Road trip! Good Food braves the Great Outdoors

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The National Park Service saw the Good Food team coming and made reasonable suggestions. Photo by Elina Shatkin/KCRW

Before the Good Food team landed at campsite #57 at Jumbo Rocks in Joshua Tree, they made a pit stop at the Integratron in Landers. There, a sound therapist shared the history of the "Come On In" cafe and details about the three aquifers that meet underneath the famous circular building. 

A mere 38 miles away, our intrepid crew entered Joshua Tree National Park, full of hope and trepidation, eager to see what the great outdoors had in store for them. It took four people to erect two tents but nobody could figure out how to inflate Evan Kleiman's sleeping pad. Never fear! The tunes were playing, the steak was sizzling, the Negronis were guzzled, and the s'mores were devoured.


Integratron sound therapist Joe Karl (left) is interviewed by Good Food producer Gillian Ferguson and host Evan Kleiman. Photo by Laryl Garcia.


Campsite #57 at Jumbo Rocks in Joshua Tree became the amphitheater for "Tentigone: The Tragedy of Tense."  Photo by Laryl Garcia.


What's the equivalent of "a face made for radio" when it comes to erecting a tent? Photo by Elina Shatkin.

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With one tent up and one to go, maybe the Good Food team should have considered bunking together. Photo by Elina Shatkin.

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Two tents ready for shut eye is reason enough for a celebratory Negroni. Photo by Laryl Garcia.


Of course there was vinyl, but perhaps packing the portable turntable and telescope instead of a second jug of water was a misstep. Photo by Elina Shatkin.

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A thick, 30-day dry-aged ribeye finally made its way to the grill but predictions were made that we'd be eating in the dark. Photo by Laryl Garcia.


Cooking is one thing the Good Food team can handle. Photo by Elina Shatkin.


Donning head lamps, producers Gillian Ferguson (left) and Elina Shatkin dig into a modified candlelit dinner. Photo by Laryl Garcia.

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Pleading "Please don't cancel me," Good Food host Evan Kleiman admits that she prefers milk chocolate in her s'mores. Photo by Laryl Garcia.

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Taking down the tents took a fraction of the time it took to put them up. Photo by Laryl Garcia.

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Was the egg spoon a success? Dear listener, you be the judge. Photo by Gillian Fergson.