Descansos: Roadside Memorials of the Southwest

Descansos: Roadside Memorials of the Southwest is a collaborative photographic project exploring themes of grief, remembrance, and public expression across the highways and backroads of the American Southwest. “Descansos,” Spanish for “resting places,” mark the sites where lives were suddenly and tragically lost. These roadside memorials—crosses, flowers, photographs, candles, toys, and personal mementos—speak to the love left behind and the lives we’re often left to imagine.

As photographers based in and deeply connected to this region, we approach these spaces with reverence. From rural highways in Arizona to winding roads in New Mexico and Colorado, we document each memorial as both a tribute and a cultural marker, honoring stories that may never be fully told.

This project seeks to bear witness to the grief made visible, the names remembered and unnamed, and the emotional landscape etched into the desert and pavement. Some memorials are formal, others handmade or weathered by time, but all are acts of remembrance and quiet pleas for awareness.

Through this body of work, we aim not only to preserve these powerful tributes through photography, but to spark conversations about road safety, mourning in public space, and how we as communities and individuals remember those we’ve lost.

Three crosses made of wood, with the left and middle crosses dark and the right cross painted white, are set into the desert ground with rocks at their bases. The middle cross has inscriptions with the name Billy and dates 1959-2005. Behind the cross
A cross with the name 'Brian Hansen' on it, set against a cloudy sky and mountainous landscape in black and white.
Silhouette of a cross with the name 'Brian Hansen' against a cloudy sky during sunset or sunrise.
Black and white photo of two metal crosses with inscriptions, surrounded by dry grass and bushes in a natural setting.
A metal memorial cross with engraved names and dates, set in a natural outdoor landscape with dry grass, bushes, and trees in the background.
Cross-shaped memorial marker engraved with names and dates, surrounded by dry grass and bushes in an outdoor setting.
A weathered wooden memorial cross with a black metal plaque, dedicated to a person named Colleen, with some rusty wire and screws around it, set against a background of a large tree trunk and blurred forest.
A rural landscape with a large tree, a wooden cross, a fenced field, and a vivid blue sky with clouds.
A metal grave marker with a white cowboy hat on top, small decorative flowers, and artificial green leaves, in a natural outdoor setting.
A grave with a decorated cross, flowers, and a cowboy hat at the top, commemorating the individual named Dean who lived from 1956 to 2011.
Small roadside memorial with a cross, flowers, and stuffed animals in a desert landscape with mountains and dark blue sky with clouds.
Cross with inscriptions 'In Memory of Joe' and dates 1918-2002, adorned with scarves and a decorative frog figure, mounted on a barbed wire fence in a desert landscape.
A wooden cross tied with cloth and ribbons, mounted on a barbed wire fence in a desert landscape with hills and sparse vegetation in the background.
A roadside memorial with a small wooden cross decorated with flowers and a wooden butterfly, with an old truck parked in the background.
A memorial cross decorated with colorful flowers, a painted star, moons, a butterfly cutout, and small memorial notes in a desert setting.
A small memorial with a metal cross and a smiling sun decoration, bearing a plaque with the name Diane Marie Spitzer, date August 17, 2002, and the phrase 'God Bless You.' The memorial is placed on the ground next to dried grass and weeds, with a blu
A roadside memorial with a blue painted cross, flowers, and a butterfly decoration. In the background, a building with roll-up doors and a vintage truck parked outside labeled 'Welding Shop'.
Desert landscape with two road signs, one indicating mile 66, and another encouraging to adopt a highway in memory of Emilio Vasquez, with distant mountains under a clear sky.
Grave site with a white sign displaying the name Emilio Vasquez P. and his birth and death dates, May 10, 1970, to June 11, 1989. Surrounding the grave are various colorful flowers, including yellow sunflowers and white, pink, and red flowers. The ba
A roadside memorial with flowers, a sign, and personal items for Emilio Vasquez P., who lived from May 16, 1970, to June 11, 1989, in a desert landscape with mountains in the background.
Nighttime roadside scene with a sign reading "Until We Meet Again" decorated with two angel wings, surrounded by trees and bushes, with route signs indicating westbound directions on Arizona Route 260.
A wooden sign with the message 'Until We Meet Again Georgia Bird Fish' is mounted on a post, decorated with white bird-shaped ornaments. The sign is set against a background of green trees and a blue sky.
A white wooden cross memorial with the name 'Greg Muff' and years '1985-2007' on it, surrounded by rocks and dry grass in an outdoor setting with trees and bushes in the background.
