7-14-2010

This is South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona. I'm told that these TV and radio towers are iconic to the South Side area we stayed in. The top of the mountain also provides a pretty awesome view of Phoenix and the sprawling areas around it.

After South Mountain, we paid a visit to this gentleman. He keeps an year-round, outdoor display of his collection.

Then, guided by my old friend Brandon and my new friend Alex, it was on to Superstition Mountain and the Lost Dutchman's Mine. Also, I've been saving little bits of fancy slide film for special occasions like this. I was very excited to use it.

So one of my big goals for my Arizona trip was to pan for gold. I consider myself pretty realistic in regard to what I'm good and not good at. I quickly learned that panning for gold is definitely on the list of things that I am not good at. If I were a prospector back in that period, I would end up working in a brothel. I did manage to find the bits of garnet they sprinkle in so you don't feel bad about youself when you've thrown away all your gold.

Continuing my taking-pictures-of-cactus-which-are-really-just-trees trend, here's another one. This one is sensitive to vibration and spits barbed needles in the direction of your motion. More cactus/getting burned by shooting film. Speaking of burn, it was really hot.

I think this picture is saying something political, but I'm not quite sure what. This one isn't.

Then we went to the West-coast exclusive fine dining establishment of In-N-Out Burger for lunch. Nicole seemed to like it. I don't know if she would have liked this or not. I'm guessing not.

Then I got a chance go to Immaculate and get a tattoo of the friend I made in Tucson from the homie Mando Rascon. Then we had our last night in Phoenix.