It wasn't really supposed to be a trip. We were just running my stepdaughters back to the airport at the end of spring break, driving down to Phoenix one evening and returning the next morning. As we entered the low desert, however, we were astonished to see that the rugged mountains, hillsides and valleys had all turned yellow!

I had heard that the wildflowers blooming in the desert were especially abundant this year, but never in my years of traveling to and from Phoenix had I seen anything like this. Little yellow daisy-like flowers were everywhere. They filled up the median, covered entire mountains, surrounded the saguaro cactus and poked out from between giant boulders.

Not one to stop when he's on a mission, and he wanted to look at boats before going to the airport on that day, my husband started looking for a place to pull over. We found an exit off of I-17 (Black Canyon freeway) and got out to look around. We explored a little bit, I snapped several pictures and made my husband promise to stop at a better vantage point on the way home the next day.

We returned home the next day on Highway 87 (the Beeline), and could hardly believe that the flowers were even thicker and brighter along this eastern route. My husband told me to let him know where I wanted to stop and take pictures. I couldn't decide. Each twist and turn in the road brought more amazing sights. I have lived in Arizona most of my life and have never seen the desert put on a display of solid color like this one. Reluctantly, I chose a spot and began snapping away, wanting to record this once-in-a-lifetime sight.

Normally I am glad to leave the heat and the hustle and bustle of the low desert and return to the mesas and red sand badlands that I love, but on this day it was hard to get back in the car and drive away from the yellow mountains. A quick run to the airport turned into a wonderful travel memory, sweet and unexpected.