Category: ARIZONA Thru My Eyes

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Agate Bridge spans 110 feet and was once a towering tree. Over time the tree died, was carried downstream where it was quickly buried in sediment and over time silica began to replace the tree, eventually becoming the log it is today.  In 1911, visitors and conservationists were afraid that the bridge would collapse, and they reinforced the former tree with support.  It sure is amazing and I am so glad we went and saw it while on a recent trip.

Taken with a Canon 50D

Painted Desert, Arizona

When we visited Newspaper Rock the sun was beginning to set and so there were heavy shadows on the petroglyphs.  In this photos, though, you get an idea of how good they are!   Do you ever wonder who these people were who made them?  I do!

Canon 50D

Painted Desert, Arizona

The Painted Desert sites on the northern end of the Petrified Forest.  It is very beautiful with it’s diverse colors!

iPhone 5s

Painted Desert, Arizona

We went to the area called Newspaper Rock where there are over 650 petroglyphs.  Because the sun was going down and there were lots of shadows, they are hard to see.  Also, to protect them, you cannot get very close.  I had to really lighten this photo so you can see some down in the bottom right corner of the large rock.  I have always enjoyed looking at petroglyphs, wondering what the person was like who made them.  These were created by ancestral Puebloan people living, farming, and hunting along the Puerco River between 650 and 2,000 years ago. Some of the ancient artists may have lived at Puerco Pueblo, located less than one mile north of this site.

iPhone 5s

Painted Desert, Arizona

We saw the Pueblo architecture on our trip, throughout Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.  It draws its inspiration from the Pueblos and the Spanish missions and it developed at the turn of the 20th century.  Though these are modern and aren’t made of adobe, you do still some buildings that are.  Adobe is among the earliest building materials, and is used throughout the world.  They have a very unique look!

iPhone 5s

Painted Desert, Arizona

We stopped at each of the look outs to see the views.  Here, at Tiponi Point, like all the others, the Painted Desert was a photographer’s delight.  It was a very hot day, but well worth going and seeing.

Canon 50D

Painted Desert, Arizona

The Painted Desert is so beautiful, words and photos don’t give it justice.  You look forever, it seems, at endless layers of beautiful colors!

Canon 50D

Painted Desert, Arizona

On my bucket list is to drive Route 66 that goes from Chicago to Los Angeles.  Someday I am going to do that!  So, I was pretty excited while on our latest trip, we did drive on part of Historic Route 66.

Canon 50D

Painted Desert, Arizona

As we were driving along I had my husband stop so I could get a photo of these cool mountains layered with different minerals.

Canon 50D

Petrified Forest, Arizona

I climbed a little incline and was so happy with the gorgeous view I saw!  Petrified Rocks in the foreground and beautiful mountains in the background.

Taken with a Canon 50D

Teec Nos Pos, Arizona

After spending some time at Four Corners, we went to our next stop to pick up a few goodies for our trip.  Along the wall of the market we stopped at, they had beautiful paintings of Native American’s.  It reminded me that this is Indian country; mainly the Navajo, Hopi, Ute & Zuni tribal nations!

iPhone 5s

Petrified Forest, Arizona

I didn’t know what to expect when we went to the petrified forest. What we saw was amazing, there were logs of fallen trees everywhere. Once they stood tall, reaching for the sky, now thousands of millennium later, they lay on the ground having turned into rocks. It is pretty awesome!

Taken with a Canon 50D

Petrified Forest, Arizona

As I was taking photographs of this petrified log a bird, I think a hummingbird, flew by.  I took a few photos of this log but this is the only one that has the bird in it, so, it must have flown by fast!

Taken with a Canon 50D

Petrified Forest, Arizona

Even in the shadows the brilliant colors of this rock that once was a trees is so evident!  It truly is amazing even inspiring!

Photo taken with a Canon 50D.

Petrified Forest, Arizona

Once this was a tall tree now it has fallen and over the millennium changed from tree to rock.

Photo taken with a Canon 50D.