I used to be a writer, and the best thing about it was that there was no expectation; I wrote, and no one expected anything. It was private work—messy drafts, late-night notes, parcels of thought I could toss out or keep without explanation. That freedom is the engine of getting better: you try things that look stupid on the page, you fail fast, and you learn what’s worth rescuing. There’s a calm in knowing nobody’s billing you for your honest mistakes.
Author Archives: Shawn E. Bell
AB 1804 cements the California State Library Parks Pass so Californians can borrow a day-use pass like a book and get outside.
Legislation has been introduced in the Assembly that matters if you like getting out of town and into wild places. California’s library-based parks pass — the program that lets a library card check you into a state park with a vehicle day-use pass — has been wildly popular, and AB 1804 is the push to stop it from wobbling on short-term budget choices.
A wet winter and early storms left enough water in the ground that wildflowers are erupting across the state.
At the Carrizo Plain National Monument, the first swaths of yellow and orange are up on the lower slopes of the Temblor Mountains. A wet winter and an early warm spell have moved the bloom ahead of schedule — the carpet of color can appear almost overnight and be gone within weeks. Plan on getting there early. Pay attention to the weather. Don’t be afraid to turn back if the weather changes, the roads are jammed, or the area is too crowded.
What a great way to start my day!
Just heard a shout-out on National Review’s Radio Free California podcast today. Hosts Will Swaim and David Bahnsen mentioned me – ME! – and my book series, California Historic Landmarks – North, Central, and South!
How AWESOME is that?
HUGE thanks to Will, David, and the whole crew behind one of the BEST shows about all things California (and USC Football … for some reason).
Make sure you listen to this and EVERY episode (it’s a weekly): Radio Free California
Oh — and BUY MY BOOKS! They’re famous now!
United States District Court Orders OHV Route Closures in the West Mojave Desert
A federal judge has handed down a decision that will reshape how we use some of the Mojave’s most familiar dirt.
A January 2026 ruling against the Bureau of Land Management requires the closure of up to 2,200 miles of off-highway vehicle routes inside designated Desert Tortoise Critical Habitat unless and until the BLM completes a new route designation plan. The closures could begin as soon as March 2026. There are many hard conversations ahead.