Sporting the latest in VW Van hair styles

An example of Organ Pipe Cactus, and me sucking my stomach in

A Harris Hawk at the Arizona Senora Desert Museum during a free flight

Becoming the Vagabond

The trip was winding down after I had spent almost two week bolting around the southwestern US. By this point I was right in to the vagabond lifestyle, or at least pretending I was. By this point 5 days with out a shower was not a big deal, berkinstalks where considered appropriate footwear for cactus country and a hat was the "in" hair style for any occasion. Breakfasts of oatmeal or just a pot of bacon where just the meal to give you enough energy to take photos all morning, drive some place new and then nap. By this point of the trip Ethan had relinquished control of the van and grown accustom to the idea of having someone to share the driving with. Taking the wheel of this large heavy tent on wheels was an adventure in itself. One almost has to grow a sixth sense for braking a half mile early to come to a safe stop.

After spending some more time photographing the Ocotillos and Organ Pipe Cancti, we headed back towards civilization, Tucson that is. There we enjoyed some luxuries, shower, wings and a movie. Of course the night was not complete with out an attempted parking lot repair of the van.

The next day we headed to the Arizona Senora Desert Museum. This place was an outstand museum, thought that seems like the wrong word. They have live animals in well-designed natural settings, excellent exhibits and plenty of people to help you learn about the desert. We were there early and first in line, and it paid off for us. In the morning and afternoon we were treated to a birds of prey show. I managed to snap a few photos in the afternoon with my Canon G10. I will soon be posting some of the photos I managed to capture of mountain lions and birds with my Canon 20D. This was a great way to end the journey in the van. However there are still plenty of photos, so keep checking back

Saguaro at Senset at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Finding out how sharp a Barrel Cactus was

Ocotillo, Seaweed of the Desert

Crazy About Cacti

After doing the amazing night shots at Joshua Tree NP, it was time to start heading back towards Phoenix. Ethan and I piled in the van for a long drive Past the Sultan Sea, massive sand dunes and huge RV parks. Eventually we arrived late in the afternoon at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

We left the Joshua Trees behind for all kinds of Cacti. I was amazed at the size and variety stretched out on the landscape before us (most of the cacti I have seen have been in small pots and tend to die in my office). Here there was massive Saguaro and Organ Pipe Cacti. We arrived just in time to watch the sun go down behind a field of these giants; some must have been over 15ft high right beside out site.

We set up the van in a campground, which consisted of over 200 sites in a flat area surrounded by cacti, not the kind of place where you want to stagger around in the dark. We probably ate the food of the trip here with a nice fried steak that night and a Mexican breakfast the next morning.

The next day we headed for a drive through the Ajo Mountain Drive and got some great perspective on the landscape. The one photo below is a result of a little game I liked to call “How sharp is this cactus?”

The last shot is of an Ocotillo, one of my favourite plants on the trip. We caught a few of these in bloom on the trip. They look like a giant seaweed plant growing out of the desert!