Traveling into the Desert

RDO, JL and I were in Phoenix, Arizona this past week for work. We took the time to sample a little of everything nearby. For newcomers to this site, click the "Read More" link below to view the pictures.

The first stop for myself and JL was the Phoenix Zoo. I was going mainly to practice with my 70-300mm lens. I got some great shots, and also learned a lot about shooting with a long lens. The squirrel monkeys were my favorite. A particularly aggressive male monkey named Curt would see himself in my lens, and try to stare down the intruding reflection. The zookeepers were friendly and willing to answer questions - I'd recommend the zoo to anyone looking for some neat photos or a taste of animal kingdom.

Our free day had two agendas: visit the Apache Trail, and go on a pubcrawl. The first was a complete success. We traveled east onto the Apache Trail, and were greeted by soaring rock walls, a desert mountain lake, and even a cave for RDO. We stopped in the 6-person town of Tortilla Flats for lunch, and had some BBQ and a beer on the patio while taking in the house band.

The second part of the day did not go as planned, mainly due to our rigorous work schedule. We didn't have time for a complete pub crawl, so we settled for a trip to the Vine, the Devil House, and the Library. The Devil House had one cent drinks until the first person had to go to the bathroom. Our fun was soon spoiled by a drunk girl rushing to the bathroom. I was relieved, as I was about to wet myself.  We finished the night at the Library, another completely reputable drinking establishment.