November 7, 2020 - Petrified Forest, Arizona
Departing the Bandera Crater and Ice Cave, we drove northeast on Highway 53 back to Interstate 40.  Then we got back on I-40 west, passing through Gallup again.  My planning wasn't too good today  -- we should have spent the night in nearby Grants, east of Gallup.  Here we are passing through some serious desert.
   
Delicious lunch break at KFC.  We are either in Arizona now or very close to it.
   
We entered the Petrified Forest National Park off I-40 and immediately came to Painted Desert Visitor Center.  While we were in the Visitor Center, we got the call.  We have a new baby Grand Daughter:  Parker James Burton!  Maggie and Beau texted us this picture of baby Parker.
   
We drove through the northern area of the park and passed by the Painted Desert Overlooks, but Lynnette was too excited about Parker to pay much attention to the Painted Desert.  Plus, as always, it seemed, we were pushed for time.  We had less than two hours to be out of the park by closing time at 5 PM.  Finally, we had seen the Painted Desert nine years ago and it hadn't changed too much.
 
We continued on to the southern area of the park and hiked the Blue Mesa trail.
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
A nice example of petrified wood.
   
 
   
 
   
Lots of petrified wood just laying all over the place.
   
 
   
 
   
It's impossible to tell from the pictures, but it was very windy.
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
I practically ran through the Crystal Forest while Lynnette worked the phone.
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
Nice.
   
At the southern end of the park, we checked out the "Giant Logs" area.
   
 
   
 
   
Looking down at the Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor Center.   Nothing was open but we did get to see a rainbow.
   
That's a big one.
   
 
   
 
   

Yay, petrified forest.  It's always good.

We departed the park right before it closed and headed west on Highway 180 to rejoin I-80.  We spent the night in Winslow, Arizona.
   
 
   
Previous
Home
Next