The Petrified Forest and Painted Desert

In my recent blog, I took you on a virtual tour of the highlights
of our 12 day trip to the Grand Canyon. This follow-up blog covers
the day we departed from the canyon, a day full of its own adventures.

En route to Albuquerque, we followed I-40, which roughly paralleled major railway lines. I learned that the BNSF was the Burlington North Santa Fe. The modern version of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe.

I wasn't in a position to count railway cars, but this train had FIVE locomotives. We saw one that had six, and other trains that had extra engines in the middle of the train. A crucial part of our nation's supply chain.

I-40 also roughly follows the path of the famed Route 66, and there were homages to it all along the roadsides.

Next stop: the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert.

Though nothing compared with the Grand Canyon, the west was full of beautiful and iconic land formations.

The petrified remnants of an ancient forest were strewn across the landscape.

The beginnings of the Painted Desert.

The west is vast, colorful, and majestic.

Some words of explanation.

Fittingly, Judy and I had completed this puzzle of the Painted Desert just a few weeks before our trip.

After departing from the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest,
we proceeded on toward Albuquerque for the night. These are
the magnificent Sandia Mountains, just east of the city. Their
highest peak is over 10,000 feet, considerably higher than
North Carolina's Mount Mitchell or Grandfather Mountain.

For several hundred miles, our route homeward would now
follow the path of famed Route 66.

Judy and I completed this puzzle, entitled "Road Trip" just before taking off on our 12 day trip. It's fun to retrace our path, and to envision our NEXT road trip!