Thursday, June 24, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Navajo Nation
Flagstaff Sucks
Aside from the friendly people and the seemingly slow pace of life, Flagstaff really doesn’t have much to offer. The town is so small and tight knit that every restaurant you walk into seems like a scene out of Cheers…everyone literally knows your name (if you live there that is). The City itself isn’t known for any 5 Star restaurants, nor is it known for any popular tourist attractions. If you turn on the radio, you’ll find that they’re just releasing “New Music – Jay Z’s Young Forever” and it’s probably one of many southwest towns that boast a Gun Shop “conveniently located” behind the US Post Office. So what is it about Flagstaff that makes it such a special place…nothing; Flagstaff sucks, it’s what you see beyond Flagstaff that really inspires the mind.
Over the past weekend I had an opportunity to see a little bit of the American Southwest. With every intention of only visiting the south rim of the Grand Canyon, I geared up with my usual photo bag, first aid kit, GPS locator and was ready to go. Being my first time in the American Southwest, I wasn’t use encountering a large amount of Native Americans in the area and it was by chance that one generous Native American would help me see beyond the realm of what was in front of me, lead me to his lands and his heritage…so without further ado, welcome to Navajo Nation.
Be prepared. The backcountry of the American Southwest is a desert and much like a DMV employee on a busy Tuesday morning, it has its mood swings. The desert has been known to have 30-40 degree swings in temperature so one has to be prepared for the worst. Driving through the back roads isn’t so bad but do remember to bring your GPS and your iPod. It would also be a good idea to have a personal locator device in case stuff hits the fan because out back, there isn’t any cell phone reception. If you forget your iPod like I did, learn to love country; learn to love static in your music and learn to just be grateful if you’re even able to pick up a station. I remember driving through remote parts and I remember hitting the scan button and all I saw was the radio going from 87.9 all the way through to 107.9 and keep looping! Learn to love blue grass and get use to hearing remakes of Johnny Be Good and Hound Dog on the radio many times over. Most importantly, remember to hydrate and use good common sense when in a remote area.
What was in my Survival Bag:
Compass
ACR Electronics AquaLink PLB
Plastic Whistle
Signaling Mirror
2 Person First Aid Kit with Snake Bite kit
Camelback Hydration System
What made travel easy:
Patagonia Drifter AC Hiking Shoes (with Vibram Trail Ecostep outsoles)
Northface Paramount Peak Convertible Pants
REI Sahara Tech Shirts
Marmot Aegis Storm Shell
Special Camera bags and harnesses
Mosquito Repellent with 100% Deet
5 Hour Energy Drinks
Maps
Aside from the friendly people and the seemingly slow pace of life, Flagstaff really doesn’t have much to offer. The town is so small and tight knit that every restaurant you walk into seems like a scene out of Cheers…everyone literally knows your name (if you live there that is). The City itself isn’t known for any 5 Star restaurants, nor is it known for any popular tourist attractions. If you turn on the radio, you’ll find that they’re just releasing “New Music – Jay Z’s Young Forever” and it’s probably one of many southwest towns that boast a Gun Shop “conveniently located” behind the US Post Office. So what is it about Flagstaff that makes it such a special place…nothing; Flagstaff sucks, it’s what you see beyond Flagstaff that really inspires the mind.
Over the past weekend I had an opportunity to see a little bit of the American Southwest. With every intention of only visiting the south rim of the Grand Canyon, I geared up with my usual photo bag, first aid kit, GPS locator and was ready to go. Being my first time in the American Southwest, I wasn’t use encountering a large amount of Native Americans in the area and it was by chance that one generous Native American would help me see beyond the realm of what was in front of me, lead me to his lands and his heritage…so without further ado, welcome to Navajo Nation.
Be prepared. The backcountry of the American Southwest is a desert and much like a DMV employee on a busy Tuesday morning, it has its mood swings. The desert has been known to have 30-40 degree swings in temperature so one has to be prepared for the worst. Driving through the back roads isn’t so bad but do remember to bring your GPS and your iPod. It would also be a good idea to have a personal locator device in case stuff hits the fan because out back, there isn’t any cell phone reception. If you forget your iPod like I did, learn to love country; learn to love static in your music and learn to just be grateful if you’re even able to pick up a station. I remember driving through remote parts and I remember hitting the scan button and all I saw was the radio going from 87.9 all the way through to 107.9 and keep looping! Learn to love blue grass and get use to hearing remakes of Johnny Be Good and Hound Dog on the radio many times over. Most importantly, remember to hydrate and use good common sense when in a remote area.
What was in my Survival Bag:
Compass
ACR Electronics AquaLink PLB
Plastic Whistle
Signaling Mirror
2 Person First Aid Kit with Snake Bite kit
Camelback Hydration System
What made travel easy:
Patagonia Drifter AC Hiking Shoes (with Vibram Trail Ecostep outsoles)
Northface Paramount Peak Convertible Pants
REI Sahara Tech Shirts
Marmot Aegis Storm Shell
Special Camera bags and harnesses
Mosquito Repellent with 100% Deet
5 Hour Energy Drinks
Maps
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Mae + Tito
We would like to congratulate the new Mr. and Mrs. Tito Biaggi! The Castaway Restaurant was the beautiful location for Mae and Tito's special day! We couldn't ask for anything more! We had a great time capturing their lifetime of memories and we hope they did too! Once again, congratulations to the newly weds Mae and Tito!
Click on the images to enlarge...
Click on the images to enlarge...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
