In what is suddenly becoming tradition, we visited our good friends Lexi and Thom at their infamous lake house in Belchertown, Massachusetts during 4th of July weekend. On Saturday, we had a chance to visit their farm share where we hand-picked fresh vegetables and cut wild flowers.

Grab a basket. Make yourself a fresh cup of coffee.

“I’m not afraid to walk hand in hand
I think we were made to lie in the sand
Decadently by the sea, under the sun”

-from “Lovers from the Moon” by Stephin Merrit.

I love car culture. After being without wheels for my first few years in New York City, I took matters into my own hands and bought a good friend’s used Volvo 850. It’s crappy enough that I can park it anywhere on the streets and not worry about it and at the same time as durable as any piece of machine I’ve ever owned. I love it more than any material thing I possess. (Well, except maybe for my Canon 5D).

Having a car in New York City allows me to bring back some of the most cherished elements of my Los Angeles childhood. Just the comfort of knowing there’s a beach 15 minutes away is a wonderful thing to wake up to every morning. And of course, the ability to jump behind the wheels (and in my mind’s eye, I never settle for anything less than jump) and get the fuck out of town at the whistle’s call.

The following are some photographs from last weekend’s escape to Cape Cod, Massachusetts — which, until then, was one of the few unexplored outings in my many New England jaunts.

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