A large percentage of the U.S. is considered desert. Desert land begins after you cross the Mississippi River (for the most part). Of course, first you go through the plains and the plains lead into the desert country. As I’ve traveled the U.S. on the ground, I’ve learned a lot more about geography, geology and topography. These subjects were just so much “ho-hum” when I was a kid back in school and was learning about them from textbooks (boring) and the occasional filmstrip (today we have PowerPoint presentations). It is so much different actually experiencing the geography, geology and topography first hand.
I don’t want to sound naïve about my new opportunities to learn and experience the U.S. I’ve traversed this country many, many times. However, when I was traveling past the Mississippi River (from the east), I was typically looking down at the U.S. from 6 miles above in a long silver tube hurtling through the sky. I had experienced bits and pieces of desert territory in California, Arizona and Texas during numerous visits to these states. But, actually driving through the states and seeing and experiencing what is meant by the high plains and the high desert is a completely different experience. The topography is so different from place to place. The vegetation varies. The rock formations and the kinds of rock and sand and soil all differ. Each place I’ve gone has been different in several ways from other places I’ve been.
I took this photo near Parker, Arizona in April of 2011. Parker is a border town on the Colorado River separating Arizona from California. It was a hazy day in the desert, as you can see. The five Saguaro cacti in the photo (one almost completely hidden behind the bush in the center) gave me a feeling of the isolation and loneliness of such a vast area of less then hospitable country.
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