Issue #229: Secret Beaches, Sneaky Camping, and My Trip Up the California Coast

In it for the adventure.

📚 Scavengers by Kathleen Boland: When Bea is fired from her lucrative finance job in New York, she books a one-way ticket to Utah to stay with her mother, who, it turns out, is deep in a scavenger hunt to unearth a million-dollar treasure. Things go, as you might expect, off the rails, with a vibrant cast of characters set against the vividly portrayed desert.

🎥 ‘Is This Thing On?’ in theaters: When Alex (Will Arnett) wanders into an open mic comedy night, he doesn’t flop, but instead breaks into a monologue about his divorce, that turns out to be a hit, and provides solace amidst his breakup from his wife of twenty years (played by Laura Dern). A sweet, low-stakes divorce dramedy, with some unexpected cameos.

📺 “The Pitt,” Season 2: All I can say is, I am so happy to have Dr. Robby back, in the second season of one of my favorite shows of 2025. This season takes place on July 4th, in hour-long increments that document the final day before Dr. Robby’s three-month sabbatical, with two new medical students in rotation. Can’t wait to see where they take this season!

Don’t @ me for saying Cali, “California” didn’t fit!

Very little about my December trip up the California coast went as planned. I shifted plans around, braked for fruit stands, took a forty-mile detour to camp at a beach that felt like a secret, and sneaky camped in Monterey. I kept thinking, as I drove up the PCH blasting music inspired by the same landscapes, spent time with friends, and bit into a persimmon like an apple, how much the sunshine felt like a balm. As many of you know, this trip ended with an injury (which I somehow had the wherewithal to document as it happened), but the trip leading up to that moment was so, so sweet. Watch the full vlog below and read on for highlights, photos, and favorite stops on my drive from Malibu to Big Sur, including:

• Favorite, low-effort meals for a van or any small space

• Arguably the best burger in Southern California

• Why it felt so emotional to return to Big Sur

• And so much more!