4,100 Miles of Dust, Stars, Wind, and Memories

Some adventures are carefully planned.

Others become something far bigger than you ever imagined the moment the tires hit the pavement.

This one became both.

A few weeks ago, my good friend and brother from another mother Jason Perry made the long journey from Australia for what has become our ongoing tradition of trading adventures between our two hemispheres. This time, it was my turn to show him the American Southwest and some of the incredible landscapes hidden beneath our dark skies.

We started where many great adventures begin for me, Big Bend National Park.

Jason and I spent a week exploring and photographing the rugged beauty of West Texas. The weather did not exactly cooperate for astrophotography, and the stars remained hidden more than we would have liked, but honestly, that didn’t matter nearly as much as we thought it would. Great landscapes, long conversations, scouting new locations, and sharing experiences with a close friend made the trip worth every mile. As I mentioned in my last blog, the workshop still turned into an incredible experience despite the conditions.

Then came the full moon break.

Most photographers slow down during the bright moon phase. Apparently, we chose violence instead.

After a short reset, we loaded the truck again and pointed it west for what would become a 4,100-mile road trip through some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the Southwest.

Our first major stop was the Hopi Indian Reservation, where we spent a night photographing the surreal formations of Blue Canyon. It felt like standing on another planet. Towering hoodoos, twisting sandstone, and silence stretching for miles in every direction. The kind of place that makes you stop talking because no words quite fit the moment.

From there, we moved into Navajo Nation territory and had the incredible opportunity to photograph inside Monument Valley. Watching the stars move above those iconic sandstone buttes is hard to describe. Monument Valley is already legendary during the day, but under a dark sky it transforms into something ancient and almost spiritual.

Then came the moment that completely changed the course of the trip.

The Wave.

For years, I had entered the permit lottery with no success. Loss after loss after loss. But this time, teamwork finally paid off. Jason and I secured a permit to photograph one of the most sought-after landscapes in the world.

We hiked three miles into The Wave in complete darkness, headlamps bouncing across the desert floor as stars stretched overhead. Then suddenly, our lights hit the sandstone.

I honestly stopped in my tracks.

The curves, the flowing lines, the unreal textures and colors looked less like Earth and more like something imagined. We spent the entire night photographing beneath the Milky Way, watching the galaxy slowly rise over one of the most surreal places I’ve ever stood.

After sunrise, exhausted but completely energized at the same time, we made the three-mile hike back out carrying camera gear, dust, and memories that will stay with me forever.

From there we pushed on to Nevada for what felt like a luxury experience: sleep and laundry.

Then it was off again to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.

Standing among living trees that are said to be thousands of years old changes your perspective a little. These twisted, weathered survivors have endured storms, droughts, brutal winters, and centuries of history. Photographing them beneath the stars felt humbling in a way I wasn’t expecting.

Our next stop brought a very different kind of challenge.

Alabama Hills, California.

We managed to capture some beautiful night images, but the next morning Mother Nature decided she had other plans. Winds over 30+ mph tore through camp, destroying tents and kicking up massive dust storms across the landscape. At one point we seriously considered packing it in and leaving altogether.

But it was my first visit to Alabama Hills, and I wasn’t ready to give up that easily.

So while getting sandblasted by dust and wind, I used my camera bag and body as a makeshift shield and managed to photograph a resilient cactus standing defiantly near Cyclops Arch. Looking back, that image almost became symbolic for the entire trip, adapting, enduring, and finding beauty despite difficult conditions.

Our final major stop was Kofa National Wildlife Refuge.

There we photographed the deceptively cuddly-looking cholla cactus, which I can confirm is far less friendly than it appears, along with the towering humanoid silhouettes of the saguaro cactus beneath desert skies. Kofa felt wild, isolated, and peaceful all at once. The perfect final chapter before beginning the long drive back to Houston.

This trip brought a lot of firsts.

First visits.First permits.First experiences.First lessons learned the hard way.

It also reminded me that the best adventures are rarely perfect. The weather changes. The winds blow. Plans fail. Roads feel endless. Sleep becomes optional.

But somewhere in all of that chaos, unforgettable moments happen.

Would I want to repeat a 4,100-mile drive anytime soon?

Probably not.

But the memories, the laughter, the struggles, the photographs, and the experience of sharing it all with a close friend are things I will cherish for the rest of my life.

And honestly… that’s what makes the journey worth it.

As this adventure comes to an end, I’m already looking ahead to the next one.

This fall, I still have a few openings available for my Mountain Gold & Milky Way Workshop during peak fall colors in Southwest Colorado. (My home state) It’s an incredible opportunity to experience the changing seasons in person, feeling the crisp chill of approaching winter while chasing glowing golden aspens through the mountains.

And if conditions cooperate, we’ll photograph the Milky Way drifting above snow-capped peaks before the galactic core disappears for the winter season. There’s something unforgettable about standing in the cold mountain air beneath dark skies while the last colors of autumn cling to the landscape.

It’s one of the most beautiful times of year in the Rockies, and I’d love to share that experience with others who feel the same pull toward adventure, photography, and the night sky.

Thanks for tagging along and I hope you have clear skies and amazing Summer adventures.

-Mike