucky, where Distilleries dominated the countryside with their smoky warehouses (Photo #5). From Skyline Drives (Photo #2) to suburban neighborhoods (Photo #1), we drove all over Virginia. We caravaned with an ancient green pickup truck piloted by Miss Stacy during our Ohio reunion (Photo #4).
I've always been attracted to the details, capturing a close up or intimate look at a subject. I'm still as fascinated with bubbles (Photo #4) as the children that chase them, I just manifest my curiosity differently. Any home belonging to a Hoover is chock full of little mise en scenes wherever you look (Photo #5). Some colors you just don't encounter so overwhelmingly very often, and it provokes a response (Photo #1). Miss Stacy took a bit of the river home with her after a quick dip (Photo #3). The stark contrast of the ramp up to Clingman's Dome with the forest in the massive natural softbox of the Smoky Mountains. (Photo #2).
People usually have a difficult time relating to the concept of what we are undertaking with this odyssey. The amount of time and broadness of the focus makes it hard to comprehend. For the most part though, we have benefitted from tremendous support from everyone we talk to about what we're doing. People have spoiled us with food and drink, generous donations and plenty of stimulating conversation. There is an appreciation and jealousy of the freedom we have. It has been an experience that I will always remember, and sometimes you get lucky and stumble into a beautiful scene, like our companion the moon making an appearance in Harrisburg, PA. The longer we travel, the more opportunities for perfect moments like this one.
- Anthony Mayes -