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MY NAME IS KIRSTEN

I’m a travel photographer based in Los Angeles! I’ve worked in more than 50 countries on 6 continents but I’m not done traveling yet. The biggest passion that drives me is using my skills to tell visual stories that are socially conscious and environmentally responsible. Learn more…

Whether he is an artist or not, the photographer is a joyous sensualist, for the simple reason that the eye traffics in feelings, not in thoughts.

– WALKER EVANS

Instagram Kirsten Alana

Follow my daily posts to see where I am and what I’m currently working on! I also provide travel tips and historical details in my captions so you can use my feed like your own personal guide book.

For my visit to Sonoma, I wanted to support a lot

For my visit to Sonoma, I wanted to support a lot of small businesses and particularly, BIPOC-owned small businesses. I was going to eat or drink at a different one for every meal and spread the love as far as possible. Not all of the ones I had bookmarked were open or open when I could visit. That’s the way it goes sometimes and even more so in 2020 when for safety reasons things can change multiple times in a week. But I still want to share all the ones I had on my list, tagged in my photo if they have IG, so you’re aware for when you can visit and so they’re supported at least in some way. And I want to thank @sonomacounty for having their own blog post about all the Black-owned businesses to be customers of in the area. That’s the type of article I’d like to see from more tourism organizations. As I’ve said before they’re a DSO not a DMO and that distinction is apparent once you start to look for it.
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Speaking of stewardship, it was easy to find plenty of places to enjoy nature in Sonoma County. From rocky coastline to wide open fields glowing at sunrise to rolling hills to dense Redwood forests, I had my fill of nature and then some. And I didn’t have to share it with crowds of trail runners like the canyon outside our door in Los Angeles. Nature has no business hours and orgs like @sonomalandtrust are working to ensure it is protected in Northern California. But would that even be needed if humanity had adopted the mindset Indigenous people have always had? This is what I wonder. In fact, studies are suggesting that we wouldn’t even have the annual wildfire season we have if forestry took an Indigenous approach. I still need to read/learn more before I feel confident going into detail. But in that vein, I want to acknowledge that according to native-land.ca when I visited Sonoma, I was on the land of the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo.
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Are there any questions I can answer about road tripping Sonoma? Are you planning any California road trips in the future?
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#visitcalifornia #sonomacounty #lifeopensup #travelkindly #visitsonoma

I VOTE for more pool days and more international t

I VOTE for more pool days and more international travel in the future 🙋‍♀️😍🤣
.
.
.
just the mere thought of both keep me going sometimes. In the meantime, I am beyond grateful for the travel experiences that I was able to have pre-2020 — and the ones I am very slowly easing back into having now, like my recent stay at [health precautions included] @thesandmanhotel and the ability to be a @kindtraveler in Sonoma. Thanks to @sonomacounty for providing this photo. 🏊‍♀️ 💦 I don’t have a drone but it’s images like this one that sure make me want to buy one! 😻
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Speaking of VOTING, if you’re in the USA, are you registered? How do you plan to vote? 🗳 We’ve got a little over a month to go now. If you don’t yet have a plan in place, get one today!! I’m happy to help with suggestions and tips in the comments. Let’s work to change things for the better, together. Because yesterday the person in the White House literally said we should get rid of ballots and outright admitted he is not committed to a peaceful transition of power. He and those who support him are trying to get us to give up and fear we have no chance of stopping him. But we are only powerless if we choose not to vote!! 💪 Like Audre Lorde said, “Your silence will not protect you.” But forcing democracy to work for the people, and not staying silent — that still might. As long as we don’t give up. ⚡️

