This iconic sand dune paradise was one of the locations that lured me to Namibia. After seeing Deadvlei in movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and The Cell, I knew I had to see this weird place and photograph those weird camelthorn trees that seem to defy nature.
In my original itinerary, I’d planned for two nights at Sesriem, but unfortunately the travel time from the airport (45 minutes) + picking up the truck (1 hour) + rules about no driving at night = we didn’t have time to make it to Sossusvlei our first night. So the itinerary changed to 1 night at Sossusvlei.
If I could do the trip over again, I’d definitely stay 2 nights at Sossusvlei. There’s simply too much to do and see here. From hiking to Deadvlei, hiking Dune 45, photographing oryx and ostrich, and the travel time within the area, there’s not enough time in one day to soak up this magnificent spectrum. But we gave it our best shot.
A windy Dune 45
Our first stop was Dune 45. We arrived around noon (not the best time for dune hiking). The dune was hot and windy. We wore old socks and trampled our way up the first ridge, not realizing that the wind would stop us before we’d made it even 30 minutes into this sandy trek. After blowing my sunglasses off my face, and pushing down several times, the wind did not let up. The copper-colored sand swarmed up in the air, leaving our vision blurred. We laughed at the unbelievable “weather” we were experiencing that could be escaped by a quick jog down the dune. The was the softest jog I’ve ever experienced! I wish the whole world was made of sand like that; nobody’s feet would ever be sore!
The colors of Deadvlei are captivating.
We then proceeded to the famed Deadvlei (meaning “Dead Marsh”). The sign from the 4×4 parking lot says 1.1 km to Deadvlei. Do not be misled by the short distance; bring plenty of water! This is one of the driest places on Earth!
The 4×4 road from Deadvlei
We went around 1 pm and were lucky enough to have Deadvlei all to ourselves for about 25 minutes. It’s beautiful, yet eerie at the same time. These trees once had their own supply of water that was cut off by the moving dunes. The trees died and cannot decompose due to the intense, dry air. So they stand erect in the desert, surrounded by copper sand and blue skies, creating a landscape that looks almost unreal.
These are some of the biggest dunes in the world!
Each dune looked like it’s own playground. I wanted to know what the world looked like from the top of each one. Unfortunately, I now knew that dune hiking was incredibly difficult and tiring. At this point, I was satisfied with taking pictures of them from the ground.
This picture looks other-worldly to me.
Sesriem campsite was lovely. You get early entrance to the park (but not overnight unfortunately) and plenty of space at the campsites. I took this photo from our campsite in the morning and it shows was a spectacular sunrise it was. I wanted to get back out and take pictures with the dunes, but we had to move on.
Sesriem sunrise
I was sad to say goodbye to this wondrous place. I felt like there was so much left to explore here. I wonder what mysteries are buried under these dunes; what unknown stories this desert could tell if the wind could speak. But part of the fun is the wonder.
I know we’re supposed to spend Christmas indoors with family. But Sean and I have been breaking that rule for the last two years. Last year, we went to Alaska…in December! So this year, I said let’s go somewhere a bit warmer: Arizona. It was warmer than Alaska, but not by much!
Day 1: Arrive in Phoenix
We arrived in Phoenix in the morning after a comfortable 2.5 hour flight. We picked up our ride for the trip: a 4-wheel drive Toyota Tacoma. We rented this beauty from Turo, which is basically an airbnb service for people’s cars. Cody, the owner of the truck, gave us a very fair rate on the truck: $51/day. It was the gas that I was worried about!
We stopped to have lunch with friends from grad school, then set off for our first hike of the trip: Massacre Grounds in the Superstition Mountains. These mountains have a long history behind them. The legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine centers in the mountains. According to legend, German immigrant Jacob Waltz discovered a huge amount of gold in the mountains and released its location to his caretaker on his deathbed. Apparently, nobody has confirmed the location of the gold mine. And all who go looking for it come across misfortune or death.
Fortunately for us, we were not seeking gold on this hike. But misfortune found us, nonetheless. Rain. Nothing but rain for hours. It soaked through our layers after some time and things got very cold. We persevered through the 5.3 miles and were rewarded with breath-taking scenery when the sun finally peaked through the clouds near the end.
Day 2: Ironwood Forest National Monument
Encompassing 129,000 acres of desert mountain ranges and one of the richest stands of ironwood in the Sonoran Desert, this area led my curiosity astray. I found it difficult to find information (which usually means this area is not a common spot for tourists). The research mentioned bushwhacking and a “travel corridor for illegal immigrants” which also led to a conclusion of lack of tourism.
Ragged Top Peak
Our main objective: Ragged Top Peak. This craggy mountain is made up of rhyolite, an extrusive volcanic rock associated with copper mining. This mountain stands prominent over the surrounding desert with a somewhat haunted-castle appearance.
We bushwhacked to a distance from the peak where we would have a good view of the mountain. We soon realized we’d need to do it again at sunrise to have good lighting. We set up camp near the truck, strung up some lights on the tent, and enjoyed some warm Christmas cider.
Campsite at Ironwood National Monument
Day 3: Saguaro National Park
In the morning, we got our beautiful shots of Ragged Top during sunrise, then made our way back to the truck. Afterwards, it was off to Saguaro National Park. We asked ourselves, “What would Saguaro NP have that Ironwood doesn’t?”
