More Paint And Wood

There is a lot more to the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest than colored rocks and rock wood.

The whole area teaches about our changing world. 

This whole area was once covered with river systems.  The colored sediment layers of rock and the minerals that turned trees to colored rock trees are all due to the rivers.

The log in pieces after it fell from its perch

There are lots paved walking paths of varying length throughout the park.  Some lead to overlooks, some around/through areas of interest, and some take you down into the riverbeds for a closer look to some of the formations.

Humans settled in or traveled through the area, and left signs of their existence.

Tomorrow, other interesting stuff.

Louise and Duane

Petrified And Painted

Petrified Forest and Painted Desert 

The air was cool, the sky was blue 

We climbed aboard and Eagle flew

East

to the lands of "paint" and wood.

We took lots of pics as good tourists should.

Some clouds moved in. 

The air grew hot!

West we flew just like a shot.

Back to our "house" was our flight,

Where Eagle

and we tucked in for the night.

Lots of fun today,

Louise and Duane

Big Day

 A 200 mile drive today 

through the ever changing desert

brought us out of New Mexico and into Arizone

to our next home for a week in Homolovi State Park.  We checked in at the Visitor's Center

then drove to our site.  There are only 52 sites here, most of them back-in's and 30 amp/water, all of them very spacious.  We had room to park the truck in front, but Duane opted to make use of the shade where most people would sit out and use the bbq, 

fire pit, and picnic table.  There is also a sandy tent spot on each of the back-in sites.

Our view out the side,

back

and front.  We seem to be out in the middle of nowhere, but I40/old US 66 is right over there on the horizon.

The park is here to protect two 13th century sites of the Anasazi Native Americans, whose descendants, the Hopi, consider part of their homeland.  

After lunch we walked the paved road 1 1/2 miles from the campground to one of the sites. 

It was hot--90d.--but felt cooler because of a light cloud cover and a strong cool wind.  We saw no wildlife but three jackrabbits, and a couple of small bush birds.

A reminder that fast moving storms and flash floods are always possible in the desert, especially in the afternoon.

The village sat atop this small rise.  There is a 3/10th mile walk around the ruins.

One spot has been rebuilt to show the size and shape of most of the buildings,

but most of them look like this.

along the path pottery shards are on display.  Visitors can look, pick them up , but put them back where they were.

We walked home satisfied that we would be able to make a 4 mile hike we had planned tomorrow (see Buns Of Steel blog.)

Flying the Eagle to Painted Desert/Petrified Forest tomorrow.

Louise and Duane

Driving

Our trip today--364 miles of

Our home for the night in Grants/Milan

Tomorrow a shorter drive into Arizona.

Louise and Duane