We made a few stops along the way, the best one was our visit to the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. It was a beautiful day for sightseeing... even though it got hotter and hotter as the afternoon progressed. Thank goodness Chuck had loaded an ice-chest with water and gatorade for us, we definitely needed to stay hydrated walking around in that heat. Phew!
Once in the park, we came to the Painted Desert first, and we walked along several easy trails. Amazing colors... it was true to the name. I love this shot with the blue sky and green scrub brushes framing the reds and violets of the canyon below.
We had a picnic lunch from eats in the cooler, (yes, we ate in the truck with the a/c on. It was over 100 degrees out!) and then drove along to the Petrified Forest.
Along the way there were some nice vistas and geography... these are some of the "teepees" that eroded eons ago.
It was eerily quiet and still out there. We were practically the only living things moving around in the heat of the afternoon. And the landscape seemed almost alien after a while. So incredibly different from the forests I'm used to in the Colorado mountains.
The petrified logs dotting the landscape were very cool. Until you walk right up to one and inspect it, it looks completely like an old, fallen tree trunk. And then as you get close, you all of a sudden realize that it's actually a big 'ol rock now. Completely mineralized. Fascinating.
After our side tours, we headed west, eventually meeting the setting sun.
After sunset, we finally made it to Lake Havasu City, to spend a fun weekend with nearly my entire family.
Ok, that's it for now... Stay tuned for part 3, the Mansfield Family Reunion.
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