Camelback Mountain, Phoenix

View of Camelback Mountain, looking north on I-10, Phoenix, AZ

Previously, in one of my posts on downtown Phoenix, I mentioned some of the challenges of taking photographs of the city's architecture. Unlike a city like Chicago, Phoenix does not possess a wealth of iconic architecture to serve as a mark of identity for the city. Many people who move out West often do so to focus on the beauty of the natural surroundings, so maybe that helps to explain the lack of emphasis on architectural uniqueness. However, to that point, Phoenix can find an iconic feature in Camelback Mountain. I have always loved this mountain and have used it as a point of reference for determining directions, much the way I once used Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. In one of my posts devoted to the Desert Botanical Garden, I included another photograph that I have taken of Camelback Mountain, but I want to get a few more photos of it because, first, I think it's a fantastically beautiful mountain, but also because it often seems surreal in its emergence above Phoenix's cityscape and the Arizona desert. As you can see with just this photo, Camelback Mountain is a major feature that dominates part of the Valley. In fact, you can see it from miles around, even at a considerable distance from the city.