How to have a wild and wonderful photo weekend with only 10 days to plan

1. Make sure your friend living in Arizona doesn't have anything she can't get out of that weekend.


2. Leave early Friday morning so you're in Arizona by 5:45.

3. Get there at 9:30, thanks to questionable wing safety.

4. Leave the house at 6 the next morning to get to Sedona.

5. Climb Bell Rock. All you need is cameras. No need for sunblock, hat, or water. You'll be fine in the direct, cloudless sunshine for the four-hour hike.

Piece of cake.

6. Stop for pictures. Often. Especially when out of breath. You're sure to find the best shots at the same time as you really need a breather.

6. When things get tough, when you find yourself having to climb the tough bits, just imagine yourself a spider monkey. It helps if you keep repeating 'spider monkey, spider monkey' as you do it.

6a. don't worry about how you're going to get back down the tricky bits with your camera. You can figure that out later.

(full disclosure: I didn't climb this bit. I watched Heidi. She was much braver than I could be.)

6b. Give thanks when she gets back to the "safe" part.

7. start the descent. Take more pictures.

8. Drive up to the Grand Canyon.

9. Stop when you see a *really cool* green bus. Perfect for the year's "green" theme. Talk to the owners of said bus, forgetting that it's not wise to tell complete strangers, in a very isolated part of the world, that you're on a "girls' weekend." Maybe next time tell people the husbands are 10 minutes behind you...

10. Continue to the canyon, checking the rearview mirror a few times to be sure you're not being followed by bus-owning men.

11. Dress warmly to see the Canyon at sunset.

12. Crash for the night. Decide that you should just get moving in the morning, rather than try for sunrise pictures.

13. Find an awesome place for more canyon pictures way off the beaten path.

 Waaaaay off the beaten path.

14. Continue to explore whatever you can find.

 

15. Stop for Mexican food with another online friend!

16. Leave very early the next morning to go home. 

17. Plan the next one!