The Southwest

The problem with photographing the national parks is that, no matter how much practice an amateur gets with the architecture of Italy or the Riverwalk of San Antonio, nothing equips you for something as magnificent as the Grand Canyon or Carlsbad Caverns.

So I'm going to tell you up front that if you'd really like to see photos that do these places justice, please go online and find something taken by a professional.  

For those of you who are either lazy or disinterested, I'll provide our rather pitiable samples.  Nothing that will blow your socks off, okay?  Don't expect much.  

Sharon gave us the suggestion to go to the caverns and we're so glad we did.  All four of us were impressed, Mihai most of all.  It's not so much a visual experience as an all-five-senses experience.  The coolness of the caves, the darkness, the quiet.  Those things can't be captured in a photo.  (Not to make you jealous or anything)

As difficult as it was to capture the glory of the caverns, the Grand Canyon was harder.  Apparently it was also difficult to impress Lucian who looked around and said "So, is this it?"

Really son?  

It's one of those moments when you move subtly away and pretend you don't know who this bratty kid belongs to.

My photos are nothing to write home about.  Also, we made the timing error of arriving at noon which, as everyone who has ever snapped a photo knows, is the photographic equivalent of hoping for a gourmet meal and getting a microwave frozen dinner instead.  

See what I mean?

I know Silvia requested that we take lots of pictures and we did.  But this is what they all looked like.  Yawn.  It was beyond my meager skills, plain and simple. 

But then there were all of these other lovely scenes along the way so I'm including these to try and redeem myself and bring a bit of visual pleasure to you all.  The fact is, the southwest is so lovely and large that even I couldn't mess up those photos.

Four Corners

I don't know from where Mircea heard about Four Corners National Monument.  I've driven through the Southwest numerous times without ever knowing there was such a place.  That is to say, I realized there was a geographic location where Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado came together but I had no idea there was a National Monument established to celebrate this (rather mundane) fact.

Yet a National Monument there is.  And in a moment I will provide photographic evidence that not only is this so but that we went there.  That we drove 80 miles out of our way and spent 12 USD to stare at a metal disc in the ground.

Other than the satisfaction of fulfilling the last of Mircea's three travel goals, it was amusing to watch various groups of kids giggling over the unique opportunity of running through four states in less than 10 seconds.

And that about sums up Four Corners National Monument.

But since 80 miles and 12 dollars seems like it warrants more than five minutes, you linger a bit, doing things like standing in one direction and saying "Yep, there's Colorado" and then twisting your body and saying "Yep, there's New Mexico".  Then you wander around the unpaved parking area (at 3 bucks a person they can't spring for a paved parking lot?) and visit the poorly maintained outhouses.  You'd hoped that once you left Romania you'd seen the last of poorly maintained outhouses but, alas, the drive back to the interstate is long and sorely lacking facilities so visit them you do.

Via these photos, you can experience all the site has to offer.  No outhouse visit required.

Yes.  That's it.

And people wonder why it's taking us so long to get back to California.

Santa Fe

I have nothing against the practice of trying to get your cool on in public.  I have so little of my own to exploit and put on display that I'm often a little envious when I witness others produce theirs and put it on parade.  

However, the downside to trying to come off as uber cool is that it can often render one as somewhat brittle and dispassionate.  Not overly friendly to four road-weary but enthusiastic tourists in other words.

In that case, I'll take nice over cool any day.

This is not to say that there were not genial, sociable folks in Santa Fe.  There were.  It just took us a couple of hours to meet them.

But when we did find them, it was lovely.  

And the city was striking, like one of those incredibly photogenic people who can't seem to take a bad photo.  

Particularly at sunset.

So here you go.