Moab

I took myself on a long weekend escape to explore Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and the desert around them. I set my alarm for painful hours so I could be in place before sunrise, watching first light hit the red rock, and then stayed out late to photograph the Milky Way rising over the canyons. Seeing those famous arches, fins, columns that I’d only stared at in photos for years—was incredibly cool and even more surreal than expected; hopefully, the next visit isn’t too far off.