When I had the privilege of test driving this gorg

When I had the privilege of test driving this gorgeous @Lincoln Aviator with its sublime @revelspeakers sound system for a week, I felt like I was driving around on cloud nine. 😍 With California scenery out my windows and a true sanctuary-like vehicle design around me, it was as close to an actual vacation as a work road trip could get. Check out kirstenalana dot com for my review. #DriveYourBestLife #LincolnSanctuary #RevelXLincoln
•
However, the weeks since I came home from Sonoma have been different and I want to keep it real. It’s been a challenge to say the least, with my chronic Endometriosis pain now accompanied by migraines and vertigo if I spend more than a few mins on my phone, computer or iPad. In fact the screen is blurry as I type this. That makes it more than a little difficult to be active here on Instagram or keep up with blogging. When my engagement has already taken a nose dive in the last few years and good numbers are something I have all too often been boiled down to in order to make a living, in a year where it’s already a challenge to survive… maybe you can imagine how mental health becomes an additional challenge. This isn’t helped by a daily news cycle that - in the USA at least - could hardly get worse. And yet daily it seems like it does. Increased injustices, hypocrisy and cruelty stack up like a Jenga tower while compassionate or at least fair standards are removed from society piece by piece. So I want to take this moment to tell you that if you’re having mental health issues right now too, you’re not alone. It really can seem like maybe we are, if we’re struggling. Like everyone but us has a perfect life. Because on social media, positivity and curation reign supreme. But truly, you are not the only one having a hard time. I wish I could give you a hug right now. All I can do is tell you, you’re not alone. ❤️ And thank those of you who do comment on + like my content. Your support truly means the world to me and then some. ❤️

If you’re spending any time this weekend dreamin

If you’re spending any time this weekend dreaming about where you can travel in the future, bookmark my last post or this one to start planning a stay at what is now one of my favorite properties. Tucked into more than five acres, just a few blocks off the main square of the town of Sonoma, that feel more intimate than that - is just 64 rooms, each different from every other, making up private estate turned luxe yet low-key hotel and spa @macarthurplace. I showed the exterior of one of the buildings and a portion of the grounds in my last post. This is the great room where you’ll start your stay checking in at an appropriate distance from staff with a chic nod to safety, and visible as well as invisible cleanliness very much in place everywhere you look. I was impressed by how much things have changed for the safety of all of us yet nothing here screams “travel in the age of COVID.” It is historical elegance with a side of California laid-back cool; the result of a $25 million renovation completed last year, also the 150th anniversary of MacArthur Place. While we might not use the interior spaces of hotels like we used to for a while, here in the USA at least, I still find interior design an important element of what I look for in the places I stay. Do you? I think it helps set the tone and mood for a stay. This is the kind of place I could return to for proper R&R, and some local wine tasting, at least one a year. And if you book your visit using the give plus get platform @kindtraveler like I did, you’ll be supporting @sonomalandtrust doing land preservation work that is more important than ever as wildfires still impact the West Coast and Northern California in particular. It’s one way you can do the important work of community impact when you travel. #MacArthurPlace #TravelKindly

You may remember a few weeks ago, I decided to hea

You may remember a few weeks ago, I decided to head to Sonoma intent on using my own money to support the local tourism economy reeling first from deadly wildfires and then COVID… only to end up seeing more wildfires break out while I was there. Fires are still raging and I want to thank our firefighters for their dedication and hard work to minimize damage as much as possible plus save lives. 🙏 This is shared with the hope that you will bookmark for when you can safely visit and help support Sonoma County businesses in the future. Because of a friendship that’s developed with Jessica at Kind Traveler, and our shared values, I was able to be hosted at two properties during my stay. The second - @macarthurplace - is located just four blocks from historic Sonoma Plaza in the town of Sonoma. The county itself has many small towns but it is as good a place as any to base yourself while exploring a part of California that offers sooo much: wine tasting, hiking, great beaches and trailheads, redwoods, historic architecture, boutique shopping, great dining and more. ✨ And MacArthur Place is a terrific home-away-from-home to come and go from with its calming, lushly-landscaped gardens, winding pathways and lovingly restored historic farm buildings that have been transformed into just 64 rooms and suites, no two of which are alike. In 2019 it reopened after a $25 million renovation but it has been a part of the area since 1869 when it was a private estate. It has the atmosphere of a village within a town. The spa was not open when I was there but service and safety measures were outstanding. Dining is outdoors. Pool spots are by reservation. There are over 100 pieces of art to search for on the grounds and an artist-in-residence program normally. ❤️ I particularly loved the complimentary electric bicycles that you’re encouraged to use to sightsee every day instead of driving everywhere. 🚲 They come with très chic French-striped helmets that will make even the most vain of us, happy to put safety first. 🇫🇷 More images to come in my next post and in my upcoming full photo essay about the hotel on my website. 🏡 #MacArthurPlace

You responded to my poll & questions in Stories sa

A week ago I was standing at the base of Redwoods,

A week ago I was standing at the base of Redwoods, soaking in the most delirious peace & tranquility in nature. It was as dizzying as the heights of these trees themselves.

