following the prints: Dreaming of the Desert

It's official. I LOVE the Utah and Arizona desert. I thought Joshua Tree was amazing (don't worry, it was) and then I got to see MORE... and the amazingness just multiplied.

Deserts are amazing. A common misconception of the desert is that it's dead. I've held to that belief, but after reading about it (yes mom, I'm reading signs!) and looking around, I've come to see how much life there really is. When we were in Joshua Tree and the Wild Animal Park in San Diego, we read about animals who have adapted to live without ever drinking water. There are trees that the Tribes used to use to create shelter and food, and the presence of the trees symbolized oasises. When I was in Baja a few years back, I learned about Arroyos. These indents in the ground are where the water flows during flash floods. They can be deadly, because with the lack of absorption in the ground, the water has no where to go but to flow. The water is a source of life and a source of death... Suzanne is reading a book about it too and I'm excited for her to give me the synopsis!

This week, we've been in San Diego, the Salton Sea, Joshua Tree, Vegas, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, Arches National Park, along Route 66, Moab, and Western Colorado. Each place has been different (no duh!). Each place has a different environment. Each place has different people. But each place really shows God in a different way. I have come upon realization that I can be in so many different places, albeit all in America, and see God in all those places has been so demonstrative of His omnipresence. He is huge. He is everywhere. He is in all sorts of people. And, it's awesome.

AND... for pictures!

After Vegas, we drove toward the Grand Canyon. We went through Hoover Dam along the way. Growing up the child of a civil engineer and traveling with another one currently, I joined in the awestruckness of this modern marvel (thanks history channel!)

That's a whole lot of concrete!

Suzanne... helping out the climbing construction worker.

After Hoover, we headed toward the Grand Canyon in gorgeous Navajo country. It was so pretty. I want to go back! (have I mentioned that I love deserts?). Along the way, we ran into a town that was flourishing on days from the past...

How I wish gas were as cheap now as it was during the days of Route 66!

THEN... we got to the Grand Canyon. Just in time for Sunset.

(That's us!)

We were incredibly lucky and got a camping spot in the park. That meant that the next morning, we could go and enjoy the South Rim before the tour buses. It was bliss...

There was a tower with mimics of ancient paintings... (isn't he cute!??!?!)

And lots of great views! (an amazing place to do a bible study at!)

I decided to wear my Touchet shirt... HI TOUCHET!

Then, after one magnificent thing, we went to another...

I have heard of this place all throughout college, my friends would go down on three day weekends, they raved about it... their pictures were great. I didn't believe it existed. But it does. This place is Arches. It is so shocking. The power of wind and rain just blows me away...

That's Suzanne in the middle of the arch...

There are random rocks sticking out of grasslands, Arroyos flowing through the rocks. Arches fall every now and then, and more arches are in the process of being formed. As a flier said, these rocks were here before the Pyramids, they were here before Jesus, they were here before any of us. They are so old and so amazing...

The parks also let us play in them! So we climbed around :)