Off to the Desert!
Exotic Cactus
The Desert Southwest:
from Sedona to Santa Fe, Shiprock
to Silver Springs & Socorro
Well, there are many deserts to choose from on our planet, but the desert Southwest has become a famed visit for tourists around the world.
The Region of the Southwestern United States,
has a notoriety synonymous with: its specialized foods, flora and diverse landscapes.
New Mexico seems to take the entire Southwest as its own, but in reality the non-Californian desert stretches into Sedona, Arizona and down to the Borders of Mexico and Texas.
There are desert arroyos where forgotten rivers once roamed, and high Mountains filled with sparkling springs and quick running little wild boars, known as javelinas.
Desert lakes shock in surprise, when the just appear upon the horizon. Like a visit into savour, after many days without respite to quench one's thirst. Not to drink I say, just Lakes that inhabit in the knowing, that one possibly could.
It's still possible though, to rest your feet bare into the waters, of lakes, such as Elephant Butte Lake.
The Summer Weather: Hotsie Hot to the Touch!
Scorching hot days often dangle at the precipace of 100 degrees, from May to September.
Those days are an abrupt lesson, on just how fragile we actually are as humans.
Hot car seats, with peeled vinyl dashboards used to be the norm, until the bright invention of the window shade.
What a practical necessity, to just get back into the car, behind the relief of an air conditioner again.
Due to the fact, Cars and excessive heat are not always so user-friendly, many people prefer to prowl the towns earlier or later in the day. Leaving the mid-day to be spent indoors or under a shaded pergola with a cool drink.
Certain places in the Southwest are so hot at times, the people find themselves stricken with severe sunburns and heatstrokes. White Sands rings a bell, as the dunes of blaring white gypsum attempts to reflect directly upon each visitor with a singe.
Always be prepared, and bring water on any car journey, and on long distant trips, I'll suggest a hat, sunglasses, long pants, skirts and long sleeves. The sun can modify one's skin into a practical reptile if you let it.
In the USA, the robe-wear of Arabia is rarely worn, however, it would make for smarter living in order to care for one's skin and protect it from the harsh rays.
All-in-All though, most people never tire of the experiences from a Southwestern journey, no matter the heat.
Some "S - Town" Journeys to Keep in Mind:
Sedona's Devils Bridge
Sedona, Arizona:
Really go there when you have the time, the small town is very unique and deserves a good stroll, without any rush back into the car to return to Phoenix. The Saguaro's and Red Rock Mountains even hold a magnetic pull, so wear your specialty jewelry of polished stones and let the elixir of the desert, wind into your soul.Shiprock:
A mountainous gateway, into New Mexico from Colorado. During a long drive it's a splendid site to finally see. The Colorado desertscape is very empty, and then there it is. Ready to bring mountains with a splash of forest soon. It's a relief to be there, although still very far away from major cities. It spires high out of the desert floor, in its crowning glory from an old volcano of approx. 30 million yrs ago. It brings a finality to Colorado's border, and states, New Mexico, with pinion pines near, and a land where many indigenous people reside. One can easily imagine, the pioneer days of covered wagons wheeling past with their high wooden wheels. Yet, it brings the future into play also, like a sci-fi novel that has come alive. Bring food & water, and remember snakes and small gila monsters can be present, on a rattler's hot welcoming day.Santa Fe:
An artists hop away from Albuquerque, and for some artists it's the only place to live. Colorful displays from artists around the world, have brought the once small town, into an international acclaim the world-over.Silver City:
The town is unusual, with a few small victorian-style homes, which stemmed from the silver mining years, which appear to still continue. It's really part of the older true America, a place to go to a basic restaurant and drink the all-day warmed re-fillable coffee. Some people love the aspect of being in an older western town, while others prefer the more exotic, that I listed from above. The drive to Silver City does take you through scenic & forested desert mountains, which keep those little javelinas safe and feeling at home.Socorro Wetlands:
Finally a chance to view migratory birds, the river estuary is quite vast and the birds stop-over their quiet river, year-round. Birds from Florida, flying to California, and other birds heading into the Northern Rockies from Mexico. Absolutely, a necessity to their travels, a sanctuary that keeps a few trees along its boggy shallows.My Retrospective:
"The Southwest is a place where the air itself mingles into one's dreams;like a mirage, that carries those dreams further into the realm of possibility.
A world other, and a place never to forget."
