Hi! LeAnne Bristow here. A few days ago, I was driving on the outskirts of Tucson and I saw a large sign that read. “Open Range. Watch for Cattle.” I was surrounded by housing developments and there was a school just down the street, but it wasn’t unusual for cattle to be seen grazing on the side of the road. It made me think about the culture shock I received when I moved to Arizona from Texas.
Growing up, I loved everything about the rolling hills of central Texas and never thought about leaving. Texas is the home of King Ranch, George Strait and longhorn cattle. I learned how to two-step before I could walk, and while I can never claim to be a cowgirl, I certainly know how to ride a horse. What’s not to love? And why would anyone ever want to leave? Then, I met my husband, an Arizona native, who was stationed at Ford Hood while he served in the US Army.
After Desert Storm, his enlistment was up, so he moved back to Arizona to find us a place to live while I finished that semester of college. I flew to Arizona to visit during spring break. I wanted to see exactly what I was getting myself into. After all, Arizona was nothing but cactus, rattlesnakes and dirt, right?
My first glimpse of Arizona from the window of the airplane didn’t give me much hope. I was sure my days of seeing green grass and trees were over. When he picked me up, we had to drive three hours to his family home. On the way, I saw more cottonfields than I’d ever seen in my life, and I finally understood what he meant when he said Texas was too flat. The next day we took the Coronado Trail through the White Mountains and my mind was blown.
I grew up in the hill country, but there were no rolling hills where we went. The White Mountains of Arizona were unlike anything I’d ever seen and I immediately fell in love. By the end of the day, I’d played in snow drifts higher than my head, caught my first glimpse of an elk, saw a bald eagle flying over an ice-covered lake and realized that Arizona was a lot more than I ever expected.
But that was just the beginning of things I needed to learn.
After I moved to Arizona, my husband and I spent a lot of time driving around back roads (if that’s what you want to call them).
The first time he stopped to open a closed gate, I had a fit. Didn’t he know he couldn’t go on private land like that? That’s when I learned that Arizona, like many places in the West, had more public land than it did private, so we were able to go through gates at will. Aside from giving us something to do on the weekends, my husband claimed these backroad adventures were necessary for deer scouting.
Scouting for deer was another foreign concept to me. Back home, when I wanted to see deer, I went to my family’s deer lease, climbed into the deer stand and waited. Not so in Arizona. Deer feeders are illegal. If you want to hunt deer, you have to get out and find them. It’s hard work. And they’re hard to find! No matter how remote the areas we traveled to was, it wasn’t unusual to come across cowboys searching for cattle that wandered too far from their home range, checking water tanks or checking the fences that were few and far between. Instead of being mad that we were in their area, they always tipped their hats and waved. Sometimes they had time to stop and chat with us, often letting us know where they saw a big buck or warning us when a mountain lion had been spotted in the area.
After thirty years of living in Arizona, I’m still amazed by the diversity of the western landscape. From the snow covered mountains, to the vast desert, there really is something for everyone. Even a small town Texas girl like me, who is now a proud desert rat.
What is your favorite thing about the west? I’d love to chat with you about it. But warning, I might use it in a book! I’ll be giving away a copy of the latest book in my Coronado series, Her Hometown Secret, to one lucky commenter!
I like its variety. Separate areas can be very different. Yet, they all seem to hold a sense of adventure, pioneer spirit, and pride. Like you, when I first went to Arizona, I was surprised by all the farmland I saw. I also nearly froze to death in on a mountain in the middle of summer.
Freezing in the summer! That’s something you wouldn’t expect to hear in Arizona! We go camping up there a lot and we’ve seen snow more than once! It sure is nice to be able to drive up there and escape the heat!
I love the colors i associate with the southwest and the variety of cactus.
Colors!!! Why didn’t I think to include that in my post???? The colors of the sunset, the way the mountains explode with fall colors, the deep red rocks of Sedona. Hmmm…gives me an idea for my next blog!!
I love the landscape and its variety. So much to see and experience.
I do, too! We are traveling to Montana, Wyoming & North Dakota this summer and I can’t wait to see the landscape there! There is so much to see in the west!!!
The landscape can change from place to place. Bringing a whole new adventure to explore.
You are so right! I love sunsets and I would like to take pictures of sunsets in every state in the west, with the landscape around it. It would be so beautiful!
