Petrified Forest: June 23, 2011

Today was amazing.  I got a later start (which is sooo me) but then it just went great.  I visited the Petrified Forest.  It was really hot outside but what do you expect in June in the desert!  Through the smoke of a new fire that started a day ago, I was also able to see the Painted Desert.  At times I feel like such a foreigner on this trip… I actually thought someone painted part of the stone cliff when I first heard about the Painted Desert.  It turns out it is just really crazy colors- blues, reds, oranges, etc.

From there I started to head to Flagstaff and came across the Meteor Crater exit off of I-40.  How can you pass that up?  It was also sweet.  Once I hit Flagstaff I decided to push through to the Grand Canyon.  I came to a ‘scenic view’ sign and stopped.  It was a cliff that dropped a 1,000 feet.  The sun was just setting and the temp had dropped…it couldn’t have been better.  I met Alex and Nune (his girlfriend from Thailand) and, again in my ignorance, asked if this scenic view was part of the Grand Canyon.  Alex laughed and asked if I had seen the Grand Canyon yet. We wound up talking for about 30 minutes and he told me if I visit Thailand to look them up.  Then I set out for a hotel.  To get to a hotel, I had to drive through the park.  I decided to call a Best Western and they wanted $240 a night!  Now come on people!  So, I found a campground in the Grand Canyon and set up my tent.  The weather was perfect... 65 degrees or so and not a cloud in the sky.  There was also a nice breeze.  See, all those scouting days are paying off!  I can’t wait to see the Grand Canyon tomorrow.  

Mileage: Starting 74,000 Ending 74,265= 265 miles

Stayed in the campground at the Grand Canyon

States Visited: Arizona

Here is the new fire:

Here is a short video of the Petrified Forest:

A video at the Meteor Crater site:

Here are some cool pics from the Petrified Forest:

Some fossil they found:

Actual petrified wood:

Cool scenery:

More scenery:

An old car placed on Old Route 66... The telephone poles in the background mark where the road used to be.  This was actually in the park:

Another shot of the telephone poles.  The current highway is several hundred feet away:

A good shot of the Painted Desert:

Here I am at the Meteor Crater:

And at the 'scenic view':