cactus « The Pedestrian Poet

Posts Tagged ‘cactus’

Spring Break: Route 66

Sunday, April 3rd, 2011

Today we started out our day in Lake Havasu City, there I happened upon the strange Gabriel species again. This one was giant, he dwarfed a lighthouse that was on the edge of the beautiful lake.

Another strange and rare sighting of the Gabriel. After that we headed over to the famous London Bridge. Yes, the real London Bridge in Lake Havasu City Arizona. Strange right?

So apparently the original London Bridge was becoming old and ruined so they decided to rebuild it. This left the old bridge nowhere, so they put it up for sale. Lake Havasu City bought it, shipped it, and then rebuilt it right here on Lake Havasu.

Next on the day’s agenda was Historical Route 66. My dad and brother were going on a long bike ride up route 66 and my mom and I were going running.

I had never been on Route 66 before and it was quite the experience.

We ran along a Wildlife Refuge’s lake that was very beautiful but extremely hot. We also saw a coyote but sadly I didn’t have my camera with me.

Then was the long drive around a beautiful hilly valley that really gave us a taste of what Arizona is made of. There were towering monoliths or red craggy rocks, hills full of yellow wildflowers and cacti, and long expanses of open countryside.

All along the way were interesting sights. Mostly things people would consider eye sores or trash but they were really interesting and amazing. A lot of old rusted out cars, old houses broken down, and well, trash.

Probably the most interesting part of our day was visiting the tiny town of Oatman. It was full of local color, tiny shops, and of course, donkeys. What quaint little towns isn’t ruled by donkeys?

They were everywhere. All over the streets, walking up to cars, people, and trying to get food from everyone. They were adorable; there were babies all over the place but it was so hot they all were taking naps.

It was quite the sight, watching all these donkeys just wondering around the town in search of shade and food.

It was a good day on Route 66 and there will be more adventure for tomorrow. Tonight we are bedding down in Flagstaff, tomorrow…. the Grand Canyon!

Tags: cactus, donkeys, heat, lake havasu city, london bridge, oatman, route 66
Posted in Photos, Travel Updates |

Spring Break: Mojave

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

For spring break I am going on an adventure in Arizona on a road trip. I am basically doing whatever comes to our whimsy along the way. Whether it be stopping at some old worn down houses on the side of the road, chasing animals for photos, or seeing some indian ruins. Today we decided to stop by Mojave National Preserve.

Mojave is a majestic landscape filled with rocky outcroppings and valleys filled with blond cacti. To me, Mojave is blue skies the stretch beyond the reach of the mountains held up by the arms of the prickly cactus that dwells below.

At the entrance I was able to discover a strange new unknown species called the Gabriel. I was able to photograph its strange behaviors. There was the normal behavioral patterns,

The lounging stretching pose that harkens to possible ancestry to extremely odd primates…..

There was also a nurturing side that showed some obvious caring,

There was also behavioral patterns of strange joyful behaviors that caused spastic and odd behavior.

Finally is the most interesting ability that the Gabriel has… levitation

During our trip we are following around my dad and my brother as they ride their bikes around where ever we happen to be.

In Mojave we explored the area around the visitor center which was an old train station. With the dilapidated of their old remains, it was a beautifully haunting place.

It was a good day and I look forward to even more adventures soon.

Tags: bicycle, cactus, desert, mojave national preserve, road trip, spring break
Posted in Photos, Shout Outs, Travel Updates |

Joshua Tree

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Joshua Tree in the eye of the beholder, the eye of the adventurer. My mom and I recently visited Joshua Tree National Park down by Palm Springs. A park full of rock pillars and sculptures and very odd looking trees that slightly resemble puffy cacti slapped on the ends of a scruffy looking tree trunk. Odd but intriguing plants.

The first thing we did was visit Barker’s Dam. It was a nice little hike out to a small lake and a very old looking dam.

Reflections truly are a beautiful thing, it always makes me wonder if there is always another mirror image of every single thing on earth, and we just don’t know it. I feel like reflections give us a brief glimpse of this other world of upsides and opposites. They are beautiful, especially with the rich blues and bright red rocks contrasting. It really is one of my favorite types of landscapes to shoot.

On our way back from the dam we visited a petroglyph site which was my favorite part of the trip. It was this big monolith of a rock with a dug out little alcove in it high above the ground where nestled inside were old cave drawings from native americans. I climbed up the rock and into the alcove to get a better look at them. Being so close to these old drawings was an awe inspiring experience. To feel so near history, to something so ancient that it is hard to fathom. It was remarkable, not to mention the scenery you could see from inside there.

After that we visited the Arch Rock which was a spectacular arch of red rock in a canyon of giant boulders. It was so cool to look around at this desert rocky landscape and photography it.

OVerall Joshua Tree was a very nice national park and the petroglyphs were definitely the best part. The cacti were pretty amazing as well. Another park down for the travel buddies.