What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?

As I drove through the Sonoran Desert, I was struck by how beautiful everything was. I was speeding down the highway, looking west across the desert, as the sun snuck up behind me. There was just enough light to give a reddish-orange glow to the valley walls. The saguaro cacti cast shadows across the brush dotting the desert floor, and I watched as the saguaros lifted their arms to the sky. All of a sudden, heavy rain began to fall, and when it ended 20 minutes later, the saguaros were left to greedily drink up what little water they could get. The sun rose higher in the sky, and waves of heat began rising off the desert floor. Those waves reminded me that the beauty I saw was the result of an unbelievably harsh climate. It's easy to forget how cruel nature can be when you're inside a climate-controlled vehicle.

A.
to inform the reader about saguaro cacti
B.
to persuade the reader to visit a desert
C.
to tell the reader how to live in a desert
D.
to describe to the reader a scenic drive