TRVL Journal: Journey Through California
Travel
TRVL Journal: Journey Through California
2025 / 5 mins
by Morgan Maassen
Growing up, the world, my world, felt so small, limited to my school, the creek I’d play in, the beach I learned to surf at, my friend group’s coveted skateboarding spots (it was the school we went to, just at night or on the weekend). I was always taken by art, and somehow found myself pursuing cameras in my late teens, which opened up the entire globe for exploration and adventure. I’ve cris-crossed all of the continents, bouncing from tundra to desert, jungle to coral reefs, running across cities and freediving with whales and sharks. But with each journey outward that I exact, I return home to California with both a greater calm and appreciation for this great state. My peaceful corner, sleepy Santa Barbara, is still as quiet and serene as my childhood memories, with spacious mountains and sprawling beaches, mellow coffee shops and swaying kelp forests. It is paradise, both in the comfort it provides, and the beauty it holds.
The compounding affect of California’s majesty, is its size. When I do grow antsy, keen for new subjects to document or nature to explore, all it takes is pointing myself in any direction and heading out the door. The people that California both attracts and fosters, are people who love to do and create. We have every type of nature here, something that invokes so much unique passion from each and every person I meet. Swinging my lens towards my backyard, I am in awe of just how magnificent it is here.
When people ask me what the best part of California is, I always say “Big Sur” without missing a beat. It’s impossible to capture or describe in just one picture, so I love to show a photo of where the drive begins and encourage people to begin their journey here.
Olivia Noceda is a chef, polar bear plunger, and dog mum. Spending time with her in San Francisco was fascinating as she clued me into not just her favorite coffee spots, but her lifestyle, which is that of a modern content creator who lives in a century-old apartment, and spends almost all her free time walking through empty woodlands and swimming at the beach – just a stone’s throw from her downtown house.
Olivia rewards you with her incredible cooking, at the cost of swimming in the miserably-cold water of San Francisco. Joining her on this intense part of her daily routine, was so inspiring as to see how someone could live so vibrantly in the heart of a city.
A couple of wrong turns and lonely stretches through the desert delivered me to the mountains near Joshua Tree, where I met Dylan Efron. Dylan lives in Los Angeles but is rarely home. Instead, he is always exploring out of his camper van, scouring the landscape for beaches, hiking, climbing, and new landscapes to set up camp.
Dylan’s hobbies transcend almost every discipline of being outdoors, and in this case, balance and heights as well. Watching him set up this line and walk across it was incredible, and a testament to how his love for the outdoors has only grown with time.
Rob Machado is a legendary professional surfer, whose contributions to the sport are endless. Rob is quiet, kind, and humble, but he has a hard time keeping still. As he is focused on raising his family in Cardiff, it’s fascinating to watch him throw all of his weight into shaping surfboards, surfing as stylish as ever at his local haunts, and relishing simple pleasures like local hikes and coaching his son’s baseball team.
Its always an honor to point my lens at someone like Rob, who I grew up worshipping for his surfing. My childhood bedroom’s walls were covered in posters and magazine tear-outs of him surfing around the world, inspiring me endlessly. In getting to know him across trips abroad and time at home, maybe the only thing more gratifying than watching him surf in person is confirming he is as amazing of a soul, as he is a surfer.
I won’t lie, I often come back from my work and travel tired, my creativity drained. But all it takes is one look out the window and I realize my fortune of being able to combine my love of the outdoors and documenting what inspires me. A winter day like this, cold and crisp with swell filling into the harbor, means that the surf may not be worth leaving home for, but the backwash off the breakwater creates kaleidoscopic patterns I’ve dreamt of documenting in slow motion since I was a kid learning how to surf here.
Beyond my own pursuit into the outdoors, is sharing it with others. And to combine friendship with cameras, is a home-run for me. I love exploring California and sharing photography with my dear friend Hayden Garfield, a young cameraman from my neighborhood in Santa Barbara. He is where I was a decade ago, hungry as ever and with a youthful creativity that makes long drives and cold mornings worth every sunrise.
California’s weather is as reliable as a Swiss watch. We have dry, sunny days about 350 days out of the year, with breathtaking sunsets every evening on the dot. I will forever be grateful this is where I learned to surf, then photograph, and continues to be the backdrop of where I spend all of my free time.
Written and Photographed by Morgan Maassen
Favorite Hikes/Mountains/Snow
Santa Barbara – Mcenemy trail to the water tower
June Mountain – skiing and proximity to the lake
Mt. Tam – a breathtaking series of trails just outside of San Francisco
Favorite Surfing/Beaches
Malibu – whether I’m surfing, photographing, or people watching… it’s the best.
Rincon – my local haunt and one of the epicenters of surfing.
Point Reyes – one of the most beautiful beaches the world over
Favorite urban destinations
Madrona – incredible coffee & bakery in Mill Valley, a precious community in SF
Scout Coffee – superb coffee and hangout spots in San Luis Obispo
Handlebar coffee – my go-to in Santa Barbara
Sama Sama – my favorite restaurant in my home town, Indonesian fusion
Little Fatty – delicious Taiwanese food in Venice/Mar Vista
Rose Hill Purveyors – a sweet and simple coffee shop before surfing in Encinitas