Gravestone decorated with flowers, a metal cross, and small ornaments under a dark blue sky.
A decorative cross with intricate metalwork stands outdoors against a blue sky, surrounded by colorful artificial flowers and a small red bird ornament at the bottom.
Close-up of a weathered wooden cross with a shrapnel attached, overlooking a desert landscape under a sky with clouds.
A memorial set up with a large white antler at the center, surrounded by flowers, in a desert landscape with hills and sparse vegetation under a blue sky.
A desert landscape with reddish sand dunes, sparse bushes, and a clear blue sky with scattered clouds.
A small cross memorial with yellow and pink flowers at a roadside in a forested area under a clear blue sky.
A small wooden cross with flowers placed at its base in a wooded area during late afternoon or early evening.
A small memorial with a wooden cross, yellow flowers, and a pink flower, set on rocky ground in a wooded area under a blue sky.
A memorial sign in a desert landscape dedicated to Jim Nelson, with a mountain range and cloudy sky in the background. The sign includes his birth and death dates, and mentions his passing due to a motorcycle accident on March 1, 2019.
Memorial cross on a roadside with flowers, candles, and personal items at its base, next to a speed limit sign of 75 mph, in a rural area with tall grasses and trees.
Yellow decorative sign spelling 'LOVE' placed on a rusted barbed wire fence and stone, with greenery in the background
A cross decorated with dried flowers, leaves, pinecones, and ornaments hanging from it, set against a background of green foliage and a blue sky.
An outdoor memorial with a makeshift cross decorated with personal items, flowers, and photos in a grassy area under a blue sky, with a speed limit sign of 75 mph in the background.
A surveillance camera mounted on a cross at the top of a rocky hill or mountain.
A large rocky hill with a cross on top, situated beside a road and a bridge, in a desert landscape with sparse vegetation and clear blue sky.
A white cross with a red fire department emblem in a desert landscape, decorated with pink, white, gray, and purple flowers, beside a road with a rocky background, honoring Mark Sanchez of the Flagstaff Fire Department.
Desert landscape with red rock formations, a paved road with yellow lines, and a white cross with flowers and a small sign dedicating it to firefighters, under a cloudy blue sky.
Open landscape with shrubs and a roadside memorial decorated with flowers and flags, under a clear blue sky.
A cross with a heart at its center decorated with American flag patterns, placed in a grassy field with small bushes, under a clear blue sky.
A memorial cross in a field with a star and heart shape, flowers, and a handwritten note reading 'In memory of TENGNEV'.
Sunset behind rugged, rocky desert landscape with sparse trees and a cross-shaped marker in the foreground.
Metal Memorial cross inscribed with the name Michael L. Eldridge, dated February 15, 1951, and August 27, 2016, mounted on a rough stone wall.
Memorial plaque for Rafeal G. Laurel Jr., a soldier in the US Army who fought in Vietnam, surrounded by rocks and trees.
A memorial plaque and a metal cross with white flowers on a rocky surface, surrounded by trees with autumn leaves.
A metal cross with three knight-shaped arms, a small plaque, and white flowers at its base, situated in a wooded area with trees and a partly cloudy sky in the background.
Gravesite with a cross bearing the name Richard Scott Storey, and a wooden cross marker beside it, on a rocky hillside under a clear sky.
A small makeshift memorial with a cross and a sign for Richard Scott Storey in a desert landscape with a winding road, dry bushes, and rocky terrain under a clear sky.
A roadside memorial decorated with flowers, a small snowman figure, and a cross with the year 2018, located in a rocky, rural landscape with mountains and trees in the background.
A black-and-white photograph of a barren, rocky landscape with sparse, leafless bushes and a small wooden cross leaning against a tree in the foreground. The sky is partly cloudy with some sunlight breaking through.
A black and white photograph of a wooden cross leaning against a tree, with the tree's branches stretching above. The cross has handwritten text that reads 'BEEN 1996'.
Silhouette of a hill with multiple crosses and a sign, against a partly cloudy sky in black and white.
A white memorial cross with the name George Stone and the years 1944-2023 written on it, adorned with a purple flower, ribbons, and small painted decorations, placed on a large reddish-brown rock in a desert landscape with dry bushes in the backgroun
A photo of a man in a frame, surrounded by dirt, rocks, and dried grass, along with a small metal heart engraved with German words, a weathered piece of paper with a rock on it, and stones arranged on the ground.
