Beyond Beautiful

WOW! Yesterday was amazing! It was a busy day (travel time and sightseeing galore)! Here was our travel route for Day 5: 

Day 5:  Albuquerque, NM to Flagstaff, AZ

Map courtesy of maps.google.com

Before we left, we swung by the Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque, NM, and it was well worth the stop! Since Mom isn't able to do a lot of walking (and the heat was a killer), we asked the park ranger where we could easily see a few petroglyphs. She quickly directed us to the Boca Negro Canyon site, which had three different paths from which to choose. Her directions were perfect, and within seconds of pulling into the parking lot, we could spot petroglyphs on the side of the canyon from the car! Dad and I got out to hike up, but I quickly found myself climbing to the top of the mesa alone (in a dress and slip on shoes from target, mind you!). It was absolutely fascinating. If you ever get a chance to head out West, you must take time to see these really, really old works of art. Here are some pictures from our visit:

Above:  Pictures of petroglyphs in the Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque, NM.  The bottom set has photos taken from the car of Boca Negro Canyon (notice the bottom left photo, you can easily see a pethroglyph)

After our adventure in Albuquerque, we headed west on I40 into Arizona. Yep! The Snyders will conquer another state, folks -  but not before stopping by Gallup, NM to shop for turquoise jewelry (can you say expensive?).  I didn't buy any but took some pictures of downtown Gallup just for the hell of it: 

 

Above:  Pictures of Downtown Gallup, NM.  We stopped at Richardson's Cash and Pawn.  Beautiful pieces... steep prices.  They'll come off the sticker price if you talk to them (after an automatic 50% discount).

Shortly after entering Arizona, we embarked on the 26-mile detour through the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. And OH MY GOD! OMG! OMG! OMG! I have never seen something so amazing. Every mile unveiled more beauty. There was a constant, "Dad, can we pull over? I have to take a picture!!" pouring from my mouth. I just couldn't help myself. Mom and I took tons of pictures. I'm not sure we'll be able to sort through them all! Definitely a beauty to behold! Here are a few pictures (though you MUST see this for yourself):

 Above:  Pictures from the Painted Desert, Arizona

At some point along the way, we stopped at some Pueblo ruins. In addition to the ruins, there were some petroglyphs to be seen (and photographed). We also stopped at Newspaper Rock, which sports over 100 petroglyphs. It really looked like a newspaper! My father and some fellow tourists got a kick out of  the fact that in another 50 years, people probably won't understand the reference... 

Above: Pueblo ruins and  petroglyphs in the Painted Desert.  The bottom left photo is of Newspaper Rock.  You can see many more petroglyphs in person (with binoculars), but you guys get the gist, right? 

Toward the end of the journey through the national park, we were able to see tons of petrified wood, which fascinated me to no end. We didn't stop to take photos until we reached the Rainbow Forest. I cannot describe the beauty and intrigue these pieces of "wood" hold, but I'll leave you with some photos in an attempt to justify the sight:

Above: Pictures of petrified wood in Petrified Forest, AZ.  See the cute little lizard I caught in Rainbow Forest?  His/Her green skin looked awesome against the shinny, red petrified surface. 

Everyone knows you can't remove anything (natural or cultural) from a National Park. It's against the law!! But my father and I desperately wanted a few pieces of old wood to take home and cherish. Lucky for us, my cousin, Paul, gave us an insider tip and provided directions to a (slightly sketchy) site where we could pick up some of our own.   After heading out into the desert on a dirt road and 10 minutes of searching, we I proudly returned to the interstate with a few pieces of  (totally legal) treasured souvenirs:

Above:  A petrified treasure!   Not as pretty as the stuff in Rainbow Forest but still pretty neat!

PLEASE NOTE:  This petrified wood was NOT taken from the Petrified Forest National Park.  It is against the law to remove rocks, wood, plants, ANYTHING from a National Park!!

All in all, it was a great day.  The only drawback of the day came in the form of fires outside of Flagstaff, AZ - not only destroying land but also filling the air with smoke. 

We head out for the Grand Canyon today. I'm extremely excited. I've always wanted to see it, and I'm so lucky to get to spend Father's Day with my Dad in one of the most majestic places in the world!

OH! I'm happy to report I've had two nights of decent sleep! Unfortunately, I've caught a mild cold. Total bummer, but I hope the excitement of seeing the Grand Canyon will cure me!

I'm signing off for a while. I'm not sure if our lodge at the Canyon has internet. Either way, I won't be posting again until Day 7 or 8.  Expect tons of pictures.

Love,

Amanda