A few days later this area was on fire and my heart was breaking for everyone affected. I drove home to LA, through wildfire smoke so thick it was like a wall and past actual fires and acres of black landscape, still smoking. It shook me. I haven’t been able to have the same feelings I had standing here in this moment with my mask on. From the fires themselves, to the continued pandemic to the upheaval in my country’s political system and corrupt politicians to racial injustice, climate change and strife in my personal life while chronic illness continues to try and make me give up. I’ve been struggling to cope.

But hope is a funny thing. Even if I don’t feel like I have it, most days I have just enough to keep going. I know that because I’ve been through the times I definitely didn’t, and yet lived to talk about it.

Still most days I don’t know what the right thing to say or do is. And I find myself thinking social media does more harm than good. So I share nature’s beauty to remind us all there is still beauty. And I ask please, if you can, donate to @cafirefound @directrelief @wckitchen @cfsantacruzco @solanocf @everesteffect or search and find others on @charitynav. Thank you firefighter and first responders.

Also Black lives still matter. Why did another shooting have to occur so we could talk about that again? Are you registered to vote if you’re in the USA or a citizen abroad? If not, get that done. And call your leaders about the USPS and racial injustice. Make changes - even if they’re only little changes - to live a more responsible life that hurts the planet less so we can stop having ‘fire season’

⛰🍷 🌊 🌲🍇 More on my trip to Sonoma — and why I spent some of my own money to go up and try to be a safe plus responsible tourist — in my next few posts + stories ❤️

I’ve typed a dozen captions since I arrived in @

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For my visit to Sonoma, I wanted to support a lot

For my visit to Sonoma, I wanted to support a lot of small businesses and particularly, BIPOC-owned small businesses. I was going to eat or drink at a different one for every meal and spread the love as far as possible. Not all of the ones I had bookmarked were open or open when I could visit. That’s the way it goes sometimes and even more so in 2020 when for safety reasons things can change multiple times in a week. But I still want to share all the ones I had on my list, tagged in my photo if they have IG, so you’re aware for when you can visit and so they’re supported at least in some way. And I want to thank @sonomacounty for having their own blog post about all the Black-owned businesses to be customers of in the area. That’s the type of article I’d like to see from more tourism organizations. As I’ve said before they’re a DSO not a DMO and that distinction is apparent once you start to look for it.
.
Speaking of stewardship, it was easy to find plenty of places to enjoy nature in Sonoma County. From rocky coastline to wide open fields glowing at sunrise to rolling hills to dense Redwood forests, I had my fill of nature and then some. And I didn’t have to share it with crowds of trail runners like the canyon outside our door in Los Angeles. Nature has no business hours and orgs like @sonomalandtrust are working to ensure it is protected in Northern California. But would that even be needed if humanity had adopted the mindset Indigenous people have always had? This is what I wonder. In fact, studies are suggesting that we wouldn’t even have the annual wildfire season we have if forestry took an Indigenous approach. I still need to read/learn more before I feel confident going into detail. But in that vein, I want to acknowledge that according to native-land.ca when I visited Sonoma, I was on the land of the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo.
.
Are there any questions I can answer about road tripping Sonoma? Are you planning any California road trips in the future?
.
.
.
#visitcalifornia #sonomacounty #lifeopensup #travelkindly #visitsonoma

I VOTE for more pool days and more international t

I VOTE for more pool days and more international travel in the future 🙋‍♀️😍🤣
.
.
.
just the mere thought of both keep me going sometimes. In the meantime, I am beyond grateful for the travel experiences that I was able to have pre-2020 — and the ones I am very slowly easing back into having now, like my recent stay at [health precautions included] @thesandmanhotel and the ability to be a @kindtraveler in Sonoma. Thanks to @sonomacounty for providing this photo. 🏊‍♀️ 💦 I don’t have a drone but it’s images like this one that sure make me want to buy one! 😻
.
Speaking of VOTING, if you’re in the USA, are you registered? How do you plan to vote? 🗳 We’ve got a little over a month to go now. If you don’t yet have a plan in place, get one today!! I’m happy to help with suggestions and tips in the comments. Let’s work to change things for the better, together. Because yesterday the person in the White House literally said we should get rid of ballots and outright admitted he is not committed to a peaceful transition of power. He and those who support him are trying to get us to give up and fear we have no chance of stopping him. But we are only powerless if we choose not to vote!! 💪 Like Audre Lorde said, “Your silence will not protect you.” But forcing democracy to work for the people, and not staying silent — that still might. As long as we don’t give up. ⚡️