The wide-open spaces of the west are unbeatable. Mountains, wildlife, spectacular sunrises and sunsets, cattle and very few people in my part of the world are only part of what makes the west special. My closest neighbor is ¼ of a mile down the road. Being able to drive miles and miles without another vehicle in sight is another bonus.
Yes, yes, yes!!! I get a lot of anxiety when I have to go to the city! I love sitting on my back porch, sipping my coffee and watching the wildlife wander by. Usually, it’s just quali and javalina, but occasionally I’ve seen bobcats and coyotes, too!
I don’t know much about about the West except what I read or see on TV so I guess I’d say the landscape.
Okay, Joannie, we need to take you on a road trip!!! What time should we pick you up? 😉
I have been west more than east of Indiana – I could live out there easily except for the heat even without the humidity!
What???? But it’s a dry heat!!! LOL! Once Phoenix hits 115, it doesn’t matter if it’s dry or not. That’s just hot! But, that’s why I love it here. When it gets too hot, I can drive a couple of hours and be in the mountains to cool off!
Welcome LeAnne! We had bad weather here this morning! I was afraid I wouldn’t make it here today to greet you! LOL I’m from Florida. Born and raised here. I have no clue about the west personally as far as seeing it. Other than in the window of an airplane heading to San Diego 20 years ago. That’s why I read! You learn a good bit about many places! I’m sure it’s beautiful! Would love to see it one day!
Wanted to say hello and best wishes on your book(s)!
Thank you, Tracy! One of these days, you’ll have to come see us because the view from the airplane definitely doesn’t do it justice!
You are not kidding about the diversity in Arizona. I have never been in the southern part of the state. I had a job in Kingman a couple of times. On these occasions we traveled by car from Kentucky with a stop in Flagstaff. What a beautiful city. Trees, and the weather, within 70 miles of the Grand Canyon and just absolutely my kind of town. We would love to move there, but no longer, at our ages. We are too old to travel, let alone move across country. We truly loved our trips through that part of the state.
I love Flagstaff! My children all love snowboarding and would head up to the snowbowl every year to get some snowboarding in! My best friend lives in Kentucky, so I go visit her every so often, and Kentucky is beautiful, too!
I grew up in Arizona and what you said is true. Arizona is so large it encompasses all kinds of plants, animals, weather and temperatures. Believe it or not, the desert is beautiful and interesting to discover what is there.
Would love to read your book.
I could travel every weekend and never see everything there is to see! What part of AZ did you grow up in?
I love the wide open space. Where we lived on our family farm in Wyoming, we could see the Rocky Mountains. I loved seeing the stars at night with nothing obstructing the view.
The stars are amazing!! When we go camping I could just watch them all night! I bet Wyoming has some amazing things, too. I have a trip planned there this summer if all goes well!
I grew up in Mesa, AZ and always enjoyed when our family went on picnics out on the desert. Of course it was an area that had camp sites with a bit of shade. I have been to every corner of the state so know first hand its diversity. A beautiful state which I visit at least three times a year.
Hi Jackie! You grew up in the heat!!! Ouch! Where I live is usually about 10 – 15 degrees cooler than Phoenix. But I did live in Yuma for 8 years, which has heat and humidity! I didn’t like that at all!
I love the landscapes, I love seeing all the cacti and the wild flowers! Here in West Texas where I live we have alot of desert areas and I love it when the cacti are blooming and all the wild bushes some of them smell so pretty , I love seeing all the wild flowers especially this time of the year and how awesome and amazing is it that God provides for them, since they grow wild and nobody else takes care of them. I love the sunsets and the sunrises for sure! Have a Great day and a great weekend, I enjoyed reading your article.
One thing I do miss about Texas are the wildflowers! We have a lot of poppies on the side of the roads here, but they aren’t nearly as pretty as those bluebonnets!
animals
Diversity is definitely a way to describe the west. Here in Washington State we go from 200 inches of rain in some places on the Pacific Coast to 4-6 inches in places in the Columbia Basin. Lots of sagebrush and big sky to lush forests and snow capped peaks. Thanks to the Columbia-Snake River system there is irrigation water to make us one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world. That also makes some of the driest areas green with a very wide variety of crops, orchards and vineyards.
