This is the town where I live. Where I have called home twice now.

Williams, Arizona.

It is quaint and quirky and cute in its own little touristy way.

There is a lot of history in this town. It was founded in 1881, thirty-one years before Arizona became a state. Williams was also the last town on Historic Route 66 to be bypassed by Interstate 40 in 1984. It is also the Gateway to the Grand Canyon, as they say.

Much of the history from both the Wild West and the heyday of Route 66 are still visible in Williams today.

A few months ago, Kristy, and I explored downtown (where main street and Route 66 are one in the same) one Saturday afternoon. (Her images from this little photo adventure can be seen HERE and HERE).

Get ready for so much beautiful back lighting and lens flare goodness that you might just poop your pants. But, hopefully not. Hopefully you’ll just say, “Hey, I want to visit Williams and Route 66 and the Grand Canyon!”

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Oh say can you see…

It has been three months since Kristy and I made a drive from North Carolina to Arizona, by way of Kansas (worst state ever made) and Colorado (one of the best states ever made). The trip took a week. It could have taken a month and I would have been just as happy. There is something about the open road that feeds my soul. And, being on the road with a travel partner as great as Kristy is kind of unbeatable.

The trip looked like this:

• Day One: Greensboro NC to Paducah KY (594 miles)
• Day Two: Paducah KY to Tonganoxie KS (451 miles)
• Day Three: Explore nearby Lawrence KS
• Day Four: Tonganoxie KS to Louisville CO (590 miles)
• Day Five & Six: Spend not nearly enough time visiting my bff, Jonah, and his amazing family in Lousiville
• Day Seven: Louisville CO to Williams AZ (697 miles)

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Whenever I’m on the road I eat breakfast at a Cracker Barrel (you know, the one with the old country store). Doesn’t matter where I’m heading, there is guaranteed to be one along the way. I know I can order the same thing at any one of them and it is going to taste the same way. It’s all about consistency, right? And, as always, my Smokehouse Sampler tastes just as it should. Kristy says her breakfast is one of the worst she’s ever eaten. I say she’s just being picky.

Some Cracker Barrels sell Cheerwine in a glass bottle in their country store. Those are the ones that get my patronage more than once. If you’re not familiar with Cheerwine in a glass bottle, you just don’t know what is good and right in this world. Paducah, KY, doesn’t boast a Cracker Barrel with Cheerwine in a glass bottle. I probably won’t be returning here.

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Old barns, sunsets, and a giant arch.

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A collective of creatives converged in Tonganoxie for a single night. Honestly, between Carl, Amy, Josh, Kelley, Sara, Kristy, and myself, we could have probably taken over the world if we tried.

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Spending a day exploring the town of Lawrence, KS, with Kristy’s two bffs, Kelley and Sara, is a perfect way to delay the inevitable drive across Kansas. Kelley and Sara are both excellent photographers. Go check out their work and then come back to see me.

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Kansas.

Don’t even get me started. I lost my mind there once.

Thankfully, Kristy and I have the most amazing game every invented, 20Q, to help pass the time and the miles.

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Colorado.

It is either my second or third home. I can’t remember which. (North Carolina will always have my heart).

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The sun sets near the Four Corners part of the country, just before crossing the border from Colorado into Arizona. That’s not actually where the sun sets, but that is where we are when we watch it set. Know what I’m saying?

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And, when the sun is finally gone, we continue driving into the night.

The open road.

The wind takes you.

PS- this is the first blog post on my newly improved website. Take a look around and let me know what you think! -wac

Last spring I won a Diana Camera in a giveaway. It was just before I departed on my 800-mile walk along the Pacific Crest Trail and I decided the Diana would be a perfect addition to my already too heavy camera bag. Truth be told, the camera spent more time buried in my backpack than in my hands. I actually only ended up shooting 1 roll of film with the camera during my two month hike.

Last week I was finally able to get that roll developed and I must say, this camera is fun! Light leaks, double exposures, and soft focus… What a winning combination. I am excited to shoot more with this camera. And, I am excited to share these images with you.

To celebrate the realization of how amazing this little “toy” camera is, I have decided to bring back a fun game we used to play over on my Facebook Page. That’s right- WAC Wednesday is back! In the past I have been known to have weekly contests and giveaways and now they’re back and ready for some fun.

Up for grabs is an 8×8 mounted print of one of the images you see on this post. You can enter below using the Punchtab widget, or you can enter over on the Facebook Page on the Rewards & Giveaways Tab.

There are multiple ways to earn entries, so that means there are multiple chances to win!

Enter below. Tell your friends. Have fun. Check back for more WAC Wednesday giveaways.

Next Wednesday a lucky winner will be chosen. And announced and everyone will be happy! Or, at least, the winner will be…