What they say about the heat in Arizona is true.

Leaving the Phoenix International Airport in the middle of September gave me a rude introduction to that infamous “dry heat.”

It was over 100 degrees with only 30% humidity.

What many people don’t mention is how beautiful the desert can be.

I hadn’t seen cacti that tall since driving through Texas and Mexico to visit family as a kid.

The first one I saw was easily 15 feet tall. It towered over landscaped stones spelling out “Welcome to Phoenix” - the Mountain State version of a flower bed.

On the 30-minute drive Gilbert, AZ, I saw many more of the prickly giants with the Phoenix Mountains in the distance. Snow capped the tops of the peaks.

That night the temperature dipped into the 60s, and the humidity fell to just 11%.

My southern sinuses were not pleased when I woke up the next morning.

On the way up The big plan of my trip was to see the Grand Canyon. I always heard photos don’t do it justice and wanted to see its magnificence for myself.

Scottsdale is on the way up to the canyon. It contains one of Arizona’s last remaining western towns – Frontier Town.

Old western-style building fronts, horse and buggies and saloons made for a fun couple hours.

One artist had created metal sculptures of horses, cows and even a T-rex.

Passing through Flagstaff – the halfway point – the temperature had reached the mid-70s. There was even a little snow lingering in the shady parts along the roads. Reminded me of South Carolina weather.

A grand view

“Gazing upon this view, one is struck by the canyon’s vastness. The mind struggles to comprehend it.”

That was the welcoming statement on a sign at the start of the Bright Angel Trailhead on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. And vast it is.

And vast it is.

The size of the Canyon is truly indescribable. One feels almost insignificant next to its enormous expanse. I imagine only deep space could make me feel smaller.

At 1 mile deep, 18 miles wide, and 277 river miles long, the Grand Canyon can be seen from space.

A bus took us from the parking lot up to several viewing points along the rim. Each one offered a different glimpse of the rock strata.

The Colorado River along with rain runoff has carved its way through the rock over millions of years.

At the top of the rim, we saw an elk and her calf from the bus. They looked like oversized deer.

By the time the bus had made its full loop of the park, night had fallen and so had the temperature.

It was in the low 40s and windy. I was not dressed for such wintry weather and was happy to get back to the heat of the car.

Though my trip to Arizona was short, the memories collected are long-lasting.

I must admit, after looking at mostly flat dessert for 4 days, I’ve never been so homesick for our Carolina pines.