Episodes

  • Joshua Tree Music Festival with Barnett English
    Oct 1 2024
    In this conversation, Barnett English shares his journey from a music enthusiast to the founder of the Joshua Tree Music Festival. He discusses the unique aspects of his festival, including its intimate atmosphere, focus on emerging artists, and family-friendly environment. Barnett also addresses the challenges faced by the festival industry, especially in the wake of recent cancellations, and emphasizes the importance of shared experiences among attendees. The festival's diverse activities and workshops, along with its camping accommodations, contribute to a holistic experience for festival-goers. Vist the Website HERE Instagram HERE Follow The Highway 62 Instagram HERE Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Barnett English and the Joshua Tree Music Festival 03:05 Barnett's Journey into Music Festivals 05:58 The Unique Experience of Smaller Festivals 08:47 Artist Selection and Festival Philosophy 12:02 Challenges in the Festival Industry 15:03 The Importance of Shared Experiences 17:57 Family-Friendly Atmosphere at the Festival 20:56 Workshops and Activities Beyond Music 24:03 Logistics of Running a Biannual Festival 27:03 Camping and Accommodations at the Festival 29:55 Final Thoughts and Festival Highlights Barnett English (00:00.269) Yeah, it wouldn't be my first time. Danny (00:01.914) And so here we go. All right, Barnett English. Thank you so much for joining me here on the Highway 62 podcast. How are you today? Barnett English (00:12.377) Fabulous, best day of my life. Thanks for asking. Yeah. Danny (00:14.235) Every day, right? I love the background there. You got some really cool artwork going behind you. that you in the home office or? Barnett English (00:19.374) Hmm Yeah, world headquarters. It's our only headquarters. Yeah, yeah, some killer photos that friends have taken and trinkets and books. Things that inspire. Danny (00:33.838) Wonderful. Excellent. You are the founder, the creator of the Joshua Tree Music Festival. And I want to talk all about that and, you know, what's in store for this year. But first, I'd like to hear a little bit about your background prior to that and kind of how you found your way into starting a music festival. Barnett English (00:57.351) Yeah, that's a good question. Gosh, I've been a music junkie my whole life. So I started collecting albums when I was 10 years old. I'd get split albums with my brother and it Sears and Roebuck back in Louisville, Kentucky for five bucks an album. And then made hundreds and hundreds of mixed tapes and spent a really stupid amount of my earnings in my whole life on. Danny (01:12.044) Yeah. Barnett English (01:25.927) on records and CDs. So I've always loved music and then started a coffee business back in 93. Started selling coffee at music festivals. And so now 30 years later, I've been to over 1200 music festivals selling coffee. And the first one I went to back in 95, I saw some of my favorite bands and met these friends, people that are still friends today and had the most amazing time. Danny (01:34.815) okay. Barnett English (01:51.656) I walked away from that one going, you know, that's all I want to ever do is be at a music festival. This is, this is it. This has got it all, you know? And so here we are 30 years later and I'm still doing it. So I was going to coffee, selling coffee at these festivals. And then on a whim, I came to Joshua tree to the campground on Sun Fair road, the Joshua tree Lake campground, where we have the festival. There was a small didgeridoo gathering there. And so I came to sell coffee there and I drove in in the middle of the night and didn't see a thing and woke up in the morning and looked out and went, holy smokes, look at this view, know, looking at the national park and, you know, stars all, blinding stars at night. And then, so I mentioned to the folks that own the campground, said, hey, Sally, why don't you have a real music festival here, you know? And more than just didgeridoos, nothing against didgeridoos, but there are more instruments. Danny (02:29.23) Yeah. Danny (02:45.913) You should. Barnett English (02:47.689) So she said, you know, gosh, if you're so smart, why don't you do it yourself? And so she dared me. And so within six months, I'd moved to Joshua Tree, found a home and had our first music festival. And that was April of, April 9 through 11 of 2003, we had our first one. So, so I just fell in love with Joshua Tree instantly. Danny (03:05.324) Wow. Danny (03:09.579) It's, know, as you know, from just a little bit of, you know, chatting we had done, I'm a musician myself, so I'm used to, you know, from that musician side of going to big music festivals as a musician. You know, I've played Reading and Leeds and I just got back this weekend, this last weekend, we played Riot Fest in Chicago, which is a huge music festival. And I guess from my standpoint, when you say like, Barnett English (03:23.506) Yeah. Barnett English (03:32.349) Right. Danny (03:37.741) All she ...
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    29 mins
  • 29 Palms Queer Film Festival
