The Painted Desert
Richly colored earth and rocks created by the gradual erosion of ancient lake beds
The colored bands of sand and rock change from blues to reds throughout the day
as the shifting light catches the different mineral deposits
as the shifting light catches the different mineral deposits
The Painted Desert is visible along a
28-mile scenic drive
28-mile scenic drive
The Desert is part of the Petrified Forest
National Park
National Park
Over 225 million years ago, rivers swept dead trees downstream into a vast swamp.
The trees were buried in layers of silt that prevented them from decaying and
eventually turned them into crystallized quartz.
The trees were buried in layers of silt that prevented them from decaying and
eventually turned them into crystallized quartz.
The colored crystals preserved the
shape and structure of the trees,
even the grain of the wood
shape and structure of the trees,
even the grain of the wood
The varied colors are due to different
minerals in the silt
minerals in the silt
What looks just like wood is surprisingly
heavy, weighing nearly 200 pounds per
cubic foot
heavy, weighing nearly 200 pounds per
cubic foot
Rainbow Rock Shop, Holbrook. A giant
plastic Brontosaurus stands guard over
gems, geodes and petrified wood.
plastic Brontosaurus stands guard over
gems, geodes and petrified wood.
Wigwam Village Motel, Holbrook. Opened in 1950 and still family-run, vintage cars in
the lot lend a retro air. We tried to stay overnight in a wigwam - no vacancy.
the lot lend a retro air. We tried to stay overnight in a wigwam - no vacancy.
The Grand Canyon, truly one of the most spectacular sights in the world: 217 miles long, between 4 and 18 miles wide, and over
5,000 feet deep.
5,000 feet deep.
Formed over a period of 6 million years through a combination of erosion and the
relentless force of the Colorado River
relentless force of the Colorado River
There is an ever-shifting pattern of light and shadow, and the colors of the rock, bleached white at midday, are bathed in red and
ochre at sunset
ochre at sunset
Up to 5,000,000 visitors flock here each
year, but 90% stay on the rim and don't
take a hike down into the canyon
year, but 90% stay on the rim and don't
take a hike down into the canyon
Temperatures are often 20 degrees
cooler on the rim than at the bottom
cooler on the rim than at the bottom
We took a one-hour flight over the Canyon in a 21-passenger plane. Exciting and actually quite scary!
Oatman - a former gold mining center -
is the Old West come alive
is the Old West come alive
Wild donkeys descended from early
mine prospectors' pack animals crowd
the town's main street
mine prospectors' pack animals crowd
the town's main street
Gives new meaning to the phrase ...
"hung like a horse"
"hung like a horse"
This colt was born the night before our visit