Saguaro | Russ Bishop Photography

March 28, 2014October 24, 2018

Spirit of the Southwest

Saguaro cactus at sunset, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona USA (© Russ Bishop/www.russbishop.com) — Saguaro cactus at sunset, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona

The American Southwest is known the world over for its unique environment and cultural significance. It’s plants and animals are exotic by any standard and, combined with thousands of years of Native American history, it has all the elements for truly great photography. Spring is one of the best times to visit when the temperatures are mild and vibrant wildflower displays and the occasional lightning storm provide a dramatic backdrop for stellar image making.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument on the Mexican border in southern Arizona, is one of the least visited units of the National Park system. The unique namesake cactus (found only in this remote section of the United States) and the iconic saguaro dominate this other-worldly landscape where sunsets seem to last forever.

Further east on the outskirts of Tucson, Saguaro National Park is rich in native american history and desert flora. Two units separated by the city, the Tucson Mountain District to the west and the Rincon Mountain District to the east, provide two distinct environments. Signal Hill in the Tucson Mountain District includes hundreds of ancient petroglyphs surrounded by dense saguaro forests and wonderful views of the local mountains. The Rincon Mountain District to the east is a desert sky island home to cougars, bears, and the elusive coati.

Crossing the border into New Mexico, White Sands National Monument is another visual experience that is not to be missed. Set on the edge of the vast Tularosa Basin, it is one of the largest deposits of pure gypsum sand in the world. The shifting sands are an active dune field – constantly moving from west to east at a rate of thirty feet per year and creating wonderful patterns in the process. And as the sun goes down the shapes and forms of this ever-evolving landscape are illuminated by a special quality of light found nowhere else.

This is just a sampling of what the Southwest has to offer. But if you’re looking to leave the world behind and immerse yourself in spectacular scenery that will clear your senses and inspire your creativity, you don’t have to go to Iceland or Namibia – it’s all right here.

November 26, 2013August 26, 2015

10 Hidden National Parks That Will Surprise You

Giant sequoia amid young pines in the Giant Forest, Sequoia National Park, California

Today’s entry is a guest post by James Sermons with the National Park Foundation. As the official charity for America’s National Parks they play an integral part in preserving our incredible national heritage, and I encourage you join me in supporting their efforts. Take it away James.

The National Park System was founded in 1916 and has served as an opportunity for every American to access hundreds of the most treasured places in the United States. While many national parks and their campgrounds—Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon—are household names, there are hundreds more underrated national parks that also offer life changing experiences.

Individuals who enjoy Yosemite National Park will be thrilled to visit Kings Canyon National Park in California. The canyons bear similarities to those in Yosemite and offer breathtaking scenery. Kings Canyon offers groves of sequoia trees, including its most famous resident, General Grant, the third largest tree in the world. California is also home to other underappreciated national parks including Channel Islands National Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park. Channel Islands National Park includes five of the Channel Islands and offers several stunning examples of independent island evolution, as 145 species on the islands cannot be found elsewhere. Also a favorite for whale-watchers, blue whales visit the islands occasionally and can be sighted from aboard a boat. Lassen Volcanic National Park boasts the most southern of the volcanoes in the Cascades range and showcases evidence of the volatile activity below the surface in numerous gas vents and boiling pools.

Further south, Saguaro National Park is a survivalist’s dream with the rugged and desolate landscape of the Sonoran Desert. This park cannot be reached by public transportation, but is easily driveable from Tucson. Traveling north, one cannot help but be drawn to the colorful red landscape of Utah. Visually stunning, and an undiscovered treat for photographers, Capitol Reef National Park contains a 100-mile long wrinkle in the landscape known as a geologic monocline. Some of the tallest sand dunes in the nation are located not far from here in awe-inspiring Great Sand Dunes National Park. Sandboarding and sand sledding offer a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for young children and those young at heart.

For photographers, artists, or those seeking something more scenic and relaxed, Big Bend National Park and Theodore Roosevelt National Park are good destinations as they both offer great opportunities to view wildlife and enjoy backcountry trails. For individuals interested in astronomy or weather phenomena, Great Basin National Park is a must-visit. And finally, while Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska is unknown by most Americans, this park is larger than many small countries and offers air taxis into the remote areas of the wilderness.

Though relatively unknown, each of these parks showcase stunning visual elements, exciting adventures and incredible travel experiences. For more information on America’s more than 400 national parks, including those which are less-traveled, visit the National Park Foundation and download their free Owner’s Guide to discover all of the hidden gems in the National Park System.

May 18, 2010November 6, 2015

Desert Sentinel

The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is an icon of the American southwest. These lone sentinels thrive in the harsh environment of the Sonoran Desert, which can exceed 120 degrees in the summer, but is also one of the wettest deserts in North America. Encompassing parts of Arizona, California and northern Mexico, this region averages 3 to 16 inches of rain a year and has two rainy seasons, one in the summer and another in the winter, which sustains a wide range of flora in addition to the saguaro.

Mature saguaros can reach up to 50 ft in height. They bloom for the first time when they are 50 – 75 years old and may live to 150 – 200 years (and weigh up to 10 tons). Ironically, the saguaro is so synonymous with the southwest that their likeness has been used in commercials and western films in places like Texas and New Mexico where they have never lived in the wild.