    Sep 10 2024
    Summary Graham Kolbeins and Jonathan Andre Culliton, founders of the 29 Queer Film Fest, discuss their backgrounds as filmmakers and the inspiration behind the festival. They talk about the films being showcased, including world premieres and queer horror shorts. The festival is designed to create a space for queer stories and foster the filmmaking community in the high desert area. They also discuss the acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community in the area and the support they have received from local businesses and organizations. Visit the webiste HERE Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 04:10 Inception of the 29 Queer Film Fest 06:01 Film Highlights and Gala Events 08:35 Festival Schedule and Venues 11:31 Attending the Film Fest: Tips for Newcomers 13:46 Future Plans and Fostering the Filmmaking Community 15:01 Acceptance and Support in the High Desert 17:28 Closing Remarks and Event Details Danny (00:01.779) All right, Graham Cole Beans and Jonathan Andre Coliton. Coliton, thanks for being on the Highway 62 podcast. How are you guys today? Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (00:02.208) Yeah. Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (00:10.902) Thank you for having us. great. Yeah, we're doing good. Danny (00:16.915) Awesome. And you guys are the founders, right, of the first ever inaugural 29 Queer Film Fest that's happening in September the 20th and 22nd. Before we get into a little bit about the actual Film Fest and kind of what it's all about, give me just a brief little background on each of you. Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (00:24.214) Thank Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (00:40.758) Sure. So we're both filmmakers and I'll just start talking about myself. I'm mostly a documentary filmmaker though I've recently started doing some narrative filmmaking. I shot a short film here in 29 Palms in June called Outage that I'm currently in post -production on. Danny (00:50.707) Ha Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (01:07.688) I'm pretty deeply involved in film and when we came out here... Can I roll that back a little bit? Okay, great, I just lost my train of thought. Sorry. Yeah, so I'm a filmmaker, a videographer. Danny (01:20.669) Sure. I can edit anything too, it's fine. Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (01:33.654) and I'm a queer person in 29 palms and those all informed co -founding this festival. I'm also... Sorry? Where are you originally from? I was born in Vancouver, Canada. Danny (01:43.315) Where are you originally from? Danny (01:48.648) Where are you originally from? Danny (01:53.467) Okay. Right on. I love Vancouver. I was just, I was just in, I've been to Canada a lot lately. I was in Toronto last weekend and the weekend before I was in Edmonton. So I spent a lot of time in the Kenyatta. Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (01:57.504) Yeah, that's a great place. Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (02:06.143) I'm cool. Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (02:10.142) Nice. What were you doing in Toronto? Danny (02:13.043) I play in a band, so we're playing some festivals up there. But yeah, we do a lot of Canadian shows. Graham, what about you? Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (02:16.319) Awesome. Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (02:21.11) me? You mean Jonathan, yes. That's okay. No, I'm a born and bred Bostonian with all the details. But yeah, I'm also a filmmaker. Currently I'm rolling out a couple of films. Danny (02:24.967) Jonathan, I'm sorry, your buys are both Canadian. Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (02:43.542) Spookable which played at the Maryland Film Festival in frame 48 and is about to play at Prism 37. And then I have Will It Justice Drag Queen Private Eye which is showing, both of those films are showing actually at the 29 Queer Film Festival and that film stars Lady Shalane who is the premier high desert drag queen of our current timeline. Danny (03:12.083) Yeah, Yeah, she was one of my first guests on the podcast, like second or third episode ever. Right on. How did you guys how did you guys end up settling in the 29 Palms area? Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (03:13.462) Amazing. She's really special. Yeah, so I moved out here four years ago from Los Angeles. It was during the pandemic. I had lost work and I had always wanted to move to the high desert but never really thought that it was feasible. But in that moment an opportunity became available. A friend said, hey, I have a cabin that just opened up and I moved into that cabin in July 2020. And I've just loved living here ever since. Yeah, and then I followed Graham because I fell in love with them so I just followed. I just came out here to be closer to them. Danny (04:01.949) Right on. Danny (04:10.449) Very nice, very nice. So tell me about kind of the inception and the idea and how it came to be that you put this film festival together. Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (04:20.438) Yeah, well ...
