Arizona and Texas

When I thought about Arizona, I thought about the arid dryness that it's famous for. I thought of the cacti and the brown front lawns, the wide open spaces with nothing in them. Well, for the most part, my perception was accurate! It's truly a dry place! Pretty much nothing there. Of course, you do see the odd cactus sticking out of the landscape, and it holds a beauty all of its own. Amazingly, I only saw the cacti in Arizona! Nowhere else! I was a bit surprised by that...

Texas is big, but everyone says that! It's basically the same size as Nigeria, with almost no people (23,500,000). Yes, they have great big cities with huge roads that suddenly widen and become so large you think you're in Los Angeles! But there's really not a whole lot to Texas, from what I could tell! And I know most of my Nigerian friends will think of the weekly show "Dallas" when they think of Texas. Perhaps there is incredible wealth there, but in the areas I traveled, I didn't really see it. I'm sure there is significant affluence some places, but I guess I run in the wrong circles! Of course, when I travel, I like to take roads other than freeways whenever I can. That way, you SEE the country! Driving along freeways is a sure way to miss anything that might be out there of value to see! Driving along the old Western Highways where settlers and pioneers first traveled was really neat! Stopping at the DOZENS of little "Historic Monument" signs was interesting, giving just a hint of flavor of the Old West and what sorts of things went on the very place I was standing.

Interestingly enough, right behind this placard here was a Police car occupied by a sleeping policeman! I thought about running over there to take his picture, but figured he would wake up about the time I took the picture! The thought of another four days in Texas being followed by a patrol officer just waiting for me to slip up so he could seize my camera did not appeal much to me! I just know I would have slipped up somewhere in those four days!!