16 ARIZONA PAINTERLY PHOTOS

This Gallery captures the essence of each of Arizona's major regions...some harsh, some gentle, always scenic.

Over a million acres in size, Glen Canyon Recreation Area is shared with southern Utah. The waters of Lake Powell, created when the Glen Canyon Dam was completed, have been captivating campers, fishermen and red rock explorers since 1966.  The  South Rim of the Grand Canyon  has a fine view of the Colorado River.  There are many Red Rock Canyons in the south west deserts...Sedona, Topock, Las Vegas, not to mention Utah, New Mexico, California.  Sudden flash floods often occur.
     The Colorado River has carved many canyons including Topock Gorge seen here with the Needles Peak Mts in the distance. The Bend in the Gila River, near Globe Arizona,  is a tributary of the Colorado river.  Yuma's Lettuce Field relies on Ditch Irrigation from the Colorado River. There are also prominent smaller rivers like the Santa Cruz river...flowing freely when it stimulated Tucson's San Xavier del Bac Mission...but flows now only in the rainy season.  Rivers have always been the mainstay of a culture; Tuzigoot National Monument reveals the remnants of a Sinagua Indian Pueblo built 3000 years ago...sustained by the Verde River. 
      Not all appreciation for water is for providing human needs.   Sedona's Oak Creek Canyon,  between Sedona and Flagstaff, is just plain beautiful!  And Monument Valley's beauty sports not a drop!!
     Skulls and Peppers are Icons of the Southwest.  They were used by cowboys and the Indians before them as a message of caution\danger for those who passed by.   Today they're found hung on walls or in the domestic landscape to emote the feel of the southwest.
       In the less watered areas grow cactus, cactus, cactus.  The Red Prickly Pear cactus is among the first domesticated plants in the entire world; seeds were found 12000ya in a Mexican Cave.  The Mexican Old Man Cactus stands tall in the landscapes of many adobe homes. The  Suguaro Cactus may provide the perfect foreground for a sunset  or nestle with like kind in a Phoenix Botannical Garden Cactus Landscape as does the Blue Agave, Organ Pipe Cactus, and Mexican Fence Post Cactus.