Take the slow curve of a gray road--find yourself surrounded by wild skies, hidden marvels, and the forgotten stories tucked away in the Southwest's panoramic landscapes. It's not about the fastest route. The back roads of the American Southwest wind through cactus-sentinels at sunset, abandoned mining towns, and silent canyons painted with sunlight and shadow. Photographer David Skernick takes you into the heart of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada with every turn of the page--a real road trip where the freedom is in not quite knowing what you'll find around the next bend. "Back Roads of the Southwest" isn't a catalog of landmarks or a checklist of national parks--though you'll pass through legendary places like Monument Valley and Zion, sometimes on roads so obscure they're just a blush of gray on the map. These images reveal the bigness Georgia O'Keeffe spoke of--clouds heavy with weather, tiny motels with neon humming, glimpses of wildlife pausing by a fence line. Arranged in expansive panoramas and punctuated by playful, sharply observed details--from a hummingbird caught mid-flight to the quiet of an evening storm--each photo invites you to share in those moments of discovery. Fans of landscape photography gift books and seekers of Southwest road trip inspiration will linger over these pages, and maybe get lost for a while themselves.