Petrified National Forest and the Painted Desert

From the moment we pulled in to the Root 66 RV Park, we knew we'd found an interesting spot on the planet....from tacky abandoned motel rooms to bubba's with 4-wheelers with a local rooster in charge this place was sumthin' ! ...and it even boasted it's own pertrified wood sale in the front yard!

Oh well, I guess we deserved some place special....
but a short drive into the Painted Desert proved that we were indeed in a special place. No photo can do this place justice, but here's a couple to give you the feel for the vastness of the valey and it's beautiful colors.

The Park has done an ezxcellent job of restoring and preserving the circa 1938 Painted Desert Inn. The backdrop of colors & textures make a perfect home for this classic adobe structure.

The interesting glass artwork inside could not rival the architectural artforms of the exterior.....

Moving into the main part of the "Forest" showed us that the Anasazi had been there long before us. Looking at this image of "Newspaper Rock", filled with hundreds of petroglyphs provides no clue as to the actual height of some 30 feet!

As we drove through the Tepees area, our rig seemed to get lost amoung the massive figures surrounding us.

The most popular area in the Park is the Rainbow Forest. This particular section was far enough away from the railroad and highway to have been spared the onslaught of tourist looking to bring a chunk of the petrified wood home. Before the NPS took over, millions of pounds of the Forest were taken out by both tourists and commercial groups. As we entered the area, it was interesting to notice the "lay of the land". Here, across this valley, as the softer sands & earth are eroded away, the petrified tree hunks remain, scattered thourhout the area, as they once were across the entire Park.

The closeup to the left shows the continuous process as this large "log" is "eaten" out of the rock & sand by the forces of Nature.

Unlike many national parks, one is allowed to touch, feel and even sit on these relecs from the past. Kim & I enjoyed the many different "trees" scattered througout the Rainbow area.

Looking back through the photos this morning, I realize that I shot far too many "slices & chunks" of this colorful material. But I'll close with a small ampling of the many shapes, textures and colors that abound within this national treasure, and leave you with the urge to come and see this exquisite example of forces of nature at work firsthand.

U.S. Route 66 - The Main Street of America

U.S. Route 66 was establised in 1926. It originially ran from Chicago to Los Angeles. Route 66 was a major path of migrants who went west, especially during the dust bowl days. People doing business along the route became prosperous because of the popularity of the highway. The route through AZ is now a National Scenic Byway.

Our next stop was The Petrified National Forest and The Painted Desert. We spent the night at the Root 66 RV Park in Sun Valley, AZ. No place could be more remiscent of the old highway. You could camp with full hookups and buy yourself a piece of petrified wood by the pound.

All along the highway were many places to stop and shop.

Saguaro NP- AZ Sonoran Desert Museum-Mark Visits

After finishing up with LOW on Friday about noon Kim Mark & I decided to check out the Desert Museum.

Located only about 15 minutes from Tucson, the Museum was a real treat, exposing us to many aspects of the desert and surrounding area in the natural environment. Interpretive exhibits, films and guides were around every corner providing a great opportunity to learn more about this unique part of our planet.

http://www.desertmuseum.org/ http://www.nps.gov/sagu/

Just the drive over the nearby mountains provided insite into what was to come. The spectacular Saguaro "forest" in this area is unique, and unlike anything else I've seen. I had been to Phoenix many times for Honeywell, but the size and numbers of cacti these do not begin to compare with this area.

It was obvious from the overall plantlife and numbers that the Tucson area must get considerably more rainfall than surrounding areas.

First stop at the museum was the reptile area...hey this is great, we can look at these venomous creatures without danger of being bit!

Of course, the reptiles were housed in part of the "dark cave area"....I guess we just never grow up, we crawled around in there with the kids for quite some time. I thought we'd lost Mark, but one scream about a snake being loose in there produced a quick exit!

And reptiles aren't the only creatures living within the Museum. How often do you get to come face-to-face with a codi mundi?

Another surprise was the enormous height of some of the saguaros. Best I could tell, some reached as high as 35 feet. They say these giants don't start growing their first "arm" until 50 years old, so I guess the big ones have been around for hundreds of years...

After dropping Mark off at the Tucson Airport on Saturday, we joined our friends Alan & Michele on a hike in the Eastern section of the Park (Tucson is literally surrounded on both sides by the Saguaro National Park!). This side of the park gets even more rainfall, as evidenced by the amount of green plants and the huge amounts of flowers!

Alan & Michele hike this area twice a week, with a local group of friends. Pretty neat to have this kind of National Park environment 10 minutes from your house!

Another interesting aspect of the area is the contrast between the living and the dead. Most striking is the strange knarled look that the Saguaro trunk takes on after the cactus has died, and all that is left is this ghostly skeleton of that once beautiful plant.

As we ambled along, I couldn't help but notice the many small flowers in bloom on this side...a definite contrast to the plant growth on the West.

Well, as they say in show business, we save the best for last. Every now & then, us amateur photographers catch the late evening light at just the right angle, and something magical happens. So I'll close with one of those shots for you to enjoy....