Family, Friends, and the Call of the Open Road

So, I’ll admit it has been a while since I shared anything, mostly because I went on a two-week road trip, had many things to catch up on, and had a lot of photos to review, edit, and consider.

Well, to catch you up, the road trip was fabulous. It was a drive from Seattle to the southern border in Arizona (not to see the border but rather to see some friends - although the border was pretty cool to see).

The drive started on Wednesday, February 12. There were some reasons for driving the drive. First, my Sister met me in Phoenix, and we were able to spend the weekend with our Dad and stepmother. This trip was a surprise since neither my sister nor I had let them know we were coming. After a few days together, I continued driving, with Tucson as my next stop.

I met up with an old friend, Scott, and his cool-as-hell wife, Judy, in Tucson. They were great hosts, showing me the best Tucson has to offer. Even more impressive was the drive Scott and I took through the hills in and around the San Rafael State Nature Area.

The sites were incredible. From the hilltops, you could see for miles deep down into Mexico. Looking into the US, you could see the network of cameras and sensors monitoring the dry, flat lands, which are extremely hot during the day and incredibly cold at night. The cameras are unnerving because once you see one, you see them all, like massive cell towers creating a mesh of cameras that you can see following you as you move along the roads.

The valley and the hills provided the best opportunity for some fantastic shots that seemed to go on forever while we were treated to some amazing sights of Prong Horn Deer. All in all, those days driving around in that area were breathtaking.

I'll write more about the trip later, but here are just a couple of shots showing the beauty of the border area.