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Somewhere Between Here and There

I am a professional photographer living in the middle of Nowhere. And this blog serves two purposes until I decide otherwise. Dispatches from Nowhere offers insights into and vignettes of this small rural town and the people who define Nowhere. As well, it provides an outlet for the photography I create for Arizona Highways magazine, an internationally acclaimed photography magazine showcasing the best Arizona has to offer to visiting tourists, its residents and lost souls.

VISIT NOWHERE, ARIZONA

VISIT NOWHERE, ARIZONA

In The Beginning

You see, I was raised in a small Iowa town 50 years ago by two incredible parents. But then, I up and moved to Arizona to become a photographer. This profession has been exceptionally good to me. Depending on the workload and the season, I reside in a number of spots: Nowhere, Tempe or Flagstaff, Arizona or Goldfield, Iowa or Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. As a part-time resident of the tiny village of Nowhere, I have a unique perspective on the folks who live and work in a place which time has passed by. And, I'd like to share this fascinating place with you. When I'm somewhere other than Nowhere, I'm likely on assignment either for a corporate client or Arizona Highways magazine. And, as this blog matures, I'll be presenting the photography and the stories behind the photography I've shot for the magazine since 1985. And with any technological luck, I'll be providing dispatches to this blog while I'm actually on current assignments. All along, you'll come to know Nowhere and its common people with uncommon problems and personal achievements. Early dispatches offer some background into the town itself while newer dispatches will reveal the character of the townsfolk. Enjoy.

Monday, March 10, 2008

March Into The Color

This really is my favorite time of year. Warm days. SUV windows down. Wind through my hair. Mother Nature sitting right next to me. Ahhh. I just returned from Sonora, Mexico, neighboring state to the south of us. The Sonoran Desert, which knows no borders, is alive with color on both sides. I believe it's the best wildflower season in the 20+ years I've visited. In Arizona, the highway from Gila Bend to the border town of Lukeville is a good way to see Arizona spring in all its glory. And, the last time I witnessed the desert floor blanketed in color like this was back in the mid 1980s. The Organ Pipe National Monument, located between Arizona's Ajo Mountains and the Mexico border, has a number of back roads for touring, and is the only place in the United States that you'll find the organ pipe cactus. Right now, you can enjoy both milder temperatures and incredible desert color of golden poppies, blue lupines, pink owl clover and so much more. These carmel colored sunsets the past week make my heart sing.

Life is good and vibrant.

Posted by Don B. Stevenson at 9:35 AM 0 comments

Friday, March 7, 2008

Spring Break & Inflated Tacos

The population of Nowhere takes a significant dive for a week each year as young people make a beeline to Rocky Point, Mexico where spring break is a ritual, not just a vacation. Young Nowhereians join tens of thousands of high school and college kids from across the Southwest where the daily menu consists of nachos, nakedness and numbness. We visit this Mexican seaside town on a regular basis. But spring break is one time I get as far away as possible. Rocky Point (official name: Puerto Peñasco) is a wonderful fishing village on steroids. Tourism has exploded. And, the locals are trying their best to capitalize on the influx. Taco stands sprout up each evening on just about every corner in town, and it is a blast checking out these mom and pop shops. The photo accompanying today's blog is one of my favorite cultural translations from Spanish to English. The taco stand owner who slapped this sign up along the street intended to say that he offers huge tacos. But, "inflated fish tacos" works just as well, if not better, driving gringos to his finger food.

Ah, life is good and so are the tacos.

Posted by Don B. Stevenson at 3:30 PM 0 comments

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BEST OF ARIZONA

  • Spring skiing Flagstaff weekdays
  • Fav Wildflower spots: Organ Pipe Monument, Hiway 60 before & after Superior, south side of Superstition Mountains.
  • Kayenta (on road to Monument Valley): Wagon Wheel diner Navajo Fry Bread
  • Az has four seasons in a 2 hour drive

WORST OF ARIZONA

  • Lukeville: the Mexico border crossing coming back into Arizona. Up to 4 hour waits.
  • Lukeville: this Chevron mens room makes Window Rock's shine.
  • Window Rock: Chevron bathroom ugly since 1988
  • Phoenix: Traffic anytime

WHACKIEST OF ARIZONA

  • Tombstone: British tourists dress as cowboys...annually
  • Northwest Az: only access is from NV or Utah
  • The Thing: along I-10 west of Benson

There"s No Place Like Nowhere

copyright 2007-2008 Don B. Stevenson. All Rights Reserved. Photos and the blog itself may not be reproduced without written permission from Don B. Stevenson.