Alice, I feel horrible! Whenever I think about the west, I forget that we have an entire coastline! That area sounds beautiful. I’ll have to visit it one day!
I grew up on the Canadian/VT border of NE NY. Since the area for deer hunting is mostly woods, it is work to find them any time of year. Scouting for deer usually entails looking for tracks and other sign.
We were lucky enough to live in Colorado Springs for 3 years and loved it. We have traveled throughout the West and are planning another trip back this Fall. Last trip out was to Tucson among other areas. I love northern Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Idaho. The mountains are spectacular, the forests extensive, and the plains expansive. Everything almost seems to be oversized, even some of the animals, and some sites are set to awe and inspire. There are no other areas like Yellowstone, Glacier, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Arches National Park, Mesa Verde, etc. Further south you have White Sands NP, the various desert and cactus NPs, and Big Bend, from your home state. Every trip out we find something else to enjoy and explore.
One special memory is from the trip we took our grandson on. We were outside Whitefish, Montana staying in the ski area on the mountain. It was the 4th of July and we drove partway down to watch the fireworks from a picnic overlook. We had a good view of the town’s fireworks as well as those a private citizen set off. The expanse of the plains in front of us was realized when we could see the fireworks of several town spread out in the distance, some quite far away. There aren’t too many other vantage points in the country where you get such a distant, unobstructed view.
Wow! You’ve been everywhere! My husband and I are planning a trip this summer to see my brother in North Dakota. We’re hoping to see Wyoming and Montana and a few other places. He really wants to see the fireworks over Mt. Rushmore!
Mt. Rushmore was OK, but we liked the Crazy Horse monument and surrounding facilities much better. It is hard to see everything in one trip. If you get the chance, go to Custer State Park, SD. There are also Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Spearfish Canyon, Badlands NP, and Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, SD. Most are in the southwestern part of the state with Deadwood and Sturgis also in the vicinity.
If you ever get the chance, go to the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument in Montana. It is really impressive. That could be another trip where you visit Glacier, Yellowstone and Teton NP.
all deserve some extended time to visit. The West has so much to offer, You have to plan a few weeks just for one little area just to see most of what is there.
Thank you for the giveaway!
You are so welcome, Bridgette! Good luck!
Howdy to my fellow Arizona person! My father was also in the Army and his last duty station was Ft. Huachuca. I went to high school in Tucson, because we moved there when he retired so that my brother could attend the U of A. I attended NAU myself and the U of A library school. I moved to Texas (Dallas/Ft. Worth) where I was a librarian in Grand Prairie and Arlington. We moved back to Sierra Vista, AZ in 2008.
Hi Becky!!! You are just a hop, skip and a jump from me! I live in Benson. 🙂
I like the native animals and plants…
Can you image what went through the mind of a pioneer seeing buffalo for the first time???? There are some crazy animals out here for sure!
I forgot to mention that my favorite thing about the desert is watching the snow on the Huachuca mountains during the winter.
I love the Huachuca mountains!!!! I can see them out my front window. 🙂
I’ve always really loved the mountains in Arizona, and how pretty the landscape is with all the cactus that grow there.
The mountains are my favorite! My husband and son both claim that driving through flat areas (like west Texas) make them feel claustrophobic because they can’t see the mountains. Not sure how that works, but they need mountains around them all the time.
I have never been west other then in books. I always wanted to go. I have always heard about the flat land and things like that but have always lived in more like hilly places. It is more rolling hills here
I think every area has its own beauty. I grew up with rolling hills, which is probably why the mountains amaze me so much!
How interesting and intriguing it was but what really makes me wonder is why the people and families of the west never had pets just horses and farm and farm animals ??
I would have to say the sunsets. I have found that the sun is the same one that is seen all over the world. Yet, depending on the location, it looks different in each location. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
I don’t really know much about the west. Just what I see on TV and read.
I grew up in Mesa and went to ASU when it was a small college. Hard to fathom now since it is a major university.
welcome. oh my goodness, I love this book cover. And its Large Print. Woohoo. LOL Until I was a sophomore in high school, I grew up in the Mojave Desert, CA. We lived two hours from Big Bear Mountain. We would drive up the back of the mountain during the winter time and come up to so much wonderful snow and outdoor ice rinks. One time we went up there and saw Peggy Fleming practicing. Ohhh but that was so cool. I loved living in the desert. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net