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    19 mins
  • Patrick Hasson -Joshua Tree Artist
    Aug 27 2024
    Summary Patrick Hasson shares his journey from being a filmmaker to becoming a full-time artist. He talks about the frustrations of the film industry and how it led him to seek a change. He bought a house in Joshua Tree and transformed it into a colorful, vibrant space, which he rented out on Airbnb. This sparked his interest in painting, and he started creating abstract art using a dripping technique. He eventually ventured into portrait painting, focusing on desert rock musicians. Patrick Hasson is an artist who specializes in creating vibrant and unique portraits using a drip technique. He shares how he discovered this technique and how it has become his signature style. Patrick also talks about his series called Desert Dudes, where he painted portraits of desert rock musicians, and how it led to his first art show. He discusses the challenges he faced during the pandemic and his upcoming series called 1969, which pays homage to classic rock musicians. Patrick invites listeners to his upcoming art show and shares his journey as an artist. Patrick's Contact Instagram Here Patrick's link tree with all the important details about upcoming shows HERE Danny (00:01.369) All right, Patrick Hassan, welcome to the Highway 62 podcast. Thanks so much for taking some time out. How's everything going today? Patrick Hasson (00:10.988) Doing okay, man. It's getting a little cooler in the desert, so things are good. Danny (00:12.716) Awesome. Yes Yeah, I actually I'm down in Irvine for the summer here, but I was home Day before yesterday came came home for a day to check on the house and all that good stuff and definitely it was starting to feel a little bit better so looking forward to Looking forward to that. So you've got a great art show coming up that we are going to talk a little bit about but you've got a great story on you know, how you became a full -time artist and I want to hear all about that stuff. give us the, you know, the dime store tour. Patrick Hasson (00:49.57) Okay, I was a independent filmmaker for about 20 years from the East Coast. Eventually, like most people, made my way to LA 2002. Did, you know, did some films that I wrote and directed. I did a little comedy called Waiting, a horror film called Bloodshed, did some documentaries, but long story short, That's a tough business as anybody who's been in it. I think for me the most frustrating part of the world of film is film's a very expensive medium. And because of that, you usually need a lot of people to come on board, especially producers. So, you know, unless you're Quentin Tarantino, what happens is the art you're trying to make always gets compromised and Danny (01:46.072) Yeah. Patrick Hasson (01:47.084) Which is fine, but what happens, you know, as the budgets start to get bigger and the last film I did had a two million dollar budget, which was really cool, but the producer really kinda came on in the editing process and it just, it destroyed the film, so that was happening with me, you know, very frustrated with that world and I was an alcoholic and pretty... Danny (02:04.92) Mm Patrick Hasson (02:16.31) pretty bad drug addicts, it was kind of this perfect circle of wasn't happy with filmmaking, my life was out of control, and then there was a period there where I just, know, most of the times I would freelance as an editor to make money. At that time, I was editing adult films. I had cut for Digital Playground, Playboy, blah, blah, which is kind of a mind fuck, you know, like. Danny (02:32.014) Mm -hmm. Patrick Hasson (02:45.41) You know, some people hear that and they're like, that must be wonderful. And I'm like, trust me, there are things that you do not want to see eight hours a day, five days a week. So I just kind of felt it. Danny (02:57.293) Well, plus the amazing dialogue you've got to work around when you're editing. Patrick Hasson (03:01.557) my god. I mean, I actually shot a documentary about that world, which was cool, but I just, was done, so I checked into a rehab 2014 and I got out, you I was living in a shitty apartment in LA and I had somehow bought a house in Joshua Tree. I bought a little drug house. Danny (03:10.488) Yeah. Patrick Hasson (03:31.906) for 73 grand and the whole reason I started coming to Joshua Tree to kind of turn the story back is when I got to LA 2002 I'm reading the LA Weekly and on the cover was it was Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri from the Stone Age and I was like huh who's this? So I knew nothing about Desert Rock so always a big music fan read this article and it they talked about you know Chris Goss and Brant Bjork and Danny (03:46.275) Mm -hmm. Sure. Patrick Hasson (04:00.874) Mary O 'Lally and it talked about these generator parties and Kaius and all these desert bands and you know what really got me was like these guys were just kind of doing their own thing you know especially like a Danny (04:09.751) Hmm Danny (04:14.647) Yeah. Yeah, I've actually, I actually played with Nick a ...
