Out in the Arizona desert

I've always had an ankering for the wilds. If I ever get money I'll buy a secluded island in the Pacific and a house in a quiet glen overlooking the sea in Northern Donegal, here in Ireland. If you can get a job there I'd say go for it.

Alot of the really inhospitable places are just so beautiful ... deserts, the high arctic, the really high mountains in the Andes or Himalayas, etc

Originally posted by xristar One thing (among others) I would like to do before I die: Drive across USA, through all these magificent landscapes we see on cinema. I mean, really, nothing of Europe matches it. I envy you eaglecap, I really do (I mean it).If I were ritch, I would want to have a boat, a big enough boat, and sail the oceans. Visit the Caribean (man o man!) and Singapure, the North sea's lands as well as Patagonia and Antarctica...

Well if I ever win the lotto I will send you over- LOL
Yes, on my journey here I saw some incredible things, especially in southern Utah. I drove through part of the Navajo Indian reservation and saw some really dramatic mesas and plataeus. If you want to see some unusual landscapes that you never seen in Europe then I would suggest southern Utah and Northern Arizona. The Pacific Northwest is incredible but you have places in Europe similar to that area- BC Canada is also worth seeing and I will miss Canada and my many trips to the BC wild. I hope I do not lose my Canadian accent that everyone claims I have whether by phone or in person. I also say AAA! and not huh!! I still cannot figure out how I picked up this Canadian accent- maybe in a past life I was Canadian- LOL

I am finally taking the time to see my new surroundings and even though it is desert there are some awesome looking mountains I have yet to explore near by. Hiking and wilderness camping or backpacking are my favorite hobbies, along with photography, hunting, fishing and bird watching. I have to get use to the fact that most of the plants have stickers or thorns and of course those nasty rattle snakes. Really, I love snakes but not the ones who can kill you. Scorpions - which means I have to check my shoes or boots if I leave them outside. I hope I can get a chance to see a coral snake.    

One thing that is cool is that on my brother's property after a good rain you can find pottery shards and some till have the paint on them. They are from the various nomadic indian tribes who have passed through this area over the centuries. You will never find a whole piece of pottery because the Indians smashed them after they were through with them to release the spirit within the pottery. They were animist or believed everything had a spirit. So, it is of little archaeological value. There are much better archaeological sites here which are protected under either state or national park status- also U.S forest service land. Some much to see and learn here.

Looks like I might take this new job afterall so it is time to relocate or start making plans. If you do not see me here for a while it is because I will be too busy with this move and taking on a new teaching job.

Edited by eaglecap - 16-Dec-2008 at 19:04

Originally posted by Parnell Europe has some fantastic sites. When I was younger my family spent a week in Austria in the height of summer. High in the Alps, in a little mountain town we saw some of the most beautiful combination of woodland, massive snow-peaked mountains and flowers in full bloom. It was like something out of Alice in Wonderland.

I agree and I have been to vsrious parts of Europe six times and I love the beauty there. I really enjoy the cultural differences and of course Scotland and most of all Greece are my favorite places. I will admit being an ethnic Greek I am a bit biased- LOL. I really loved the rugged beauty of both nations. Turkey was incredible also and probably the best bargain for Europeans and Americans.

But North Amererica, especially the desert sowthwest, has landscapes that are very unique and not found in Europe and it is a bit wilder here, I mean out west. A lot more open spaces and wild areas but it is a harsh land to live in also.

Google or yahoo images from; Byrce, Zion, or any of Utah's national parks and you will see what I saw.

Here are some- sources below

by mosiah2v17's - It was on fliker - yahoo so hopefully I can use these but let me know and I will delete them


I passed this on the way and I will post my pics whenever I get the flim developed.


By *tdl* on Flickr


By TheTruthAboutMortgage.com


By PJ Pad on Flickr

Originally posted by edgewaters Originally posted by xristar One thing (among others) I would like to do before I die: Drive across USA, through all these magificent landscapes we see on cinema. I mean, really, nothing of Europe matches it. I envy you eaglecap, I really do (I mean it). I envy Europe sometimes too. I've only been to a few parts of the British Isles, but we have nothing like Ireland or Wales, and they're gorgeous. Rural England has its charms too. Sometimes a little melancholy, but there's something really attractive about even that. I can't speak for the rest of the continent personally, but I've seen some amazing pictures from places like Austria, Italy, Spain, and others. North America is a magnificent continent too, especially our wild places. The land is amazing anywhere you go on this planet, sometimes you just need to be able to tune in to a place's uniqueness.

I agree there are also a lot of unique things only found in Europe- especially in the realm of culture and architecture. I envy him for being in Greece and I would be back in a heart beat if I could. For me, Greece is about: family, culture, the landscape and its or our long history. I was impressed with some of the open space I found in Greece and the Vikos Aoos national Park was truly awesome!! Maybe in a year I will come back to Greece for vacation or holiday as Europeans called it. The ruins, forts, castles and rugged landscape is very unique to Greece or for me. Turkey was also incredbly awesome and I would enjoy returning there as well- cheaper than Europe now.