Street sign reading 'Buck Palanio' with clouds and sky in the background
A small memorial with a blue cross, two crossed rusty dumbbells, and a lock, surrounded by rocks and dry desert vegetation in a mountainous landscape.
A memorial photograph of a man in a coat and hat with two dogs, leaning against a fence in a grassy outdoor area, placed on rocks among dry bushes. A candle is nearby, indicating it may be a memorial site.
A weathered wooden cross planted in rocks on a hillside, with a mountainous landscape in the background under cloudy sky.
A small memorial with a wooden plaque reading 'Betty's AF' hangs from a structure in a desert landscape. There is an American flag in a bottle at the base, surrounded by rocks and stones.
A small memorial site with rocks, dried plants, and photographs of law enforcement officers, some notes or signs, and a small metal stand, likely in honor of a person or event.
A makeshift memorial with two crossed driftwood sticks wrapped in fabric and decorated with a pink ribbon and lace, surrounded by rocks, a small basket, and other small objects, set against a rugged desert hillside and cloudy sky.
A black and white photograph of a graveyard on a hill with various crosses and tombstones, some decorated with flowers, under a dark, cloudy sky.
Landmark crosses on a mountain overlooking a rugged desert landscape with distant mountains and a partly cloudy sky.
A makeshift memorial with flowers, a metal cross, and a large rock with red spray-painted graffiti, set against a desert mountain landscape under a partly cloudy sky.
A memorial marker made from car pistons and chains, set on a mountain with a desert landscape background, memorializing John E. Burwick, with dates August 23, 1958 to May 10, 2021.
Memorial site with multiple crosses and flowers on a dry, rocky hillside under dark stormy clouds.
Silhouette of various crosses and trees on a hillside against a cloudy sky in black and white.
A hillside with rocks and dry vegetation, topped with multiple crosses against a partly cloudy sky.
A rocky hillside with a white cross at the top, desert plants, and a partly cloudy sky.
A memorial cross with flowers and stuffed animals dedicated to Stephen Cheshire, next to a large electrical pylon under a clear blue sky in a barren landscape.
A roadside memorial with a white cross inscribed with '1977 Stephen Cheshire 200', decorated with flowers and stuffed animals, set in a desert landscape with bushes and a distant mountain range under a clear blue sky.
A roadside memorial marker with the name 'Stephen Cheshire,' decorated with flowers, stuffed toys, and a small plaque, located in a desert area with power lines and a hill in the background.
A desert landscape features a makeshift memorial with a bicycle decorated with a wrench, flowers, a cap, and a sticker, surrounded by rocks and sparse bushes, under a partly cloudy sky with mountains in the distance.
A small bicycle decorated with a flower, rosary beads, and two wrenches on the handlebars, set on rocky desert terrain under a cloudy sky.
Two makeshift graves in a desert landscape, one marked with a white cross and decorated with flowers and American flags, the other with a simple wooden cross and flowers.
A roadside memorial with flowers, a framed photo of a man, and American flags, located on a dry, rocky hillside with sparse bushes and a cross nearby.
Two graves marked with white crosses, one for Tina Will (1961-2019) with flowers and the other for Richard Will (1937-2019), in a desert landscape under a clear blue sky.
Two crosses with name and dates on a desert landscape under a clear blue sky, with flowers and small lights at the base of each cross, memorializing Tina Will (1961-2019) and Richard Will (1937-2019).
Two white crosses with names and years written on them stand in a desert with small flowers and lights at the bases, suggesting a memorial site.
Memorial with crosses, flowers, and decorative items on a desert hillside near a highway under a blue sky.
A white cross gravestone surrounded by a broken white decorative fence in a barren desert landscape with a barbed wire fence and sparse bushes and trees in the background.
A white cross memorial on a desert landscape, surrounded by a crumpled metal barrier, with barbed wire fencing and distant mountains under a clear sky.
A memorial cross with flowers lies at the base of a large pine tree in a forest, with other trees and sunlight filtering through the branches.
A small carved wooden cross with pink and yellow flowers attached, set on dirt ground in a forest of tall trees with a blue sky overhead.
A small wooden cross with artificial flowers, including pink and yellow flowers, placed in a forest with tall trees and sunlight filtering through the branches.
A gravesite in a forest with a white cross-shaped grave marker and a bouquet of flowers at the base. The grave marker has the years 1937 and 2024 on it, indicating it is someone's memorial.
A white wooden cross decorated with artificial flowers and greenery, placed outdoors in a natural landscape.