When I had the privilege of test driving this gorg

When I had the privilege of test driving this gorgeous @Lincoln Aviator with its sublime @revelspeakers sound system for a week, I felt like I was driving around on cloud nine. 😍 With California scenery out my windows and a true sanctuary-like vehicle design around me, it was as close to an actual vacation as a work road trip could get. Check out kirstenalana dot com for my review. #DriveYourBestLife #LincolnSanctuary #RevelXLincoln
•
However, the weeks since I came home from Sonoma have been different and I want to keep it real. It’s been a challenge to say the least, with my chronic Endometriosis pain now accompanied by migraines and vertigo if I spend more than a few mins on my phone, computer or iPad. In fact the screen is blurry as I type this. That makes it more than a little difficult to be active here on Instagram or keep up with blogging. When my engagement has already taken a nose dive in the last few years and good numbers are something I have all too often been boiled down to in order to make a living, in a year where it’s already a challenge to survive… maybe you can imagine how mental health becomes an additional challenge. This isn’t helped by a daily news cycle that - in the USA at least - could hardly get worse. And yet daily it seems like it does. Increased injustices, hypocrisy and cruelty stack up like a Jenga tower while compassionate or at least fair standards are removed from society piece by piece. So I want to take this moment to tell you that if you’re having mental health issues right now too, you’re not alone. It really can seem like maybe we are, if we’re struggling. Like everyone but us has a perfect life. Because on social media, positivity and curation reign supreme. But truly, you are not the only one having a hard time. I wish I could give you a hug right now. All I can do is tell you, you’re not alone. ❤️ And thank those of you who do comment on + like my content. Your support truly means the world to me and then some. ❤️

If you’re spending any time this weekend dreamin

If you’re spending any time this weekend dreaming about where you can travel in the future, bookmark my last post or this one to start planning a stay at what is now one of my favorite properties. Tucked into more than five acres, just a few blocks off the main square of the town of Sonoma, that feel more intimate than that - is just 64 rooms, each different from every other, making up private estate turned luxe yet low-key hotel and spa @macarthurplace. I showed the exterior of one of the buildings and a portion of the grounds in my last post. This is the great room where you’ll start your stay checking in at an appropriate distance from staff with a chic nod to safety, and visible as well as invisible cleanliness very much in place everywhere you look. I was impressed by how much things have changed for the safety of all of us yet nothing here screams “travel in the age of COVID.” It is historical elegance with a side of California laid-back cool; the result of a $25 million renovation completed last year, also the 150th anniversary of MacArthur Place. While we might not use the interior spaces of hotels like we used to for a while, here in the USA at least, I still find interior design an important element of what I look for in the places I stay. Do you? I think it helps set the tone and mood for a stay. This is the kind of place I could return to for proper R&R, and some local wine tasting, at least one a year. And if you book your visit using the give plus get platform @kindtraveler like I did, you’ll be supporting @sonomalandtrust doing land preservation work that is more important than ever as wildfires still impact the West Coast and Northern California in particular. It’s one way you can do the important work of community impact when you travel. #MacArthurPlace #TravelKindly

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Get social by following me on these platforms but make sure to engage so I can get to know you back!

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August 26, 2020

The Perfect Sound System for Your 2020 Road Trip

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June 16, 2020

Black Lives Matter [and more] Resources

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April 22, 2020

Earth Day 2020: Tips and Advice

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January 30, 2020

7 Reasons to Visit San Francisco in 2020

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November 30, 2019

Small Business Saturday: What and Where to Buy

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DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY | WEBSITE BY FURTHER BOUND | Portraits of Kirsten by Danté Vincent | COPYRIGHT © KIRSTEN ALANA 2008-2020