New Mexico – Anthony Heywood

So a little earlier this year, I decided that I was going to move my home base to Las Vegas, a town I’ve long been fan of, having many friends there and being a terrific jumping off point for all the incredible national parks nearby. As much as I enjoyed my time in South Florida, I missed the mountains so I set about planning my move.

I decided to initially move out there on a trial basis to see how things go work wise and if it all goes to plan, then make the move permanent. To that note, I knew I would need to take the basics with me, so I rented an SUV and loaded it up with all my essential shiny toys, leaving my furniture and all the grown up adulting stuff in storage.

The route I chose would take me mostly along the south coast of the US then up through Texas and Arizona over the course of 6 days.

Having done a fair few road trips over my time I estimated that I could average about 500 miles a day. In reality in the early part of the trip I was doing over 700, but that then gave me an opportunity to stop in some scenic places in the latter part of the trip.

Highlights were definitely thinking I was seeing the arrival of aliens when I captured the SpaceX launch while in Phoenix, visiting the art installation Prada Marfa in Texas and then seeing a fake tiny Target store the next day. Of course Sedona was incredible as always – such epic scenery. I ended up at my friends house in Vegas on Christmas Day and was treated to the most amazing traditional British style Christmas dinner all topped off with sticky toffee pudding and custard. I couldn’t have come up with a better way to end the trip and start the next phase of my life in Viva Las Vegas baby!

So earlier this year I had the opportunity to reunite with a lifelong friend, who also happens to be called Anthony to take a road trip through two magnificent States. I say two, but we actually visited five if you count the brief jaunt into a town called Anthony on the Texas border and a quick stop at the four corners monument.

map

I never tire of road tripping around the US, with it’s incredibly diverse landscapes. The 12 days went incredibly quickly and I snapped more pictures than you can shake a stick at, but I have selected some of my favorites below. They are a mix of snaps on my phone and shots taken on my ‘proper’ camera. Some of the highlights were Garden of the Gods just outside of Colorado Springs, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Zapata Falls, Los Alamos, Roswell, White Sands National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, the Very Large Array (one of the locations seen in ‘Contact’), and a fantastic day of snowboarding in Breckenridge to end the trip on a real high.

Road to somewhere

Starting the day, and the trip off right…

I’m not saying this is a UFO, but I’m also not saying it isn’t

Mountains close to Great Sand Dunes National Park

Zapata Falls

The valley floor from mid hike up to Zapata falls

Anthony mid hike to Zapata Falls

Zapata Falls

Th snow beginning to melt at Zapata Falls

Leaping deer

3 deer in a row

Great Sand Dunes National Park… taken on the way back after having failed to hike to the top of the highest dune. It was just too darn cold…. and too darn high… plus I did it last time.