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    44 mins
  • Nomadic Ceramics - Grace Alley - Making an impact with your small business
    Aug 13 2024
    Summary Grace Alley, owner of Nomadic Ceramics, shares her journey from corporate America to pursuing her passion for ceramics. She discusses the challenges and rewards of running a small business and the importance of connecting her art with a greater purpose. Grace also talks about her second location in Durango and her plans to create an eco collective. She emphasizes the value of personal interaction and offers classes for those interested in learning ceramics. Takeaways Combining passion with a small business can be challenging but rewarding. Creating an eco collective allows for collaboration and a greater purpose. Personal interaction and connection with customers is important for small businesses. Offering classes can be a way to share knowledge and engage with the community. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:19 Transitioning from Hobby to Career 03:36 Opening a Shop at Art Queen 05:21 The Nomadic Ceramics Experience 07:15 Expanding to a Second Location in Durango 09:05 Creating an Eco Collective 10:27 Balancing Time Between Locations 12:17 Volunteering and Planting Trees in Ghana 13:37 Long-Distance Relationship and Waiting for a Visa 14:42 Durango's Cycling Community 16:22 Website and Online Presence 17:38 Traveling Between Joshua Tree and Durango 19:29 The Rewards and Challenges of Running a Small Business 21:04 Conclusion Instagram HERE visit the webiste HERE Danny (00:00.654) All right, Grace Alley, thank you so much for joining me here on the Highway 62 podcast. How are you today? Grace Alley (00:07.832) I'm good. are you today, Danny? Danny (00:09.453) Doing great. I'm down in Irvine here. I got to fly out Friday to go to Canada for a show for the weekend and staying down here a little bit during the summer just to, you know, enjoy a little bit less heat. So yeah, it's actually been good. So got the pool right out here and just living life. So, you know, you are the owner of Nomadic Ceramics and you have a location in 29 Palms and Grace Alley (00:24.984) Yeah. Yeah. Danny (00:37.152) Yes, also have a second location we're going to talk about in a little bit. But before we get kind of deep into, you know, the shops and what you're doing there and all that stuff, give us a little bit of your background and where you're from and, know, and how you kind of ended up doing what you're doing now. Grace Alley (00:53.269) Okay, yeah, I'm from Colorado. I was born and raised in Golden. group traveling and you know long story short it took me quite a while to graduate college. I kept coming in and out of college and traveling and that's where I first went to Africa and then I ended up in corporate America up in Seattle after college and that's where I started doing ceramics as a hobby. And I always was trying to figure out this balance between my passion and making a living. So I was trying my hand in corporate worlds. And that was a couple of years of a total disaster because I am definitely not meant for a conventional path. And I did everything you're supposed to do wrong times 100 in my corporate life. But luckily that's where it. sort of learned a little bit of business acumen and ceramics was always a hobby and it just sort of took over. I moved from Seattle down to Desert Hot Springs to work in Cannabis Corporate and that didn't work out either. So my hobby became my career, I guess, about a year and seven months ago. Danny (02:19.103) so pretty recent, okay. Grace Alley (02:21.227) It feels, it sounds very reasoned, but so much has happened. But the company I was working for in Desert Hot Springs dissolved and I was like, let me try my hand and see if I could turn this interest of mine, this passion of mine, ceramics, into something I could rely on to make money on. So I wasn't sure what I was gonna do and I just, I came up here and I started doing the pop -up markets at 29 Palms and... Danny (02:25.586) Yeah. Grace Alley (02:48.616) got to know the community really well through that. You're interfacing face to face with people every Saturday morning and you're out there with your ceramics and introducing yourself to the community. So I got to know people that way. It was such a great experience there. Danny (03:01.895) How did you originally get interested or get started doing ceramics? Grace Alley (03:07.134) I took two semesters of it in college and I shouldn't have been allowed in the class. I was an anthropology major and the art department only wants art majors. So I begged the professor to let me in and I said, this may change my life. Please let me in the class. And lo and behold, it did. So now I think I'm doing it for a living. It still hasn't sunk in, but... Danny (03:09.274) Okay. Danny (03:34.842) Hehehehe Grace Alley (03:36.105) The pop -up markets in 29 led to getting a little shop over at Art Queen. And Art Queen's right in the heart of Joshua Tree, as I'm a lot of your viewers and watchers know and listeners know. So I got super, super lucky and super ...
