The Busy Rats

25/04/2018

After a several hour drive on a dirt road in the Mojave National Preserve, we came by some motorcyclists who recommended we take a drive down the trail they just got off of. We were understandably worried our tiny Kia wouldn't make the trip, but they assured us the trail was plenty easy and short for a passenger car.

We headed down the road and came across this little cabin at the head of the Rock Spring Loop. In all directions, nothing but friendly desert fields, and open skies.

We wondered around the cabin for a bit and learned all about the man who spent much of his life here. The house was built by hand by Bert Smith in 1929. Bert survived World War I if just barely. After suffering a poisen gas attack, doctors gave him a short time to live. He decided he wanted to live the rest of his days out in a gorgeous cabin in a place he loved.

This turned out to be the best decision he ever made. Whether it be the healing properties the desert as well as nature itself is known for, or the dry desert air, his breathing improved and he lived another 25 years in this cabin.

Although Bert is long gone now, his Cabin still lives on. When we stumble upon it we doing the doors to be unlocked. We headed on inside and found the cabin to be in surprisingly good condition despite it's age, although it seemed the desert mice have taken it as their own.

We noticed a note sitting just about the fireplace (see second photo) which read:

"I'm two miles west of here and I can see this place with binoculars.

If you're just looking around, that's ok. But I'm tired of fixing damage from attempted break ins. If I catch you at that, I'm going to be hostile

-Carl Faber"

That's when our eyes shot a foot or two to the right and noticed the bullet hole in the glass to the right. Guess you're never as alone as you think in the desert.

Of course we were incredibly respectful, and left nothing but footprints. Still, it was such an awe inspiring experience to find this cabin and learn the tale of Bert Smith's cabin. Goes to show what you can learn when you stray off the beaten path!

@ Mojave National Preserve

16/06/2017

http://www.thebusyrats.com/the-journeyblog/the-palm-springs-aerial-tramway

The Palm Desert creeps up near 110°F mid year, and everyone in their right
mind migrates North to escape the unrelenting summer sun. Even the shop
owners leave town, knowing that the high rollers only come in the winter.
The heat hits you like a tidal wave, and going outside is like trekking ...

02/06/2017

Do you like sorrow? Grime? England during the 1940's? Folk music? 🚂 If so, check out our newest video! We cover and examine "Dirty Old Town" by Ewan MacColl in Huntington Beach.

Here comes episode two of Poems From Places, barreling down the tracks like a rickety old mill-town train. In this video, I cover Ewan MacColl's "Dirty Old Town" and then hack it down with a good, sharp axe by detailing its complex history and conducting a simple analysis. If you'd l

26/05/2017

http://www.thebusyrats.com/the-journeyblog/3-ways-to-shake-the-funk-and-have-fun-this-summer

3 ways we shook off our gloomy, work-weary brains and got them ready for a
travelicious summer!

13/05/2017

The first in a series of literary analysis videos where we take some of our favorite poems and analyze them in places we feel capture the spirit of what we'r...

05/05/2017

http://www.thebusyrats.com/the-journeyblog/7-things-we-learned-last-year-the-busy-rats-first-anniversary

Around this time last year, Andrew and I nervously hit “publish” on our new
amateur travel blog, The Busy Rats. We came into our own as travelers this
year, and felt that the best way to commemorate our blog's first
anniversary would be to share the most important things we learned along
the...

04/05/2017

Joshua Tree is a spectacularly unique destination. Just three hours from the west coast lives a sprawling desert boiling over with hostile temperatures, terrifying heights, misshapen rocks, and a multitude of spindly cacti.

01/05/2017

The Black Forest in Germany: Fairy tale or fairly normal?

28/04/2017

Meeting me hero in Los Angeles. the Mountain Goats Skylight Books

I was able to meet musician, author and my hero, John Darnielle at a local book signing. Sure, we idealize the people we look up to, and it can be easy to see someone as the person you imagine them to be instead of the person they really are. For myself, however, that was a risk I was willing

27/04/2017

In the midst of this eternal hustle I often forget to take a step back and make time for myself. Subsequently, it becomes increasingly difficult to create good content, focus all of my energy in one place, or organize my thoughts. While having a seven-track mind has it’s benefits—one of which

17/03/2017

http://www.thebusyrats.com/the-journeyblog/2016-kia-soul-car-camping

In this week's article, we teach you how we built a comfortable camping
experience, all in the back of my 2016 Kia Soul.

10/03/2017

Big bears require big hugs!! 🐻Read all about my journey to the Black Forest in Germany in the link in the bio!

03/03/2017

Check out our article about our trip to meet John Darnielle, lead singer of the Mountain Goats! 🐐Link in the bio!

14/02/2017

To travel the world together, is to fall in love with both this planet, and the one you're with. Happy Valentine's Day ❤😌

10/02/2017

This week, we had the pleasure of interview , , , and : Chevon Hutchinson about his life in Jamaica. Read on to hear all about picturesque , delicious , 's rich history, and it's welcoming, beautiful people.

