The Santa Cruz River

The Santa Cruz River is probably like no other river you've seen unless you live in the US desert southwest.  

It is usually a dry river bed, unless there is a significant (and usually suddenly heavy) amount of rain.  It will dissipate quickly even then.

The river is approximately 184 miles long. This is a fairly wide river bed.  You may have to look in large to see the farther side, but it stretches from the cement barrier and metal fence on the right to the fence and cement wall, right before the barn, on the left of the photo.

The bridge I was on spanned about 550 feet.

I parked my car short of the bridge and was on it taking pictures when a Sheriff's Deputy pulled up behind my car.  There was a sign that said no parking or standing on bridge.  I got really nervous and told the officer I was leaving right then but he said I was okay.  The sign meant no CARS were allowed to stand on the bridge.

He stopped just to make sure I wasn't in distress.  I felt a little silly.