We headed across New Mexico on the very busy I-40, with a few side trips to see remnants of Route 66 and pick up a Frito pie for breakfast. By mid-morning we took the exit to the Petrified Forest National Park to have a look around. Even though we read about some lesser developed routes and trails we had difficulty finding them. It seems like the National Park Service wants to keep you on a short leash in this park. Still, we enjoyed the trees that have turned to rocks.
The side hike to the jasper forest was my favorite as we were able to wander a bit and get away from people.
The colors of the crystallized wood here were simply fantastic.
Blackie apparently followed us from Chaco. Is there a history of violent birds here?
It appeared to me that someone had been through bucking up the logs for firewood. We thought about picking up a few rounds for the evening fire but decided we better not.
We moved on from the Petrified Forest toward our last big destination for the trip, the Grand Canyon. But first we took a few more detours along Route 66, including Winslow in order to do some “standin’ on the corner in Winslow Arizona.”
We missed out on the North Rim due to snow but the weather had been mild since then and we were able to see a few sights at the South Rim. The first day there we walked the rim to see the sights of the big trench that the Colorado River has been working on.
And of course there was the “wild”life native only to National Parks.
The next day we took the plunge down into the canyon. We descended as far as the short day would let us, before we had to return to the rim.
Once back on the trail a fellow traveler pointed out more of the local wildlife, asking us if we had seen the moose on the trail. Yes, we did see those elk. Quite magnificent, aren’t they?
We found some good boondock sites near the park that were surprisingly quiet and uncrowded. Wood was plentiful and we enjoyed some time under the stars before the cold drove us into the camper.
Coyote bid us farewell as we left the Canyon. Thanksgiving morning we headed out of Arizona and enjoyed a delicious leg of lamb on the banks of Lake Mead, palm trees and all.
Our tour of the southwest was winding down. It was time to start putting some miles behind us and make our way back to Oregon. The daily routine, including popping the top of the camper and settling in to a new camp and making plans for the next days adventure was coming to a close. By the time we would reach home we would have left over 4000 miles is our tracks over the 24 days we spent on the road. Our only real rain on the trip ended up netting us a campsite. Nights were cold with the low of the trip at 21, and commonly below freezing, but nights were sunny with a high of 84. Now that solstice is passed I am enjoying those extra minutes of sunlight. It will be spring before long, and I can’t wait until the next time I pop the top.
