LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL: arizona

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The Whiskey Off-Road is a mountain bike race that takes place in Prescott, Arizona each year. Since its inception a decade ago, the race – and ensuing concert – has risen from 200 participants to 2000. During that time, the event has evolved into one of the best mountain bike competitions in America, drawing more than 50,000 attendees and handing out the largest single day pro cash purse in the world.

This year's Whiskey Off-Road took place on April 27, which means you've already missed out on the fun for this year. Check out the video below to get a taste of what went down at this amazing looking event. After you've finished viewing, if you feel inspired enough to want to join the ride next year, mark your calendars now. Registration will open January 1, 2014.

Whiskey Off-Road: 10 Years In The Saddle from Epic Rides on Vimeo.

"Thou canst not travel on the Path before thou hast become that Path itself." Madame Blavatsky; "Voice of the Silence", 1889.

Paraphrased: “You cannot travel the path until you have become the path itself.”

Words I have always lived by. Part of the excitement of getting to a destination, is the actual journey. This is why, I am addicted to road trips and am absolutely glad and excited that Josh shares this same sentiment with me. America is the perfect land for such long trips, especially here in the West. Looking out the window, as landscapes go by, I find myself speechless and enamored. Taking roads less taken is also key to our roads trips, which falls right back to making the journey just as exciting as the destination.

The image above is from the top of a mesa, in the extreme parts of SE Utah. From this spot, we can see Monument Valley and Mexican Hat. Here, we had just left Canyon de Chelly in Arizona and had begun our treck northwest to our temporary night-destination of Capitol Reef National Park. We chose to cut through the deserts diagonally, taking smaller than usual roads. Little did we know that this particular road was to reach a sheer sandstone wall and would have turned to bare dirt and switchbacks, straight up it. You can see the paved portion of the road in the distance and the dirt portion on the right. An amazing sight! A pleasant surprise and a leg of the journey we will always remember.

The images below speak for themselves, we think :) Our path took us straight to Sedona, AZ (where I attended one year of high school, at a little school called Verde Valley School). From there, we drove to Jerome; through Flagstaff; to Meteor Crater; Canyon de Chelly and it's White House Ruins at the bottom of the canyon where we met my old archaeology coworker and friend, Jen, form a decade earlier in my life (she is a staff archaeologist for the National Park there); on to Monument Valley; Mexican Hat; Natural Bridges National Monument; Glenn Canyon National Recreation Area, to the far Northeastern edge of Lake Powell, where no one ever goes, seriously!; then Capitol Reef National Park.

We didn't stop at every single location overnight, if at all, because we were on a bit of a schedule to get back to Portland with days to recuperate for our wedding season. But we know that that area is amazing and we will be back with plenty of time to explore!

Thanks for looking at our photos and indulging in our trips as much as we do :))) <3

~ Alice (& Josh)

PS: clicking on any image will make it larger... some deserve the treatment! :)

Hi everyone! Josh and I have been absent in the Blog-World... we know and apologize for it! ;) We have, however, been constantly updating our Facebook Page and hope that you were able to see the updates and progress of our road trip to Las Vegas as it was happening!

Well, another amazing trip to the SW has come and gone. Josh and I visit the annual, giant, photography conference in Las Vegas (WPPI) every single year. Every year, it happens right around the end of February/beginning of March. Last year, we flew down for three days. This year, we decided to drive down! Portland, through back-country SE Oregon, through back-country Nevada, to Las Vegas. Then on our way back, we decided to take a little "detour" to the amazing Grand Canyon, in Arizona. I know... not a "detour" per se, sine it was about 300 miles in the opposite direction ;) It was worth the extra two days on the road... let me tell you!

We are photographers, as you know, so every single time we leave our house and venture out into a world we don't normally find ourselves in, we take our cameras and all of our equipment. Along whichever way we find ourselves in, we are observant and will stop our advancement, as we see interesting and amazing features and views and details to photograph. Our drive south to Las Vegas took three days. We took it easy! We stopped when we came across a little town in the middle of nowhere, where we could find shelter and food and where we could rest up, before getting back on the road during the day. Day-driving is key for us when we are in landscapes we love to observe. It's the only way to see the country, if you ask me! ;)

Las Vegas was simply nuts. All of our photography friends, from all over the country, were gathered there, to see new products available to us pros, and to simply have fun! Our photography lab, Pictage, ALWAYS throws the BIGGEST party in Vegas! Tuesday was the day, at Studio 54. 1400 photographers were packed in there and everyone was dancing and having a great time. A perfect end to yet another awesome WPPI. Just you wait till we talk about the new products Pictage has at our fingertips!! Can I just say: business insurance AND health insurance for us small business owners?!?! WOW!!

As mentioned above, our way back to Portland, after Las Vegas, took a little detour. We ended up heading the opposite direction from Portland... to the Grand Canyon in Arizona! Josh had never been there before (I on the other hand, had, several times, having lived in Arizona for 8 long and wonderful years). Plus, a large and ominous winter storm was about to hit our planned way back home, so we thought to go the opposite way, to try to miss the bulk of it. We did miss it, by one day! The day after we left the Grand Canyon, it received 2 feet of snow! We woud have been stuck there if we hadn't left when we did (darn it!! lol ;)

On a personal note: Some of you may know that I am an archaeologist. I don't practice the science any more (though I'd love to get back into it in my spare time, which I DON'T have!). During and right after college at the University of Arizona in Tucson, I worked as and archaeologist for 5 years. Along my digs in the SW, I met Blayne and Donelle. They are archaeologists still, to this day, and I hadn't seen them since I lest the field back in 2003. Well... they drove up to the Grand Canyon from Phoenix to meet with me!! It was an amazing reunion for me and an awesome introduction to my old scientific world to Josh! What an amazing time we had! 8 years after the last time I saw them, I ended up meeting up with them at the Grand Canyon, of all places!! :) What a small and wonderful world we live in.

The photos I am posting below are but a handful of all of the ones we took. We also have amaaaaazing panoramas to show you, but can't really post them on this blog! I'll have to figure out where to post them, so you can see... they are gorgeous images of gorgeous landscapes unique to the American Southwest, which holds a huge place in my heart <3

Thanks for looking, friends!!

~ Alice & Josh

Driving through extreme SE Oregon in the winter.