More and more people are hitting the road to the middle of nowhere. Along less-traveled paths they are heading up mountains and down dunes in converted mobile homes, campers, trucks, or vans. They are enjoying the drive and the view through mud-splattered windshields as much as the stops and evening campfires amid stunning terrain. Although many of us love living in cities, we have a growing longing to escape into nature. The outdoor scene is booming and many people are heading off to discover it with their own converted vehicles. This way, they can determine their own routes, itineraries, and pace, as well as how many challenges they’d like to meet along the way. After a day on the go, these multifunctional vehicles also serve as kitchens, campgrounds, and sleeping quarters that offer a great deal more improvised fun than a standard, perfectly equipped RV. Conventional luxuries are eschewed for the sake of greater freedom, tranquility, and adventure. Off the Road captures the special mood of such trips by solo travelers, couples, or families who are seeking an alternative to a more standard vacation or want to live their lives differently ―at least for a while. On the one hand, the book shows how familiar models, such as VW buses, Land Rovers, jeeps, and Toyotas are being rediscovered and repurposed for these exploits. On the other, it presents automotive dreams turned into customized, homey vehicles that offer tailgate breakfasts or roof beds to better admire the stars and that can, in an emergency, cross a river or drag a fallen tree from the road. Whether exploring the desert, showing children the world, or navigating polar landscapes, the journeys collected in Off the Road are as unique as the people who take them. From radical escapists to fans of nature looking for their next trip, the book celebrates the joy of being on the go on four wheels.
Critically acclaimed as”the best movie about racing ever made”
THE SPEED MERCHANTS is the story of the 1972 manufacturer’s Championship Series as told by drivers Mario Andretti (Ferrari 312P) and Vic Elford (Alfa Romeo T33TT/3). The film takes you behind the scenes at Daytona, Sebring, the Targa Florio, the Nurburgring, Le Mans and Watkins Glen, focusing on Mario and Vic, as well as Jacky Ickx, Helmut Marko, and Brian Redman. You visit with the drivers at their homes in France, Belgium, Austria and England where they relax with their families between races. Woven into the film is rare footage of both the Ferrari and Alfa Romeo factories where the cars are prepared before each race. Backed by an original musical score, THE SPEED MERCHANTS gives an unforgettable look at a year in the life of the international racing circuit.
Of all the Mexican land grant ranchos in California, only Rancho Boca de Santa Monica and Rancho San Vicente could lay claim to a treasured territory that included the most beautiful shore in North America, Santa Monica Beach. When the land grant Rancho Boca de Santa Monica was awarded to Francisco Marquez and Ysidro Reyes in 1839, little did their families imagine that the sand separating their land from the waters of the Pacific would become one of the most famous beaches in the world, now visited by millions of visitors each year. The Marquez-Reyes union helped define the history of Santa Monica Beach. Now, one of their own descendants has documented that rich and romantic past. Noted Southern California historian and photo archivist Ernest Marquez grew up in Santa Monica Canyon, swam the Pacific waters at the heels of Olympian Buster Crabbe, and snacked on the watercress that grew in the canyon’s creek. As the years passed, he watched what had been known as the Roosevelt Highway become the Pacific Coast Highway, and Hollywood stars build homes along what ultimately would be referred to as the “Gold Coast.” Over the past several decades Marquez has collected both images and information that together define the history of this magnificent beach. Now, with dramatic images by Carleton E. Watkins, H.F. Rile, Valentin Wolfenstein and many more, Marquez’s Santa Monica Beach: A Collector’s Pictorial History is destined to become not only the definitive biography, but also the most beautiful and authoritative record of an American treasure.
