And then we rounded this bend (above) and the view in seconds transitioned to the far stretches of desert land (below) which, in our mind, were more in keeping with our expectations of the desert SW.
Arizona ....
We were surprised to discover I-15 was going to take us through the upper NW corner of the state of Arizona, but the relatively few miles included passage through spectacular Virgin Canyon, and that, in itself, was well worth the trip! 
And then we rounded this bend (above) and the view in seconds transitioned to the far stretches of desert land (below) which, in our mind, were more in keeping with our expectations of the desert SW.
And then we rounded this bend (above) and the view in seconds transitioned to the far stretches of desert land (below) which, in our mind, were more in keeping with our expectations of the desert SW.