The mighty Saguaro cactus
The answer: trails. Lots of trails. Ironwood essentially has no trails and Saguaro NP seems to be filled with them. The other thing that Saguaro NP is filled with: tourists. The relatively flat terrain makes it very family-friendly. Sure, there are backcountry trails that are very difficult if you want a challenge and solitude, but a rainy forecast once again kept us from such things. So we just enjoyed the Cactus Forest Loop for a day and called it good. Not exactly my favorite part of the trip though.
Day 4-6: Sedona
The snow had finally stopped and we could finally visit Sedona! Little did we know what challenges awaited us in this bustling town.
The first challenge was the mud and ice. Slippery, slick, everywhere, mud and ice. Most of us are familiar with black ice on the roads. Ever hear of red ice? Totally invisible, but deadly stuff! I know some people enjoy slogging through mud; I am not one of those people. I’ll take ankle twisters, rain, and even snow before I’ll take mud. But it was not to be escaped on any of the trails in Sedona.
Doe Mountain
We were able to get numerous trails done while in Sedona including Doe Mountain, Fay Canyon, Brins Mesa, Boynton Canyon, and Thunder Mountain. Sean’s favorite was Fay Canyon. My favorite was also Fay Canyon, but Brins Mesa COULD have been my favorite if there had been less mud!
While hiking, I’d noticed that Sedona has a huge noise pollution problem. It comes from helicopters. Every 5 minutes, a helicopter flies over your head, giving a short tour, then flies away. The sandstone only magnifies the sound of the rotors. It made the hiking less enjoyable.
Another challenge of Sedona is cost. It KNOWS it’s beautiful and it charges you for it in lodging costs. We soon realized we couldn’t afford anything. So, camping in the Coconino Forest outside of town was our only option. It was going to be a cold night; about 23 degrees F. Luckily, I came prepared with my Valandre Neo Odin sleeping bag. (I’m a very cold sleeper.) Sean’s sleeping bag, on the other hand, popped a zipper on the first night and he had to spend it in the truck to avoid the wind.
The next day, we went to Canyon Outfitters in Sedona to find a new sleeping bag for Sean. After calculating several costs, we determined that a $300 sleeping bag would cost less than 1 night of lodging in Sedona! Canyon Outfitters was very helpful and a fun store. The best part: you roll pigs like dice after your purchase for a discount on a future purchase. Sean rolled a “snouter” for $23 worth of free gear!
New sleeping bag acquired, we proceeded with our hikes and camping. As we progressed through this trip, I realized that part of me loved Sedona and part of me disliked it. I loved the scenery (as everyone does) and I loved the small-town vibes. But the fact that lodging costed so much and there were tourists around every corner detracted from its appeal. Then, on our last day, an experience kind of sealed my love/hate relationship with Sedona.
We were walking Downtown, looking for gifts, food, etc. We see a sign that says, “Helicopter tour: $49.” Um, what? How can that be possible? So of course, we go inside and ask the guy about such a deal. He was a nice guy named Bryan who told us that he was running a special New Year’s Eve special and it was even cheaper: $30/person! But of course, there was a catch. He worked for Diamond Resorts. If you’ve never heard of these guys, they’re a timeshare company. He told us that all we had to do was tour one of their timeshare resorts for 2.5 hours and we could get the helicopter deal. Sean and I ALMOST fell for it! Thirty dollars for a helicopter ride is a steal! But it would only last for 15 minutes and then we’d spend 2.5 hours of our vacation telling some guy we wouldn’t be buying a timeshare, which would be miserable. We finally left before we said ‘yes’. Wooh, that was a close one. But it explains why Sedona has non-stop helicopters flying over its mesas. It’s a bit of a shame, really.
Day 7-8: Back to Phoenix
We headed back to Phoenix, not wanting to camp in freezing temperatures another night. We stopped at some fun places once we got into town: The Perch Brewery is a bird sanctuary/brewery with rescued birds. I’d never seen a hyacinth macaw before, but they’re the biggest type of macaw! We went to Organ Stop Pizza to see one of the largest theatre organs be played while we eat of my favorite foods. Turns out, the organist Brett Valliant is from Wichita and one heck of a musician!
Hyancinth macaw named Bubba. Yes, he bites!
Next day, we went back to the Superstition Mountains and drove the Apache trail to Tortilla Flats. It was New Years Day, so there were plenty of people on the road including motorcycles, corvettes, and classic cars. It added to the stunning scenery of this beautiful road!
In the evening, we visited Sean’s Uncle Paul and Aunt Cheri in Casa Grande. It was nice to see family during the holidays.
Take Away
Arizona was a beautiful, but rough-going trip. We didn’t make any reservations ahead of time in order to keep our schedule free. This allowed us the freedom to go where we wanted, but also created stress on nights when we felt like we needed lodging.
The gas ended up costing about $350 for 9 days of driving. Not bad, but not great. But that’s the price you pay for peace of mind on those backcountry roads.
The weather didn’t always cooperate, but it almost never does. You just have to deal with what Mother Nature gives you.
We got to see four areas on my list, but there’s still so much to see in this magnificent state.
