Belle Meade Plantation in Tennessee

Dating back to 1807, the Belle Meade Plantation located just outside of Nashville, Tennessee, was widely known for its horses. The Greek Revival mansion, like many of the buildings here, were built using slave labor, and by 1860 there were more than 136 working here. 

The house is still scarred with bullet holes from the Civil War and the Battle of Nashville, and throughout the Belle Meade historic site there is a concerted effort to reconcile the history of this plantation and tell its story through varying perspectives. Today, the Belle Meade Plantation is operated as museum, winery, restaurant, and wedding venue. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.

Capitol Records Building in Hollywood, California

A few visuals of the iconic Capitol Records Building in Hollywood, California.

 

A Vintage Trailer in the Middle of the Desert

Last summer, as principal photography on my documentary wrapped, I decided to escape to the desert for a few weeks to clear my head and get in some overdue road trip travel shoots. I found an eco-trailer for rent outside of Joshua Tree National Park in California and quickly recognized that it was exactly the kind of experience I was looking for. 

The trailer itself was a vintage Shasta kitted-out in a nostalgic western motif. It was permanently fitted in place with a deck, solar panels providing added shade, and a recycled water system. In addition to its proximity to the national park, what really made the trailer a standout was how secluded it was. It was close enough to civilization for a grocery run, but far enough out that I felt no shame about taking a cowboy bath on the deck each night while watching the sun go down.

It was so secluded, in fact, I was woken up one night by coyotes passing through and then howling right from the stoop next to the deck. It was all pretty surreal, to be honest; the solitude, the heat, and the stark views made it easy to clear my head. The aesthetic was like something out of a movie to begin with, which I think just played into the desert narrative I was inventing through the shoots I was busy with during the days. 

Frankly, there's a lot to appreciate about old school simplicity.