My trip south just allowed me to see either once again or in some areas for the first time how big and beautiful my country is. The only thing I will hate, if I take this job, is being away from supernatural BC Canada. One of the most beautiful places in the world!! in my humble opinion! I will miss backpacking in the Canadian wild and shaking hands with the grizzly bears or wolverines-

Yes, those are very beautiful pics of Ireland. I have been to Ireland and other than the rain I found it to be a very beautiful country in it own unique way. We have the same rain issue on the west sides of: Washington, Oregon and N. California. BC is also very wet!!
I spent a few days in Wicklow National Park and that is where I thought I saw a ghost late at night in an Irish cemetery. It turned out to be a sheep whose wool glowed from the full moon. Almost had a heart attack!! Kilarney is also nice!! I think it is strange that people still put flowers on the graves of people who died in the 1600's. But, at the same time I found respect in it.

Parnell google or yahoooooooo!! the images of the Oregon, Washington and BC Canada coast lines- very impressive!!

Edited by eaglecap - 17-Dec-2008 at 20:47

Originally posted by Al Jassas Hello eagle   Believe me, waite untill summer comes and then you will curse the day you decided to come in the first place (of course persuming that Arizona summers are like Riyadh summers where you have 0 humidity and the airconditioner at full blast and you feel nothing because its 60+ in the sun and almost 50 in the shade).   I like Oregon coast by the way from the pictures I saw and from what I saw in the Discovery seies "Ax men". Now that is a beautifull place except one thing, its damn cold even in summer. I don't mind rain in fact I love it, I wouldn't mind living in Cherrapunji (they get 10 000 mm, 10 m or 500+ inches of rain/year on average with one year exceeding 20m of rain).   As for you dear Xristar, sorry to dissapoint you but most of those places you see in cinema and TV are in Canada since it is cheaper to film there particularly. If they say it is Wyoming than it is definitely Alberta or Saskatchewan, Alaska then it is Northern BC. The beautiful New England countryside is Ontario or the maritime provinces, Seattle is actually Vancouver, Pittsburgh and Chicago are typically Montreal. Only when they say it is the deep south or the desert that they really film in the US. None the less the US is worth it and more. If you decide on going count me with you.   AL-Jassas

Xristar- that is true with many of the newer movies but Canada can never replace places like Monument Valley or the Grand Canyon. The canyon country I drove through in S. Utah cannot be found in Canada but Al J. is right many movies are being flimed north but Canada is awesome also and much wilder. The star gate series was flimed both in Washington State and BC Canada and so is the new Outer Limits. Most of the older movies before the 1990's were flimed here and they still flim in the USA. Spokane has a movie company called North by Northwest and they flim both in Washington/Oregon states and Canada. There has been several movies, that made it to the big screen, filmed in Spokane.

I lived in California for a few years but yes it is humid and hot here because in the summer the monsoon rains come up from Mexico and the desert turns green. I love the cactus and other interesting things out here. I also see a lot of beautiful birds I have never see before. I have been keeping an eye out for indian pottery or tools you can find around here. I am not sure what tribe they belonged to. I really do adapt fast to climates but I am waiting to hear if I get that job otherwise I go back.

I was at the Oregon coast the previous summer for the first time. I volunteered to help a friend do some repair work on his summer home. It was hot and dry on the east side of Washington State but as soon as I got to the Oregon beach- RAIN!! and more rain!! We had a few sunny days but the beaches are beautiful and the forests are really a rain forest and extremely lush. We camped on my friend's brothers house and they have herds of elk, moose and of course lots of deer. We went and toured the Tillamook cheese factory- incredible- I love cheese!!!

My area:
Whetstone mountains- one of several mountains ranges- not the biggest

By dmguz on Flickr


By SIngraham on Flickr

The Rincon Mountains which you can see from my new place- pine forests on the higher elevations

By Airplane Journal on Flickr

View from the Kartchner Caverns State Park's "Foothill Loop Trail" towards the Dragoon Mountains - general view of my area but there is a town of over 20,000 somewhere below, maybe out of view.
By AlmostOnTime on Flickr

The dragoon Mountains which are famous for Chochise's last stand against the US military in the late 1800's.
By Wes Noonan on Flickr

the town I will be living near, if I make this move.
By Blue Fork on Flickr
None of these pictures really do the place justice and in time I will put up my own.

Towards Tucson about 45 mins by freeway we have the giant Saguaro Cactus- like the one here but not around Benson.

By backlitcoyote on Flickr

Edited by eaglecap - 18-Dec-2008 at 19:43

I decideded to relocate to the desert southwest.
It is neat that you can find Native American artifacts on or around where I have moved to- took the job in this area. I have been moving so this is why I have not been here. The artifacts are usually pottery shards or chips to make arrow heads but so far no arrow heads and I am still looking for pottery shards. There is nothing here of real museum value here or so far.
You really have to watch out for those Cholla (Choya) cacti- needles as hard as can be with tiny hooks to cling onto your skin or clothes-double ouch!! I will miss the over 3 feet of snow in Spokane, Washington- boo hoo!!
Anyone else here live in the deserts of their state or country???