A small memorial site with artificial flowers and a white cross, near a decorated pine tree, outdoors in a grassy area under a clear blue sky.
A small decorated Christmas tree with a cross and flowers at its base, set in a grassy open field with mountains in the background under a blue sky with scattered clouds.
A small memorial cross decorated with artificial flowers, placed on rocky ground beside a green bush in an open field, under a clear blue sky.
Three white crosses made of metal pipes on a hillside with dry grass, barbed wire fence above, and a clear blue sky.
Black and white photo of a barbed wire fence with three tilted white crosses made of pipes in front of dry grass and rocky ground.
Black and white photo of three makeshift crosses made from PVC pipes planted in the ground, set against a barren landscape with a barbed wire fence in the background under a clear, dark sky.
Three white crosses planted in a grassy field near a barbed wire fence at night with a dark sky overhead.
Shadow of a small airplane cast onto a rock in a barren desert landscape with power lines and a hill in the background.
A small handmade wooden cross decorated with tinsel, beads, and small ornaments, casting a shadow resembling an airplane on large rocks in a desert landscape with a clear blue sky.
A memorial with a wooden cross decorated with tinsel, beads, and small objects, set against large rocks in a vast, open desert landscape. The shadow of the cross is cast onto a large rock, creating a cross-shaped shadow.
A wooden cross decorated with beads, necklaces, tinsel, and small objects, placed on rocks in a desert landscape with blue sky and distant mesas.
A small memorial with a wooden cross decorated with tinsel and ornaments on a rocky landscape under a clear blue sky.
A wooden cross decorated with tinsel, beads, and small ornaments, situated on rocks beside a road with power lines in the background, and the sun shining behind it in a desert landscape.
A roadside memorial with a wooden cross decorated with flowers and ornaments, surrounded by rocks and debris in a desert landscape at sunset.
A tall wooden cross painted in various colors and symbols, standing on a rocky hilltop with a clear blue sky in the background.
A cross decorated with greenery and flowers on a rocky hilltop against a clear blue sky.
A decorated cross with Christmas ornaments and greenery on a rocky hilltop against a clear blue sky.
A makeshift cross decorated with Christmas garlands and a small tree on top, standing at a desert memorial site during daytime.
A wooden cross decorated with green garland, a red bow, gold star top, and sunflowers, standing in a desert landscape at sunset with a clear blue sky.
Black and white photo of a small decorative cross covered with tinsel and a ribbon, set against a desert landscape with power lines in the distance.
A decorated memorial cross with green garlands, a large red bow, and a yellow sunflower ornament in a desert landscape.
A white metal wire basket lying on rocky reddish-brown ground, casting a shadow.
A barren, rocky desert landscape with a white cross and a small astronaut figure in the foreground, and a flag atop a hill in the background under a clear sky.
A memorial cross decorated with flowers and wreaths stands in a dry, grassy area under a blue sky during daytime.
A grave marker decorated with flowers stands in a dry, grassy field under a clear blue sky.
A white wooden cross decorated with flowers placed beside a rural road.
A makeshift memorial on a dirt roadside featuring a white cross with flowers in a glass vase at its base, surrounded by rocks, against a background of dry shrubs and a blue sky.
Multiple crosses of different colors and sizes on a hillside in a desert landscape with a clear blue sky and a utility pole with power lines.
Rocks and dirt on a hillside with multiple crosses and signs, including one fallen sign, against a clear blue sky.
Multiple handmade crosses with messages on a rocky hilltop against a clear blue sky.
Several small crosses made of wood, with messages on them, placed on a rocky ground against a bright blue sky, including messages like 'BE SAFE,' 'DRIVERS KILLED,' and 'INFANT KILLED.'
A hillside with three crosses and a memorial plaque with a red bow, against a clear blue sky.
A roadside cross monument with a wooden and metal design against a desert landscape and clear blue sky.
A cross-shaped roadside memorial in a desert landscape with mountains in the distance and a highway passing nearby.
A large wooden cross standing in a desert landscape with hills in the background, black and white photo.
A roadside memorial with flowers, a small American flag, and a decorative cross at Golden Shores Station, with a sign and a cloudy sky in the background.
Memorial with a white cross, flowers, and small decorations placed on dirt, with desert landscape and cloudy sky in the background.
A flower arrangement in a pot placed on the ground beside a highway guardrail, with dry grass and distant hills under a clear blue sky.
A memorial cross adorned with flowers on a grassy roadside with highway traffic and mountains in the distance.