Utah Back to Arizona

Sunset sketches, moonlit detours, and one very illegal campsite...

We hit the road early Monday morning, leaving behind Utah and all the wild inspiration it gave me. The weekend had been full-on—new people, new experiences, and a camera roll absolutely bursting with reference photos I couldn’t wait to take home and draw.

Half a day on the road flew by, and we decided Sedona would be the perfect stop for the night. Classic move: we rang a few caravan parks… all completely booked out. Not ideal, but I wasn’t too stressed. I ditched the accommodation hunt for a bit and wandered down the main street instead. .

I popped into a few local galleries and ended up meeting a seriously cool photographer named Todd Frame. His stories and the adventures he goes on to capture his images had me totally inspired—I love meeting creatives who chase that same spark.

Another gallery caught my eye—this one by a native artist—but I’d just missed him by a few minutes. Gutted! I was really looking forward to meeting the man behind the work. But the lovely woman minding the space was so kind and gave us a list of spots we might still be able to stay for the night.

We decided to head up to one of the walking tracks a friend had recommended, and that’s when things got real peaceful. I pulled out my paints and started sketching as the sun dipped behind the red rocks. Just as I was packing up, I spotted two other artists painting in oils nearby. Couldn’t not stop for a chat—it’s always a buzz to bump into other artists on the road, all chasing light and colour in their own way.

As the last bit of light disappeared, a full moon rose behind the mountains. It was stunning… but I was wiped. The whole week had caught up to me, and I was so ready for bed... I didnt even have the energy to eat dinner... Problem was, we still had nowhere to camp.

We cruised back into town for about an hour, holding my eyelids open with my hands, hoping for a miracle, then ended up driving back to the now-quiet carpark where the walking track began. And yep—we slept right there, in front of a very clear “No Camping” sign.

Sometimes, the best places to wake up are in paces where you weren’t supposed to be.