I just posted an article listing **[a number of beautiful places to visit in southern Arizona](https://steemit.com/travel/@michaelmcawesome/amazing-places-for-the-arizona-summer-southern-edition)**. Let's take a look at the bigger picture as I write about the reason I love my home of Arizona: *[Feel free to listen along with this song while you gaze](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v8KEbQA8kw)*

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSCzgJv9Ai8pZfCHwZNfh9TCZG6QUQmkJBtL3zrCfXyAK/winslow.jpg

*** # Just Drive a Few Hours One thing which bugged me while living in Guangdong, China was the *sameness* of the landscape. The Shenzhen countryside looked like Guangzhou's which looked like Chaoshan's which looked like Zengcheng's which looked like... You get the idea. Sure it may be a tiny bit different, but as you'll see, it's nothing like how Arizona can change. As a picture speaks a thousand words, enjoy this collection of gorgeous images all to be found **within a few hours' drive from Phoenix**: **Note: All of these pictures are 100% real. I even took some of them!** *** *There is natural beauty to be found even within Phoenix. My friend took this one:*

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmebFvZuWZXejmAq2U5ajDF6vrbBYHDsUHHvVcFVa8w2Fr/Phx.JPG

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRbMccFD6LRNr3KfRqpF4CTYdLBvp1YuEzmqUfZ5h8t5h/camel%20sunset.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSog7fqdY5dThrd5YLZ2Ah8vY7CNbFHN42vyre6NmmWdo/sunset%20phx.JPG

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWeY3ZVB42cKxgG652y3Ac42SF2uWBKgXSe7osZ8NjwzB/cave%20creek.JPG

*I took this one 👆a few months ago.* *** ## Drive an hour and it starts to look like this:

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTM9GvLmT8YXXTFsu9oo8CNN2TxRFCXbxosy7pEdJFaxe/superstition2.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSCzuREG8KZLUyKM3v1qoovToB9nnzoSFqTAjboYpZn4H/Snow%20Mountains.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmZGNNFmjSjqj9dpABLoPKmd2j6RCWEUzVrfdvzaccM1KK/Mountains%20Night.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmX5jdcasmutipNFJgG55nLp6sPWLQnZ6ZZLYUxCdt4qrt/saguaro%20lake.jpg

#### Drive another hour north and you're in a different land:

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmeBHTcrumetAPNXeF9t9o9onkF5fbqQSMKqWv964iBKVS/jerome.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSkoRMN8ZAHkvi8nNY19vvACEizWYpBqL8FBrVWveijza/watson%20lake.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcctVcRCzJqzKN7LpDyLgN34YUtUxtM6cVVk6hhsyzm32/FPC.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmU69XJq5r5e57VGSPKMgLpbqNCzrSWMfuruJ4uxCT9Jhe/spruce.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmP2HkbQ61UYg6B1cHL4KfteSGQdcqffMPiBuCCZR5246h/sedona%20bridge.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmT9oRCyQczKAUjJ3BRDDLasJrcqqioJRkW2BRVwqc9wHp/Sedona%20Back.png

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQme4g3jpc8RCQoVF5GeYEvPC745Eusd9SeioDiGP9gqDN8/mormon%20lake.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQma6Sv6udiUobTd3Q8fQ2U2axf1cYG4aYyFaxdJXBvd1Hr/san%20francisco%20peak.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmZhgynEmdjJsMteJz9YbqUc9a42M1D1hcTv3CpZaoGf49/flag%20mountains.jpg

#### Drive another couple hours and this is what you will find:

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmYBVwUHr6wk7cYXnC3g6sEtdNtQsRyMxQPG2WDeK79WFV/IMG_2333%20copyjpg.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmPDtJkAidD5LTuDKdmZoPGMjS6ijXFvJAesTeBFRNCrat/gc%20sunset.jpg

#### Not bad, huh? But wait, there's more! We took the north road, what about if we take it south?

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWy4X26tn5aXmyaBkScWUHQ99b8rc35nYePYasQ7hxb66/saguaro%20forest%20.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcFZEr6c5GpwRqxUbfHKaGp825bQCab63Pqu7dfSao3dd/kartcher.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmYKaFPqgcTVZBgbeSywefoLmGRkvQDKpoF734hpHrySXP/patagonia.JPG

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRCHbr4KmU6nYrrWXjArwftFCHangP3CFheBDTV7Tjvbw/sonoita%20copy.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmeWsByzguKKzYLUr7iq6czhguMF5KccAFy8k72adYdqgg/bisbee.jpeg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTNbTCQErYPoiBPZP6zds7oLcRyQfdv9UepLUx3JysJvv/baboquivari.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmYctjqDjdzDjkcuJBDEmAxgGHeo5pN7imf9aQUah2NCHM/Poppies.jpeg

#### To the west, land of the setting sun?

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmPi8Y9WsetFX7GFwL6zebQwhh4BbkfHok4EEaGBTjEYrG/lake%20powell.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmQn26egETk4dbGr5Ggd4uKrLZTQEVouBJpfZqSsH9qWzU/lake%20havasucity.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSkxK14GGJxZqh6h4HjKGGJmqwAQ6ftC1yV89D46UbK1Z/havasu.jpg

#### A little more rugged, but still stunningly beautiful. And finally, what does the road look like to the east?

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmVqxNs6WJBEN6NTQC88PMNSqTv23nmwARvW9icBYiQWag/sheep%20bridge.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcKTc5VFtKoRJWoofjKB7rc5qzX8iCRMNs9hmzbkqyi3i/tonto%20bridge.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRUhY9WSArV9ypvahW53PZkMxAXSVE9bhAjgW7DN465Lt/fossil%20creek.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRyZu86fDeFupfpmhbhRiKJ1MXmDir9EzJqccwNmCTGnw/%20verde%20river.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmYxCCkmBhF4qEFjiYyrdcPx29AtiQg55vu2pWXGS1aki5/mog%202.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWyA2Tw2AE3S7EbbaTdKR4YT5kNHuCKswJ89XvYPoS6yb/greer2.jpg

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmRkZVgakm2RC8rrXXGWAxXPbwH1N5gaCQygZ3BkKw9sk8/greer%20az.jpg

*** *There you have it. What I think is hands down the most beautiful area in the world. And believe me, I've seen a few places.* *This post can show the beauty but it can't convey the smells. There is nothing like the desert sweetness after a rain. Or the staggering fragrance of a pine forest in the mountains.* *I hope you will come and visit sometime. People are friendly and it's just nicer than the traditional stops of Los Angeles and especially Las Vegas. Did I mention Arizona has casinos too?* If you think Arizona is beautiful too, feel free to drop a comment in below 👇: