The entrance to Golden Canyon in Death Valley National Park in California as the sun rises. The image combines the warmer yellow tones of the rising sun on the desert canyon with the cool blue tones of the remaining shadow.
If this place feels familiar, its because millions of people have seen it before. Golden Canyon stands in as the part of Tatoonie where R2-D2 is moving alone through Jawa Canyon at sunset, during Episode 4, Star Wars: a New Hope.
A view of Onion Creek in the Fall, in the Professor Valley, East of Castle Valley and Moab, in Southeastern Utah. In the distance are the snow-capped La Sal Mountains. The leaves on the trees are turning yellow and red muddy water flows through this otherwise dry desert landscape.
The area is popular with hikers, cyclists and OHV users.
One of the distinguishing cultural and architectural aspects of the American Southwest are historic remnants of Catholic missions that were established by the Empire of Spain in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The goal unlike the conquest of Mexico and South America for gold and riches, was to save the souls of native american indians the Spanish saw as pagans.
The Spanish Catholic Mission San Xavier del Bac was founded ten miles south of modern day Tucson, Arizona. It was founded in 1692 by Father Eusebio Kino, who also started the Tumacacori Spanish Mission just to the south near the border with Mexico. During his life, Eusebio established more than 24 missions, and country chapels in Pimería Alta (Sonora) and Baja California.
This mission was named after Francis Xavier, a Christian missionary and a founder of the Jesuit Order. The current church was completed in 1797, after the previous structure was destroyed by the Apaches. Its primary mission was the conversion of the local Pima Indians, and more specifically the Tohono O’odham band.
The church employees white stucco and a ornate Moorish-inspired architectural design.
