Desert Dreams: Our Latest Stop

Trading in the Sonoran Desert for the Mojave Desert, we left behind the saguaro and are greeted on our twice-daily treks by Joshua trees, yucca, creosote, agave, and a variety of cacti, most notably the taller cholla. I miss the bird song of southern Arizona, but we now roam a lusher, more fragrant land. Recent rain infuses the air with a sweetness exotic to these New England pilgrims. The aroma of creosote and sage intoxicates us. While Samwise and Emily carry their noses high since we are walking where wild horses and burros live.

The highlights of our three weeks down south were the morning walks through hills of statuesque saguaros, hours spent on the porch of our casita watching the hummingbirds, and cool evenings by the fireplace. For a vegan from northern New Hampshire, where the closest Whole Foods or Trader Joe's is two hours away, I was spoiled by the dizzying convenience of seven of these stores within twenty minutes of our base.

But the time came when we needed to move on…