An Adventure in the Sonoran Desert

Happy New Year!  My absence over the holidays was due to a 10-day trip over Christmas.  Had a chance to fill up on snow and cold, and of course, ski/snowboard. As soon as we got home, it was time to party and ring in the new year. More on that later.
Today I wanted to share some images of the beautiful Sonoran Desert, taken early December. We went on a two-hour drive with Green Zebra Adventures in Fort McDowell, AZ.

The tour is a wild drive through the desert, generally super dusty, but we were lucky and it rained the day before (hello, puddles in the desert) so instead of dust all we had to contend with is a bit of mud here and there. By the time of our adventure, the rainclouds were gone and we had beautiful blue skies.

The car we both got to drive is called a Tomcar. They are compact, extremely durable, and can handle pretty much any terrain. Driving in a ravine among rocks large and small I was marveling at being able to be here and do this is a vehicle. 

Above is a photo of the Tomcar we drove. It is as basic as a car gets: no gear shift, no hand brake, no nothing. Only a gas and a break pedal, and an elaborate safety harness. Easy to drive. If you like it, you can buy one for yourself. Just click here to get more information, (including different models) on Tomcars.

Yes, the picture above is of a river. Unlike the traditional image people may have of them (sand dunes, anyone?), deserts indeed have rivers. The Green (Verde) River snakes its way across this part of the Sonoran desert and on its banks live plants very different from the cacti that otherwise pepper the landscape.

The desert adventure was a blast. We had a chance to see up close a very unique and beautiful part of the world, and got to drive a cool Tomcar in the process.