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    22 mins
  • Photographer Rob Hann
    Jun 25 2024
    Rob Han is a photographer known for his landscape and portrait photography. He started his career in fashion and portrait photography but eventually shifted his focus to capturing the American West. Rob finds the landscape and subject matter of the American West appealing because of its romantic and minimalist qualities. He plans his road trips by researching areas of interest and also enjoys stumbling upon unexpected locations. Rob shoots primarily on film and takes a limited number of shots, focusing on capturing the essence of the scene. He reviews his shots after returning home and selects the best ones to develop and edit. Rob recommends specializing in a particular subject or style to develop a unique voice in photography. He sells his prints through his website, galleries, and local shops in Joshua Tree. Visit Rob's webiste HERE Purchase Robs work at Clic Visit Very Very in Twentynine Palms to Purchase Rob's work HERE Chapters 00:00Introduction and Background 02:58Transition to Landscape Photography 08:00Shifting Focus to Portraits and Personal Projects 11:01Thought Process and Approach to Framing Shots 14:53Reviewing and Editing Process 24:04Settling in Joshua Tree and Future Plans 29:01Where to See and Purchase Rob's Work 32:01Conclusion and Farewell Danny (00:03.037) All right, Rob Han, welcome to the Highway 62 podcast. Thanks so much for taking some time out. How are you today? Rob (00:10.414) Great, thanks Danny and thanks for having me on. Danny (00:13.853) My pleasure. I'm a big fan of your work. I actually purchased one of your photographs from Very Very over the Christmas season. So I think I showed that in that Instagram reel, but it's just right up my alley. And so before we get real deep into what you're doing with photography now, give us a little bit of your background. I know you've wore a lot of hats. Rob (00:22.569) you did? cool. Rob (00:27.694) Mm -hmm. Rob (00:43.118) yeah, yeah. So I was born in England, grew up on a farm very close to Stonehenge in the south of England. yeah, I left school at 16. I'd done tons and tons of jobs. You know, I was a firefighter, like every restaurant job. I was a bike messenger. I've been a, I've been like a, a doorman bouncer. I was, Danny (01:00.765) Ha ha ha. Rob (01:12.045) I was a model, which that started when I was already 30 years old. And I did that for about 10 years. But during that period, early on, actually, I was kind of wondering what I could do next. And I was in that world, you know, surrounded by photographers. And I'd also always kind of had an opinion on, I like looking at photographs and kind of developed a taste. Danny (01:17.502) wow. Rob (01:41.132) before I even bought a camera and I bought a camera thinking, well, maybe I could be a photographer, you know, and just sort of just started shooting, shooting friends and sort of went from there. Danny (01:54.772) So, and I was reading a little bit in your bio. So when you first started doing photography, you were doing like portrait photography, is that correct? Rob (02:04.587) Yeah, I was. I, you know, initially because I was in that world, I thought I might kind of do fashion or, but, but then I went to see this big show of Irving Penn that originally was at MoMA in New York. And, but I actually saw it in London and it was just fantastic. You know, I bought the catalog and I just was fascinated by all the portraits that he'd done. And not only were they wonderful pictures, but he'd met all of those people. He spent time with them. And I thought, well, that would be a cool thing to do, you know? And he photographed everyone you could ever think of. And they were beautiful pictures. And so, you know, I kind of went in that direction. I was already, you know, I'd been in that kind of fashion world for a while. And initially it was, you know, it was exciting and it was fun. Danny (02:58.657) Yeah. Rob (03:03.69) but I was getting a little tired of it. And the whole portrait thing seemed like it might be more interesting to me. So that's what I pursued. And after several years of just shooting friends and getting my act together, then I started showing my work to magazine editors, this sort of thing. And I got my first breaks in music. Danny (03:08.993) Yeah. Danny (03:13.825) Gotcha. Rob (03:32.937) In England, there used to be at least this weekly rock paper called NME, the New Musical Express. And when I was growing up, I used to get that, you know, it used to get delivered to the farm like a day late. And I would read every inch of it. And I was just fascinated by that. And so it was cool to actually start shooting for them. And I would shoot, you know, three or four things a week. Danny (03:40.931) Yep. Sure. Yeah. Danny (03:48.867) Ha ha! Rob (04:02.729) for them, a lot of portraits, band pictures. I also had to do live stuff, which wasn't really my thing, but it was fun to go to festivals and that kind of thing. So that was where I really got my ...
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    32 mins
  • The Harmony Motel With Ash Maharaj
    May 15 2024

