Heading to the Southwest

Tomorrow I point the truck south west and start the long drive to Arizona.

I’ve wanted to see saguaro cactus in bloom for years, and now I’m finally heading into the heart of saguaro country at exactly the right time. Most people probably have a favorite flower or a favorite tree. Mine are cactus flowers. There’s something about saguaro that feels almost unreal standing out in the desert like giant alien trees on a red planet. I’m hoping to see plenty of blooms while I’m there, but I’m also excited to learn more about some of the other local cactus species. I know a lot about prickly pear but cholla and barrel cactus aren’t ones I saw all the time in Texas. Here’s a whole desert ecosystem that I am very interested in learning more about.

As always, I’ll be documenting as much of the trip as possible on film. My vintage Polaroid 600 is coming along, along with a small camera that lives in my bag and shoots 110 film. I’m also bringing two different 35mm cameras loaded with Kodak Gold. Digital photography is convenient, but there’s something about film that can’t be replicated post process. Every frame is intentional, and I think a landscape like the Sonoran Desert deserves that kind of attention.

One thing that’s going to feel strange is leaving the dogs behind. I take them almost everywhere, so traveling without them feels a little unnatural. This time it’ll just be me, my husband and a lot of highway. But I have friends staying with them so they’ll still have lots of attention and I won’t have to worry about them in the heat.

I’ll be staying at the Joshua Treehouse in Tucson, specifically in the Cholla Room. I have to admit, I’m a little apprehensive about not having a private restroom and shower. That’s definitely outside my comfort zone. But after looking through all the rooms, the Cholla Room was still my favorite, and sometimes part of traveling is accepting a little discomfort in exchange for a unique experience.

The drive itself is no small undertaking at roughly 1,200 miles one way. This isn’t a particularly long vacation, but it already feels luxurious compared to the quick overnight trips I’ve been making lately to Texas and Oklahoma. Those trips are always more driving than actually being there.

One thing I’m especially looking forward to is the route. Instead of spending the entire trip on major interstates, I mapped out a path that keeps me mostly on highways through smaller towns. It may not be the fastest way to get there, but it’s definitely the way I prefer to travel. I like seeing the places in between. The old gas stations, the local diners, the grain elevators, the forgotten main streets, and the landscapes that slowly change mile by mile. The journey is part of the adventure.

For now, the cameras are packed, the route is loaded, and tomorrow the adventure begins.