Driving North on I-17, out of the valley of Phoenix, you’re bound to pass by an inconspicuous sign that reads the strange words: Bloody Basin Road. These words can seem a bit odd for first timers. Bloody Basin? Why such a violent name?

There are A LOT of stories behind the slightly uncomfortable name. One includes 26 Apaches being slaughtered or jumping to their deaths back in the 1870s. Another speaks of nearly 30 Apaches who were fired upon in the 1860s due to a treasonous dinner invitation by the bloody figure King Woosley himself in retaliation for some stolen livestock.

While the legends are broad and many, it remains that Bloody Basin Road is a spot of extensive histories. And these days it is an expansive vista of mountains, desert and impressive flora and fauna. I’ve lived in Arizona for less than four years and I have been captivated time and again by her beauty. On the Saturday we borrowed Brian’s parents’ side-by-side, I truly got to see a side of her I hadn’t before.

I am both humbled and inspired the Arizona’s plethora of landscapes. A barren desert in one area transforms into pines, into green and towering mountains in the span of an hour’s car ride. And in a few more hours, you can be at one of the Seven Wonders of the World:  The Grand Canyon.