The Earth Is Round

Camelback Mountain rises right in the middle of Scottsdale... don't pay attention to the pollution/haze!

I live in Scottsdale, Arizona which is one of the cities that makes up the greater Phoenix area.  The desert southwest of the United States is an amazing place to live if you’re interested in nature and being active outside. The summers can be brutal (110+ degrees), “but it’s a dry heat.”  If you stay in the shade it’s actually pleasant. I’m sure you don’t believe me, but it’s true. I’d choose 115 in Arizona (dry heat) over 95 in Virginia (humidity) any day of the week.  In the winter it’s absolutely beautiful in Arizona. 65 and sunny is a regular January day. Perfect for hiking or golf…

The southwest is a goldmine for unique landscapes and amazing sunsets. We have postcard quality sunsets more often than not. And that phrase “purple mountains majesty” in America the Beautiful … it had no meaning for me as a kid in Virginia. But after living here and seeing the mountains turn purple at sunset, it makes perfect sense that it was immortalized in a song about our awesomely diverse country.

Here are a few recent sunsets:

But the most amazing things about Arizona is probably my favorite place in the world… the Grand Canyon. Every time I go to the Grand Canyon it overwhelms me. I feel like a salesman for it too… as there are SO MANY people in the Phoenix area who have never been there. Grand Canyon National Park is only a 3.5-4 hour drive from Phoenix, but I know many people who have lived here for years and never been there. Many people take for granted the unique features of their local environment, but I just don’t understand not making the trip to see such an unbelievable example of the power of time, weather, nature and geology. It’s so amazing that I’ve dedicated a separate page of the blog to it.