(All photos used with permission.)

WHITE DESERT

White limestone formations peep out of the tan sand, giving this desert its name

Lynne C. (Lena, Miss.), Michele B. (Jackson, Miss.), Merry P. (Madison, Miss.), Debbie M. (Tupelo, Miss.), Ruth S. (Sunnyside, Wash.), and Glenda W. (Madison, Miss.)

WHITE DESERT

Running downhill barefoot in the soft sand of the White Desert

WHITE DESERT

Crystal Mountain (White Desert National Park)

Michele B. (Jackson, Miss.)

DESERT

Mountain vista in the Black Desert

DESERT

Enjoying the sun

Lynne C. (Lena, Miss.), Merry P. (Madison, Miss.)

WHITE DESERT

Mountain vista in the White Desert

DESERT

Bedouin tour guide Tamer prepares a campfire meal of grilled chicken, rice, and vegetables under a canopy of a million stars

BAHARIYA OASIS

Local produce market in Bahariya Oasis (Western Desert)

DESERT

Pottery shards outside what is called the Temple of Alexander, in the western desert near Bahariya Oasis

WESTERN DESERT

Natural mineral spring near Bahariya Oasis

DESERT

Enjoying one of the numerous hot springs in the western desert; the iron-rich water pours out of the ground piping hot and is used by locals to bathe, wash clothes, and as a source of drinking water for animals

DESERT

Wind carved out the softer underlayers of rock to form countless "mushrooms" like this rock formation in the White Desert, especially lovely when contrasted with the robin's-egg blue of the afternoon sky

DESERT

Riding camels in the desert; these "ships of the desert" have a unique rolling gait that takes some getting used to!

DESERT

Shadows of camels and riders

DESERT

Preparing to ride camels near Pyramid Mountain, Western Desert

DESERT

Camel and rider with orbs, Western Desert

DESERT

Riding camels near Pyramid Mountain, Western Desert

Ruth S. (Sunnyside, Wash.)

DESERT

"Hitching a ride" in the Black Desert

Glenda W. (Madison, Miss.), Michele B. (Jackson, Miss.), Debbie M. (Tupelo, Miss.), Carol P. (Clinton, Miss.), Merry P. (Madison, Miss.), Ruth S. (Sunnyside, Wash.), Lynne C. (Lena, Miss.), Fran B. (Jackson, Miss.)