Assignment - Sweet Escape

Thank you Bella for the prompt that could bring me out of my self inflicted pity party !

Having just lost my father and going into a major flare up of my auto-immune disease, I think my desire to create decided to take a hiatus. You are welcome to view one of his awesome photos and my tribute to him here.

I LOVE Arizona. 

I love the canyons, deserts, sunshine/heat and the waters of the Colorado and Lake Powell.

I love to hike, ride, drive, raft and kayak in Arizona!

I love to explore and photograph Arizona!

Did I mention that I LOVE Arizona?

My first visit was almost 50 years ago at the age of 10, with my family on vacation. 

My parents, five kids and a dog in a station wagon camped our way from Toronto Canada to California. 

It was the year that my father gave me my first camera and taught me how to take pictures.

In the past 9 years I have returned almost every year. (the first few without a camera unfortunately!)

I start planning my trip in the winter with research, usually into new sites or locations that I had read about or passed by on a previous trip. 

I learned how important this was when I tried to book a 7 day raft/camping trip through the Grand Canyon only to discover that they were booking a year in advance!

For a variety of reasons I won't be able to go to Arizona this year so this perfect prompt inspired me to take a wonderful trip down memory lane through years of photos from my youth to last fall's excursions.

Sharing a few of my favourite shots in reverse chronological order:

2011 - Kayaking Lake Powell and Lone Rock at sunset

2011 - Monument Valley (which is technically in Utah!)

2011 - Antelope Canyon - I had to come back with a better camera as we wanted to be able to enlarge and hang the photos

2009 - Antelope Canyon is one of the most spiritual places I have ever experienced 

2009 - Colorado River Rafting through the Grand Canyon

2009 - Saguaro Forest with blooms in May

2009 - Horseshoe Bend near Page AZ - again, I returned in 2011 with a better camera and tripod

     

2008 - a return to Grand Canyon 

and the moment I decided that I wasn't content looking down from the top. 

I had to get down in there and explore the river, waterfalls and canyons!

1963 - where my love of Arizona began Grand Canyon National Park (left) and Meteor Crater (right)

I have so enjoyed this prompt Bella!! Thanks for the nudge that you didn't know I needed ! *lol*

This has allowed me to recall some treasured memories and to identify and appreciate yet another wonderful way that my father contributed to who I am today. . .