Explore the journey — one trail, museum, meal, and memory at a time.
Davis Dam and Laughlin, NV
I started the day above Lake Mohave watching sunrise, explored the history and engineering of Davis Dam, walked the Colorado River in Laughlin, drove through vast Nevada solar fields, and ended the evening on BLM land outside Valley of Fire State Park with warm desert air and an early night.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Hike
I hiked to the old Victoria Mine before 8 a.m., walking four miles through saguaros, organ pipe cactus, cholla, and creosote bush in the Sonoran Desert. After signing out at the trail register, I left Arizona, stopped in Ajo for coffee, photographed a massive desert aqueduct carrying Colorado River water, and made my way toward Lake Mohave for the night.
Drive to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
I left Benson, Arizona debating whether to drive south to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The desert drive revealed abandoned buildings, desperate handwritten signs, and miles of roadside graves. Inside the monument, I learned how organ pipe and saguaro cacti sustain birds, bats, and Indigenous communities. It was a day of beauty, weight, and reflection in the Sonoran Desert.
Chiricahua National Monument AZ
I hiked the Echo Canyon Loop in Chiricahua National Monument on a perfect spring day. The Grotto, Hailstone, and Ed Riggs trails wind through towering rhyolite columns, balanced boulders, and pine forest. A narrow canyon crossing, a quiet moment with a horse, and nearly four hours on the trail made this one of my favorite Arizona hikes.
Bisbee, AZ
I spent a full day wandering Bisbee — climbing public staircases, photographing layered homes and eclectic shop windows, learning the town’s mining history, watching deer eat cactus in someone’s yard, and ending the night with long exposures on a nearly empty Main Street. Bisbee feels accumulated rather than planned — part boomtown, part art colony, completely its own.
Saguaro National Park
I hiked Wasson Peak in Saguaro National Park’s western district via King Canyon and the Hugh Norris Trail. Eight miles, mostly uphill, through dense stands of saguaro cactus, early desert wildflowers, volcanic ridges, and wide Sonoran Desert views. The climb was hard, the summit expansive, and the conversations along the trail unexpected.
San Xavier del Bac Mission
I drove south to San Xavier del Bac Mission and stepped into one of the oldest churches in Arizona. Inside, centuries-old artwork still covers the walls. Outside, a nearby cemetery reminded me this is still an active parish, not a museum. I ended the day camped on BLM land in Ironwood Forest National Monument, surrounded by desert silence and open sky.
Quartzsite, AZ
After finishing taxes near Bouse, I drove into Quartzsite, Arizona — winter home to massive RV gatherings, gem and mineral shows, and long-term BLM camping. I explored the town, learned about Hi Jolly and the Army’s camel experiment, and settled into quiet dispersed camping under the desert sky.
Sedona to Bouse, AZ
What started as a simple travel day from Sedona toward Quartzsite turned into a detour through Bouse, Arizona and an accidental drive deep into BLM land. Along the way, I passed the enormous TSMC semiconductor fabrication plant rising from the desert before settling into a quiet campsite just as the sun dropped behind the mountains.
Antelope Canyon - Page, AZ
I woke at Walmart in Page, Arizona and headed to my Deluxe Tour of Lower Antelope Canyon. With only one lens allowed, I chose the 14–24mm and stepped into sculpted Navajo sandstone shaped over thousands of years. The tour covered Navajo culture, flash flood history, and the famous images that made the canyon iconic. By afternoon, I was driving south toward Sedona and editing photos by evening.
Horseshoe Bend
Leaving Hurricane, Utah, I headed south into Arizona, driving through the charred remains of the 2020 Mangum Fire in Kaibab National Forest before stopping at the historic Cliff Dwellers Stone House. The day ended at Horseshoe Bend, where the Colorado River curves 1,000 feet below the rim near Page, Arizona.
Escalante to Capitol Reef
A reluctant departure from Deer Creek Campground turns into an unhurried drive toward Capitol Reef National Park. Along the way, quiet roads, frequent photo stops, and a chance ranger discussion about geology, glaciers, and early settlement slow the day to exactly the pace it needed.
Page, AZ to Escalante, UT
A quiet Walmart night in Page turns into a long, winding drive through Kanab, Bryce Canyon country, Henrieville, and Grand Staircase–Escalante. Familiar places, unexpected history, small-town pauses, exposed roads, and a calm evening at Deer Creek Campground bring the day to a thoughtful close.
Valley of the Gods to Page, AZ
A quiet morning in Valley of the Gods turns into a long, unhurried drive past Mexican Hat, Monument Valley, and fading desert light. Failed star trails, empty roads, grazing horses, and a last-minute stop in Page, Arizona shape a day that never quite goes as planned, but feels exactly right.
Puebloan Ruins, Dino Tracks, and Valley of the Gods
A quiet morning in Blanding, UT led to a full day across deep time—Ancestral Puebloan ruins at Butler Wash, dinosaur tracks preserved in ancient stone, and a slow drive into the Valley of the Gods. I photographed cliffs, towers, and stars, and spent the night alone among formations that asked nothing and offered everything.
Leaving Canyonlands NP
I set out expecting a straightforward drive toward Cedar Mesa and instead spent the day arguing with Google Maps, second-guessing ChatGPT, and rerouting around roads I refused to drive. Somewhere in the middle was an excellent Thai meal in Monticello and a quiet night in Blanding, Utah.
Canyonlands National Park
I spent two winter days and nights in Canyonlands National Park, camping at Green River Overlook as snow, fog, and shifting light reshaped the landscape. With few visitors and long stretches of silence, I photographed the canyons, attempted detailed macro focus stacks of yucca and cacti filled with snow, and returned to Grand View Point Overlook for a brief, intense sunset.
Arches National Park - Day 2
A calm winter morning at Devils Garden Campground leads to an unhurried hike to Landscape Arch, conversations with other photographers, a slow afternoon in Moab, and a silent overnight stay on BLM land near Canyonlands National Park.
Arches National Park - Day 1
A quiet day exploring Arches National Park, from the visitor center geology exhibits to driving the park road and stopping at formations like petrified dunes, Balanced Rock, the Three Gossips, and Double Arch, ending with a sunset hike to Delicate Arch and a late campsite at Devils Garden.
Drive To Arches
A day spent mostly driving from Heber City toward Arches National Park, stopping at Tie Fork Rest Area, reading the landscape of Carbon County, and noticing what remains along the old rail and mining corridor. With fewer photos than usual, the day unfolded through observation, history, and a quiet BLM stop as the sun dropped.