When we left Houston in February for the 2018 edition of full-time RV life on the road, we headed straight to the best place in the US to spend the winter months: the glorious Southwest! I’d seen the Grand Canyon years ago but, other than that, I’d spent precious little time in this painted desert paradise. We were treated to endless stunning sunsets and a ground piled with layers of texture everywhere we went. From Tombstone to Tucson to Quartzsite  to Bullhead City on the Nevada border, we roamed as many corners as we could in the month we had.

I pretty much have the above shot at EVERY state line now. I pull ahead of Russell by several miles, stop at state line sign, choose my spot and lie in wait for him to breeze past. It’s kinda our thing hahah.

Otis LOVED the desert life! He ran wild in Quartzsite and really came into his own during mini road trips. He even decided to pose for the traditional ‘dog letting his ears flap in the wind out of the car window’ shot. Of course we had to drive 15mph max because wind is his arch-nemesis.

My absolute favorite afternoon in Arizona was spent driving through the almost-ghost-town of Oatman, Arizona. We were staying nearby in Bullhead City and I was just itching for a gorgeous sunset. Conditions started to look promising so we piled in the car and headed into the mountains. The sky proceeded to put on a show I will never forget. 

Russell is a huge Cold War history buff and nuclear nerd so we had an obligatory stop at the Titan Missile Museum. This fearsome facility was constructed in 1963 and later deactivated in 1984 and finally made into a National Historic Landmark in 1994. The tour takes you underground to see the control room where crew worked 48 hour shifts and basically held the world on the brink of modern apocalypse. Russell’s geek flag was flying high while I meanwhile found some fantastic cacti to photograph outside the building…Compromise!

So, by now you might realize we sometimes do nerdy things when we travel. One might even call them ‘touristy’. We might even be guilty of enjoying them… Tombstone is one such spot. Suuuuper gimmicky and definitely a tourist town, we still couldn’t resist stopping for a night to roam the dusty streets of the O.K. corral. In the morning we took a tour of the infamous Birdcage Theater – a gaming hall and den of ill repute. It opened on Christmas Eve in 1881 and quickly gained a reputation as one of the wickedest theaters between New Orleans and San Francisco. There were constant untamed fights in true wild west style and no less than 140 bullet holes remain in the building walls and ceiling.

You can’t make this stuff up, folks. At least Tombstone sports a good-natured humor to accompany their campy atmosphere. 

We had a wonderful time during our weeks in the southwest and were able to discover plenty of great spots for intimate desert elopements and couple’s adventure sessions. Scouting for elopement locations is one of my favorite parts of this job…it’s my job to travel and explore and keep a database of spots for any adventurous couple who needs location advice. Talk about dreams coming true!

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Melody is a full-time nomad who calls an RV home while roaming all over the western US and beyond for couple’s adventure photography in the wilds of nature. Her style is cinematic, romantic and richly colored and she believes that the beauty and chaos of nature, with its twisting paths, coarse landscapes and breath-taking wonder is a poignant analogy for relationships. The Pacific Northwest will always hold a special place in her heart but, life is short and the world is wide so check out the travel schedule to follow along with her adventures.

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