    Summary

    Ash Maharaj, owner of the Harmony Motel, shares the history and significance of motels and the Harmony Motel in the Joshua Tree area. The motel was built in 1958 and has a mid-century design with a large courtyard and open windows. The name 'Harmony' comes from the musical notes on the sign. The motel gained fame when the band U2 stayed there during the making of their Joshua Tree album. Other notable guests include Snow Patrol and the filming of the movie 'Crazy Beautiful'. Ash Maharaj, originally from South Africa, came to the US in 2000 and decided to stay after the tragic loss of her mother. She purchased the Harmony Motel in 2004 and has been running it successfully for 20 years. Ash, the owner of Harmony Motel, discusses the challenges and rewards of owning a small motel in a small town. She talks about the unique experience of meeting people from all over the world and learning about different cultures. Ash also shares the economic challenges she faced, including the 2008 crash and the rise of Airbnb. Despite the challenges, she appreciates the freedom and flexibility of being her own boss. Ash emphasizes the importance of booking directly through the motel's website to support small businesses.

    Takeaways

    Motels originated in the US as convenient and accessible accommodations along highways.
    The Harmony Motel, built in 1958, has a mid-century design and is known for its musical notes on the sign.
    The motel gained fame when U2 stayed there during the making of their Joshua Tree album.
    Ash Maharaj, the owner of the Harmony Motel, has successfully run the business for 20 years. Owning a small motel allows you to meet people from all over the world and learn about different cultures.
    Running a small business requires constant adaptation to economic challenges, such as market fluctuations and competition.
    Being your own boss provides freedom and flexibility, but also comes with the responsibility of marketing and maintaining the business.
    Booking directly through the motel's website helps support small businesses by avoiding high commissions from third-party booking platforms.

    Harmony Motel Website for Booking

    https://www.harmonymotel.com/

    Instagram

    https://www.instagram.com/harmonymotel/

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    36 mins
  • William Hillyard - Author of " Welcome To Wonder Valley"
    Jan 6 2024

    In this episode I seit down with Author William Hillyard, author of " Welcome To Womder Valley - Ruin And Redemption In An American Galapagos" 

         

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    27 mins
  • Mojave Moon Apothecary Heather Basile
    Dec 5 2023

    In this episode I talk to Heather Basile, owner of The Mojave Moon Apothecary in Twentynine Palms California.

    Check out her shop HERE

     

    Be sure to check out The Highway 62 youtube channel HERE

     

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    23 mins