Halfway between Las Vegas, Nevada and Los Angeles, California is a small town called Baker, California. (Not Bakersfield, mind you; simply Baker). Baker is essentially a rest stop for people on their way elsewhere. It’s about 100 miles from Las Vegas and the closest town to Death Valley. It is known for two things: 1) the world’s largest thermometer, and 2) Being hot as hell. The average temperature in July–average, mind you–is above 110 degrees.

Kristina N. and I were driving from Las Vegas to LA and stopped in Baker to look around. We found Arne’s Royal Hawaiian Motel next to the gas station where we filled up. To this day–and I’ve been there twice–I am not sure if Arne’s Royal Hawaiian Motel is abandoned or not. While the office of the motel looks like it hasn’t been opened since Nixon was in office, people are also obviously staying in the rooms of the motel; we could hear televisions on in the rooms while we were shooting. I loved the look of the sprawled out complex and coaxed Kristina into shooting there as a spur of the moment thing. She was game even though it was 119 degrees outside. We knew this because it’s what the world’s largest thermometer told us.

If you haven’t been in 119 degree weather, let me tell you, it’s a weird feeling. The best way I can describe it is this: you know how you might walk by the exhaust of a building or a bus and instantly think, “I have to move away from this heat.” Well, it’s like that all the time. While shooting, Kristina and I often tried to move, mistakenly thinking that a move would get us out of the heat. It was bizarre.

That said, we got some great images at Arne’s Royal Hawaiian Motel. I absolutely love this shot of Kristina by the four doors. What I find most interesting about this is that the door hinges are on opposite sides. Some of the doors open left to right and others right to left. I’ve never encountered that before.