America, the beautiful. The land of the free. The last frontier. A land, where dreams are made – or even turned into reality.
Arizona is the state of the breathtaking Grand Canyon that draws in so many visitors from near and far due to its surreal beauty. Nature never ceases to surprise us, especially not in the U.S., where we find incredible natural landforms in sheer surreal places. Much of the land has been left wild and free to grow, preserving its charm and history. From two big oceans, to lush green mountains, the fruitful prairies that tell the story of America’s heart and its native inhabitants, as well as hot and vast desert land, North America has it all and might just be the most diverse continent there is.
Powerful Natural Wonder
Doing its name justice, the infamous and stunning Horseshoe Bend is a circular canyon that has been carved out by the Colorado River. We always talk about photogenic people, but how about this place? Picture perfect in its natural imperfection. The steep canyon walls are massive and just as much intimidating as they are beautiful. They remind us of how small and almost insignificant a part we are in this world and how much more powerful nature is.
The power of nature – that’s exactly it. As humans, we have advanced throughout evolution and built an earth of our own. We are in control. Most of the time. But we will always co-exist with nature, which is unpredictable. It is the original face of our world that we will never be able to fully change – as it changes us. In this great unpredictability of nature lies deep-rooted, calm beauty. Something that is so mesmerizing, letting us stand in awe.
Deceptive Beauty in Arizona
The view on Horsehow Bend tinted in golden light during a clear sunset puts our all existence into a new perspective. For a split second, we might ask ourselves philosophical questions about being and living on an earth that we oftentimes think we have thoroughly studied and figured out to the last rock. But the truth is, we don’t. There is still so much that has not been discovered yet and that will, most likely, always remain hidden. Hidden behind the oftentimes deceptive beauty of our landscapes, in this case the dramatic Grand Canyon.
Oh beautiful, for spacious skies […] – Katharine Lee Bates (America the Beautiful)
All too often, we think of desert as dead land. But, let us shift the angle towards seeing the things that do live here in this extreme, hot and during the winter nights cold, rough terrain of contrasts. It is not dead land. On the contrary, there is life. Plants do exist. We spot little species who have adapted to the extreme lifestyle in this environment. It helps us to remember to look closer and not just simply at the surface. There’s more. Always. If only we want to see what’s hidden underneath.
Iconic Road Trips
America is also the land of road trips and this is where the vast, open land with its – quote-unquote – “spacious” skies becomes obvious. We can be free. There are no limits to life. It’s just how we want to live it and if and how we limit ourselves. And the desert terrain serves as a wonderful reminder that there is freedom. In everything.
Going for hours, miles. Seemingly forever. A land that does not seem to end. As plain and boring the surface of the desert may look to one, as impressive and alive it looks to another. But as always and everything: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It’s all about what we allow our eyes – and hence, mind – to see.