This week, we had the pleasure of interviewing Chevon Chevy Chase Hutchinson about his life in Jamaica. Read on to hear all about picturesque sunsets, delicious seafood, Jamaica's rich history, and it's welcoming, beautiful people.

09/02/2017

We had the opportunity to check out 's greatest view & tallest , as well as slide down a 70 stories above the streets. Thanks to Jenine Mobayed Peregrin and Ron Peregrin for getting us the tickets for Christmas as well as Skyslide - OUE Skyspace for offering one of the coolest spots in Los Angeles!

From comfy couches to daredevil opportunities, OUE Skyspace in Los Angeles blew my expectations out of the water. If it wasn’t for our two hour parking validation we would have spent all day up there, and it turns out we could have.

06/02/2017

For Elise Peregrin and Andrew London's 3 year anniversary, they headed out to , the thriving enclave smack dab in the middle of . Don't want to spoil too much, but there were many and even a couple involved!

We have an opportunity to give some very specific advice: Do you ever find yourself thinking, what's the best small-town, Southern Californian, sweet-tooth friendly, historically traditional hot spot for two college-aged romantics with an anniversary to celebrate? I’m not sure what percent of humani...

20/01/2017

Read about 's The Last Bookstore! A flourishing connection to our past in a world of digital reading.
http://www.thebusyrats.com/the-journeyblog/thelastbookstore

Humans have a strange fascination with the concept of being “last.” We document our last words, fear our last moments, and care for items, animals, or sentiments that are the last of their kind. It seems so melancholy and so sobering to think… this is the last time we will ever see each other; the l...

13/01/2017

http://www.thebusyrats.com/the-journeyblog/how-to-get-around-the-world-without-gps

To those born before the age of Google Maps, it’s easy to say, “in my day I
was able to get from Prague to Madrid and I didn’t need any darn
technology!” But many of us have gotten used to the luxury, and those new
to traveling out of the country may not be prepared to leave behind their
cel...

06/01/2017

Road trips are the fruit of life. Picture any beatnik montage you’d like, with black hair whipping in the wind, dirty hands gripping the wheel, and adventure wearing down the pavement. Yeah yeah, we like to romanticize, whatever. So did the beatniks!

05/01/2017

Hey guys! If you like The Busy Rats, you'll love our newest project: Darjeeling Worldwide.

Darjeeling Worldwide was founded to help you find unique and beautiful handmade clothing items from around the world. No longer do you have to travel the world to get a one-of-a-kind addition to your outfit made by a village that has been perfecting the craft for centuries. We curate these unique items from people all around the world who put love and their touch into everything you buy. From Peru to Thailand, Ecuador to India, Bali to Columbia, this world is filled with beautiful people, making beautiful items, we want to share that with you!

If that's something you can get behind, we'd really appreciate if you'd like the page, visit the website, and maybe even buy something if it suits you :)

03/01/2017

http://www.thebusyrats.com/the-journeyblog/ultimate-winter-date-night

We tried to make our own little winter here where the sun shines all year
round. Keep an eye out for hot coco, ice-ball fights, and Richard Nixon.

30/12/2016

Travel can feel paralyzing, and the thought of the leaving your safety blanket of your hometown explore the vast unknown, well, it can make you feel pretty anxious. But I promise you, choosing to avoid traveling the world and succumbing to your fears, rather than facing them is no way to live, espec...

23/12/2016

Just a few weeks ago, we posted an article about our visit to the Ely Cathedral. That article featured a short descriptive prose I wrote for a competition. There was a limit of 800 words (which is way less than it seems for a fan of run-on sentences), and it had to fit the theme Lonely Planet was s...

09/12/2016

While driving to the Kennedy Space Center, I really had no idea what to expect, even after knowing all of the it's historic context. Cape Canaveral played its role in some of the most iconic moments in human history, from the brave few that landed on Earth’s Moon, to the national tragedy of the Chal...

25/11/2016

We recently had the pleasure of witnessing the Wiener Dog Races at Old World Huntington Beach!

'Tis the season for lederhosen, beer, and bratwurst, but more than anything, 'tis the season for the spectacular tradition of wiener dog races.

11/11/2016

http://www.thebusyrats.com/the-journeyblog/dia-de-los-muertos-2016

Nearly three-thousand years ago on November first, a holiday later coined
the Day of the Dead (or Dia De Los Mu***os) originated in Mexico. This
event was not meant to scare the living crap out of your friends, but to
celebrate those who have passed over with beautiful altars, offerings, and ...

02/11/2016

Get one of our new A-Z Travel Tees now for sale on TheBusyRats.Store!

Every purchase supports charity!

Sustainable travel t-shirts, TBR merchandise, and art by The Busy Rats themselves, all while helping the world become a better place. 10% of donations go to The Foundation To Decrease World Suck.