I just love sunsets. As a kid playing at the beach, I didn’t know of their awesomeness. We’d hurry to the bus station at Huntington Beach to get home before dark. The few times we were there late, we were more focused on the fire pit than that gorgeous sunset. I’m not quite sure when I realized how pretty and different every sunset was but I’m sure glad I did.
I’ve seen countless ones at Little League, soccer and football practices and games. Oftentimes it was a quick peek at the pink sky then back to the action on the field. When our son played high school football, we’d get there early both to sit where we’d like and to watch them warm up. We liked to sit higher in the stands which doubled as a great viewing spot for the sunset. I still find it odd that the home side faced the sun but hey, I got some great pictures. Maybe that’s what the principal was going for; happy sunset picture takers.
A good friend of ours and fellow camper gets up early. I mean early. Even on a Saturday. He’ll text Mark a picture of the sunrise and tell him he’s wasting the day. On the rare occasion he sleeps in, his wife tattles on him, “Guess who slept until 7:30 this morning.” We sometimes get to return the favor of a sunrise picture; most recently when we left Bryce Canyon for the long drive home. Utah is an hour ahead of Arizona in the summer so my sunrise picture taken at 5:49 am was 4:49 for him. He didn’t answer right away, hmm, I wonder if he was sleeping.
We went down to Tombstone for the weekend and stayed at Tombstone Territories RV Park. The sites are huge, 40 feet wide and 80 feet long. Our friends Bill and Deb were camped next to us. We’d eaten dinner and were relaxing by the fire while Bill told us how amazing the sunrise was that morning. He showed us the pictures again in case we didn’t remember them from the text that morning. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mark pointed west and said, “Look, It’s a sunset. They are just a sunrise in reverse.” He took a picture of the sunset and told Bill to expect an early text because Mark was going to call it a sunrise. The sunset that night did not disappoint. There were enough clouds to reflect all the color as the sun went down.
One of the things I enjoy most when we camp, no matter where we are, is the sunset. It doesn’t matter if we’re at the beach, in the middle of the desert or in the mountains. Selfishly, many times I’ve set my chair at the campfire strategically so I have the best view of the upcoming sunset with my camera almost always in my pocket or in my lap.
Arizona is known for a lot of things, Grand Canyon, Lake Powell and the heat. Oh yeah, the heat. “It’s a dry heat” really is true. Our humidity is very low so it doesn’t always feel as hot as it is. Even when it’s 108, I get goosebumps when I get out of the pool with just the slightest breeze. I know, when it’s 110 it really is hot no matter how low the humidity is. I think Arizona should also be known for amazing sunsets. The sunsets only get better during our summer monsoons. The mountains around the Phoenix valley and Mt. Lemmon in Tucson reflect the sunset colors beautifully. I don’t know if reflect is the right word, maybe kaleidoscope is better. All day they are a mix of browns and greens with patches of wildflower colors during the spring. As the sun sets, that changes to varying shades of pinks, deeper browns and oranges. The crags and jagged parts show off eerie shadows. I find myself looking both ways in the evening when we camp at Lost Dutchman State Park. It’s at the base of the Superstition Mountains and sits just a little bit higher than the Phoenix valley. The city lights sit below you in the west and the Superstitions rise above you in the east. I’m bummed my pictures of the Superstitions during the sunset were lousy.
The weather will be breaking here soon which means more time outside for us. Until then, I’ll continue to poke my head outside to check on the sunset. We have a trip coming up and you can bet I’ll be by the campfire, camera in hand. Grab a chair and join me. We can watch the end of another beautiful day together no matter where we are.
