View Larger Map
In all fairness, if you saw what I saw on the drive up here, you'd be pretty giddy, too. I managed to avoid interstates for all but ten miles of the trip, and it reminded me of how beautiful this state is. Politics be damned, this sure is a nice place to live.
I started in the Sonoran desert outside of Tucson, which is the type of desert landscape that most people are familiar with. (This is a photo that I took near finger rock last year, but the rest of the photos are from yesterday's drive.)
My first insight into how nice this drive was going to be came during a cruse through the Tonto National Forest outside of Phoenix.
Continuing along SR77, I stumbled across a jaw-dropping view of the Salt River. This was the first of many pull-overs.
As the road continued north, it wove through a striking series of rock cliffs. And again, I pulled over. By this point, any chance of making it to the reservation by dinner was out the window.
Here's how most of the drive went:
I'm cruising along the road, listening to a Car Talk podcast, when I come across something so incredible that I can no longer concentrate on the road. I scan the road for any sign of a pull off (or something that I can use as a pull off). I hit the brakes. Hard. I snap a few photos, and I breathe in the goodness. Then I check to see if I popped a tire during my NASA-grade deceleration. Surprised that I didn't, I get back into the car, and I get on my way. And then I repeat it all in ten minutes.
As I got closer to Pinetop, the landscape changed into something that would be much more appropriate for Oregon or Washington. This is the high desert, and it's surprisingly green.
..."And remember folks, don't drive like my brother."
"No, don't drive like my brother..."
*Screeeech!*
Northern Arizona is filled with small, "Real American" cities. I think that the next two photos are from Snowflake.
The Hopi reservation is smack in the middle of the Navajo one. As I made my through Navajo territory, I came across this little semi-exploitative gem. Even I'm offended...but definitely intrigued.
By this point, I was starting to get pretty close to the Hopi reservation, but pretty far from everything else.
The wonderful, can't-say-enough-good-things-about-it program that is sponsoring me on this trip (yes, I'm actually getting paid to do this) is called the Rural Health Professions Program. And they weren't kidding about the rural part. This is the type of place where I start to get nervous when I'm down to a half a tank of gas. Seriously.
The Hopi territory is defined by mesas. The incredible amount of flat-topped mountains is probably the most unique aspect of the terrain out here. Hopi culture is based around them, and they are home to many people. Talk about a commute.
By this point in the drive, I was grinning ear to ear. I had picked up my house key, and I had made a cursory exploration of the area. It was time to head over to my home for the next five weeks. Considering the scenery, I would have been happy to pull into a dirt lot. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Although it has a distinctly "Dharma Initiative" feel to it, the old government housing complex that I'll be living in is pretty nice.
My humble abode.
And now it's time to unpack. Don't worry about me, folks. I think I'll be just fine.
