One of my favorite things about meeting someone special is getting to visit and be shown around the places that touch their hearts the most. It makes you think, what are your favorite places, and what would you show someone new first to get them to fall in love with the area? I was lucky enough to be shown around Ehrenberg, AZ several times and this post is a compilation of a few different visits. Brian and his family own a trailer on the banks of the Colorado River on the border of California and Arizona. This was really my first experience with spending time in the desert and I must say he did a good job of showing me around, because I am in love.

One of my favorite parts about driving to Ehrenberg is passing by the sea of wind turbines near Palm Springs. There is just something fascinating about them! The cloud coverage that day made their slow droning look particularly ominous.

I got to spend the majority of my time around the River Lagoon Resort which is a great little neighborhood filled with decorated trailers of the self described "Desert and River Rats". I loved the whole vibe. Along the river are great tracks for sand friendly rides and I was lucky enough to be escorted around in the best golf cart in the Country!

I've spent many times around rivers, but until this point I hadn't spent any quality time in the desert. I gained a new appreciation for rivers that go through a desert! There is a unique beauty and scent, it's a reprieve from the extreme heat and dryness, and those colors!!! The desert sunsets alone give me a million feels.

When you are a photographer, you tend to remember most vividly the moments you weren't able to capture. I call them my ghosts of images never taken. You just KNOW they would've been perfect and instead you are relegated to use your words to describe them. My vocabulary will never do it justice, but this evening was too magical not to mention.

We waited until Moon Rise, which that night was a bright half moon, and Brian took me jeepin' along the river's edge. Dozens of white owls started taking flight all around us as we made our way through the desert. Before long we could hear "braying" off in the near distance and we pulled off by the shore and peered through the darkness to the middle of river. There was a rushing sound as a train of donkeys made their way across. I wish I had the photographs, but it was a phenomenal experience none the less and one I will always hold dear.

No one knows how and where to eat better than the locals and if you find yourself near Ehrenberg you should check out Karlz's Sand Shack for the ultimate Breakfast Quesadilla! It was so large in came in a pizza box. Absolutely delicious and perfect for sharing!

The way back from the Sand Shack was a fun one. Each turn gave us a different view, facing the river one moment and then back towards the mountains.

The most unexpected thing was coming across a field of cotton right in the middle of nowhere!

Another of my favorite Arizona desert towns is called Quartzite and it's just a hop, skip & a jump from Ehrenberg. During the winter months this place is jamming with RV's and Crafter's. It's a giant outdoors market filled with gemstones, handmade items, and foods. One of the permanent fixtures of the town is Oasis Bookstore. It is literally filled floor to ceiling with books and the owner, Paul - The Naked Book Keeper or "Sweet Pie" - could not be more gracious and friendly, or more naked! I have made a point since this time to stop by every time I'm in this direction. There is also a gem/rock shop in the parking lot which always catches my attention!

It was finally time to get more acquainted with the Colorado River and get out on the water! During the Summer months it's almost mandatory to be out there to escape the heat! Besides, what's better on a 120 degree day than drinking cheap beer, sitting in the water, socializing with others and watching the clouds and river roll by? (The answer is nothing. Nothing is better).

In the middle of the night I heard a familiar pinging sound on the trailers tin roof. I grabbed a blanket, and my dog, and ran outside to sit on the stoop and experience a quick desert rain. The scent was intoxicating and to this day it remains a top 5 of mine. The reason a desert rain smells like no other is because of the scent the Creosote Bush emits when it's wet. You feel like a new person after a shower has come through, that's for sure!

Our next day's adventure was back in the jeep, going far out from the river and into the desert! I was fascinated by a rock that had the date 12/21/26 etched into the side. I loved thinking about all the reasons why that date could have meant something to the person who inscribed it there!