San Miguel de Allende - going back again...

There are so many places to travel to in this world.  And now that my wife and I will be fully retired as of May of this year,  the constraint of work and vacation days will no longer be a constraint as to where we are able to go.  Discretionary dollars will still be the biggest constraint but at least now we can travel without having to fly out and back on a Saturday or a Sunday just to maximize the trip.  

While there are so many new places to travel too, we have decided to once again go down to San Miguel de Allende with friends and this time for two full weeks!  We are looking forward to seeing many of the places we loved last year but also taking some day trips to the surrounding cities.  As a photographer, San Miguel is extremely photogenic.  Here are some pics from our trip last year:

 

 On the back roads...

First some news for those that might not know...I am officially retired!  Yay!!!!  What that means is I have more time to devote to the things that make me happy...working on my passions.  

In preparation for retirement, I purchased what might be my last vehicle, a Jeep Trailhawk, The TrailHawk is a trail-rated vehicle that is built to go off-road.  Why am I telling you this on my photography blog...good question.  The answer is so I can go to locations that are not often accessed by other photographers...simple as that.

The risk upon purchase the TrailHawk is would I actually go off-road...yes, yes I did!  With the help of some close (and experienced) friends, I have taken several trips onto the back roads of southern Arizona.  The following are some pics from my off-road adventures.

Ocotillo's (pronounced: Oh-cat-tee-yo) leaves are coming in...flowering in a couple of months.

The valley is amazing with miles and miles of ranch roads going in every direction.  Dozens (if not hundreds of open mines in these hills and valleys.

This is a good example of one of the minds...some are very shallow, others more developed.  If you are interested, here is a link to the history of mining in Arizona.

Finally, this is the view from the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory.