The directions and road markings were a bit confusing so, we had to wander in the desert for a while before we found the promise land. The party was located in a wide open riverbed behind the Queen Valley community, about 20 miles or so east of Phoenix. We were far away from the residential and hidden behind the hills so there was no noise complaints and no cops. There were plenty of small boulders on the ground so dancing was a bit tricky but, desert raves aren't about comfort and luxury, they are about the vibe. And vibe we had... PLENTY!

The first thing I noticed was Candyman's new lasers. Scott had it working at full capacity this time and it was a sight to see. All sorts of animated shapes and figures were projected in bright, multiple colors on the side of the hills. I also noticed the crowd was still a little thin but, as the night progressed, more people showed up for the party. As with all desert parties, this was time to relax and kick back and be concerned only with feeding your soul a much needed overdose of trance. The air was crisp and clear and it even felt a little cool in the early morning. There were a few drops of rain on the way there but, the clouds soon parted and revealed a giant blanket of bright stars.

Bill and Michael switched back and forth on the tables, spinning some cool acid trance, followed by DJ Nova and NRG who gave us their share of progressive vibes. Then, Michael played a solo set of hard stuff until CL McSpadden showed up to woo the crowd one more time and toss them up to the next cloud. The music was so inspiring and uplifting that almost everyone got up and danced, disregarding the rocks and pebbles and the sand in their shoes. Trance and the open air always go so well together!

In the morning, a few of us who were still high in spirits and energy joined hands to clean up the desert floor, down to the last cigarrette butt. I even picked up a few shotgun shells... left around probably by some non-ravers;)