White Sands: The Dunes

I can't even explain what it was like to walk through the "backcountry" of White Sands. All it takes is climbing over a few dunes for you to feel like you're in the middle of no where, miles from anyone. Sleeping in the "backcountry", an area that starts a mere 3/4's of a mile, from the parking lot, is the only way to experience the dunes. Sunset and sunrise is when the dunes are in all of their glory. I've never felt like I was on another planet more in my life.

Please enjoy a few photos of the dunes. If only photographs could do this place justice.

Tyler Gates
Good Life Photography

White Sands: Just a Taste

I just got back from 3 days in Southwestern New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment. I spent one night in White Sands National Monument and one night in the Gila Wilderness. Both places were absolutely amazing! And although 24 hours in White Sands is all you'll need, the views I saw will stay with me for life. As for the Gila Wilderness, I think I could live there for a year and not see all of its wonder.

Either way, the next 3-5 posts will most likely center around this trip and those destinations. So please keep checking back for updates, I'll try to be fairly regular. In the meantime enjoy a little taste of White Sands.

Enjoy
Tyler Gates
Good Life Photography

Chochise County

sun rise from the mountains looking towards NM

Emma and I took a weekend to explore more of Arizona a few weeks ago. Since Tucson is one of the warmest places in Arizona and we hate the idea of it getting colder, we only had a few options. We decided to head to South Eastern AZ, and check out Cochise County. We started the trip by driving straight to Chiricahua National Monument. The preserve protects an area of mountains covered in rock pillars and hoo doos. Originally we planned on doing an afternoon of hiking, and a night of camping, followed by a whole day exploring old "Wild West" town, but plans changed after we fell in love with the monument. We woke up early to see the sun rise and then after breakfast we did another long hike.
After we left the park we drove South and West to Bisbee, an old mining town turned arts and biker town. For those of you from back home, think New Hope, PA, but way bigger and way cooler. We got some great Mexican food from what we thought was just a crappy tourist restaurant, and then spent an hour or so walking around the downtown area. The town is like something out of a movie, because it is, including the very interesting characters that run the stores and inhabit the run down bars.
Once we had decided our first chore after getting home was looking up apartment prices in Bisbee, we continued on to Tombstone, AZ. Tombstone now seems to be the Disney version of it's former Wild West self. It was cool, but the most interesting part were the die hard Western fans there to visit their mecca.
I chose not to take any photos because I definitely plan on going back and spending at least an entire day in each town. I'll preferably go back during some sort of holiday or something when the crazies will really come out. Until then enjoy these photos from Chiricahua National Monument

tourist outside of the original settler's home

front of the house

another original building

balancing rocks