Patrick Coston's web site: Driving Across America

Photo Album

Map of where I've been so far.

Burning Man Pictures:

Baptism by urination - a minute after I stepped out of my truck at Burning Man, I was peed on.
Parade at Burning Man complete with naked people
Car on fire! No problem ... my hands were cold anyway. Anyone got any wood to throw on the fire?
There aren't many rules at Burning Man but one of them is: Only artists can burn their artwork. Saturday night there must have been a dozen artworks burning at the same time. I'm talking pieces of art that are like 50 feet wide and 20 to 50 feet high.
The Man just about to be burned
I walked 25 minutes out into the dessert to see what this was: Wall of TV Sets blaring Techno music
The Man is Torched!
Need a better view of the fire? No problem ... just climb on the art
The Man wasn't the only thing shooting flames
Dozens of flame jugglers surrounded the Burning Man
The burned car the day after
What am I going to do with all of these lamp shades
A bike with a view
This guy was serving up flaming potato chips from the remains of the Burning Man
Look out! Dust Devil!
Cough! Cough! Cough!
Art which tells you which way the wind is blowing
Let's hang out in the art
Are you looking at me?
Dancing went on non-stop! It could be 6 am and all you'd have to do is follow your ears and you'd find people dancing.
Your bike wasn't cool unless you turned it into a piece of art
It sure does get hot during the day! I'm glad we don't need clothes.
People got around in the most interesting ways. Here's a couple in a raft. Another guy hand a huge comfy chair he was driving around. This other guy was driving his car from a tower 20 feet above the car. I saw a canoe drive by with three beautiful naked girls. I could go on, but I'd have to fill the page.
Dancing with glow
Mr. Mega Volt!! Fun with Tesla coils! This was one of the most amazing performances I've ever seen.
Dancing with road flares as sparklers
One way to help you find your tent at night is to make it glow very brightly
This girl was definitely high on something. She kept rolling around the trampoline and was fascinated by this inflatable chair.
What the is this? It's art! There wasn't much going on when I took this picture, but a few hours later, a truck pulled up and starting blaring some techno-music and this area turned into a hopping dance party.
If you wanted to show your breasts but not your face, this was your chance. Unfortunately there was nobody using this booth when I passed it.
There was a lot of undercover security who would blow their cover the minute their walkie-talkie's went off. I was jealous of this guys off-road rollerblades. That would have been my preferred method of transportation.
If you forgot your bike, you could always hop a ride with your buddy.
I asked these people if I could photograph their version of a bowling alley. They said "sure" but insisted they put on a spanking show at the same time.
Yet another unique way to get around
This guy was walking around the main tent announcing he was the Coffee Slut. He didn't work there and yet he was assisting customers get into the proper line if you didn't want a latte. He was one of many people that floated around talking to everybody.
I'm not sure how the driver of this vehicle could see where he was going.
One of many dance parties on the playa during the day. This piece of artwork had been crying fire the night before.
This guy was dead to the world. He's taking advantage of some of the comfortable rugs made available at the town center. He was probably out partying until early in the morning. A lot of people slept in the town center. It was a cool (temperature) place with plenty of comfortable places to deposit your body onto.
Here is a good shot of the inside of the town center
One trend in dress was to look like you stepped out of the movie The Road Warrior.
Here is the full picture with that guy who peed on me. Notice they like to give the finger to all photographers ... with a smile on their face so you know that's just their way of saying "hi"
Anyone for chess?
Another common trend in dress was for guys to dress in drag. Riding your little sisters bike was also a cool thing to do.
Yet another trend of dress was to look like a clown

On the road:

My laptop in my truck helping me navigate and listen to music (MP3s)
Dangerous Detour: - I learned what happens when you follow computer-generated instructions exactly. I'm driving next to a cliff with no railing. The drop is at least 100 feet.
$25 per night Motel and Casino in Nevada
Close Encounters of the Third Kind - doesn't this scene remind you of the poster for that movie?
Stapled $1 to the ceiling in this biker bar in Nevada
Everyone was staring at me for a while in this biker bar. I was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and stood out. The ceiling is covered in one-dollar bills.
Trucks racing by me on the highway as the sun sets
You know that you're not in a good part of town when an entire wall is taken filled with cigarettes and alchohol at your local convenient store.
Strange bunny rabbit
A long time local of the town Chlorine. She's 74. No wait, 75, no wait, 76.
Getting my e-mail while at a scenic overlook. For some odd reason, I got a digital signal at this one spot, but not 30 minutes before or after. Weird but convenient!
My compass is duct taped to my dash. It has really helped me navigate this trip.
Windmills that remind of windmills in SimCity 2000
Clouds before the storm
I'm told that this saloon was in the movie Universal Soldier.

Hoover Dam:

Hoover Dam from above and behind. Those 4 things sticking out of the water are intake towers. They're about 300 feet high but you can only see the tops.
Generators at Hoover Dam. The ones with lights on are the ones that are currently producing electricity. The purpose of the Dam is not to produce electricity. The purpose of the Dam is to control the flow of water into California. The electricity is merely a bi-product.
Looking up at the Hoover Dam from the bottom

Las Vegas

You know that you're in Vegas when even the 7-11's have slot-machines

Grand Canyon:

Meteor Crater:

Arcosanti:

Biosphere 2: