By Stuart J. Faber

Sunset on the desert. (Stuart J. Faber)I grew up in the midst of rolling prairies, thick forests, and cool, deep blue lakes. Of course, I feel most comfortable and at home in these environments. That being said, many of my desert excursions have been memorable. For example, the Atacama Desert in Chile is a magical place. The solitude and lunar-like terrain lends a feeling of being in space. In contrast, the dramatic hues of the red-rock desert in Sedona, Arizona are electrifying. No artist could duplicate the colors of these rocks. The desert surrounding Dubai, UAE, with its waves of sand, reminds me of the Arabian knights movies of my childhood. We spent a thrill-packed afternoon surfing up and down the sand dunes in all-wheel drive vehicles – as the SUVs banked almost 90 degrees, we were terrified that we would flip upside-down.

The high terrain surrounding Flagstaff, Arizona has become one of my favorite desert destinations. At 7,000 feet above sea level, millions of ponderosa pine forests spring from the desert floor. Conifers are not the region’s only anomaly. For example, the desert around Flagstaff receives approximately 100 feet of snowfall annually. Additionally, the terrain is composed primarily of volcanic soil – not a sand dune in sight. Summer temperatures rarely rise above 80 degrees F. Winter temperatures can plummet below zero. Within an hour from Flagstaff is the Grand Canyon. This real estate resembles no desert I’ve ever seen.