National Parks of the West 2012 Day 7: Grand Canyon NP and Petried Forest NP

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My day started out at Petrified Forest National Park. The have a strict rule against taking any petrified wood so you are asked about it on the way in and on the way out. The park itself is a cool park. You start off at the edges of the Painted Desert and you really can see where it gets its name. There are many different hues of rock and dirt, from reds to browns to even greens and purples. Part of the park is located on the old Route 66 as is nearby Flagstaff. By far the most interesting part of the park is by the southern entrance. That is where the huge petrified logs are. You can hike through them and wonder if they have always been there or if they were placed on that location. Either way the logs are huge. On the way out to the main highway a million petrified wood businesses dot the road. Look for Geronimo, the World's Largest Piece of Petrified Wood.

I then headed to Meteor Crater next. I had always seen pictures of this huge crater and a visit was a must for me. Its neat seeing the crater rim rise out of the land and the visitor's center was very informative concerning the nature of meteors. The crater itself is HUGE! I had trouble fitting it into my camera lens. Its remarkable how well maintained the crater is.

My last stop for the day was the Grand Canyon. Now the canyon is supposed to be the best and most beautiful ever but upon arriving and viewing the majesty of it I just sort of realized I really wanted to go home. I am tired of being out on the road. I miss my friends and Colby and my bed and Meow-Mix. No amazing natural splendor was going to change that. Still, I forced myself to hike the rim and take in the majestic vistas and took in the immenseness of it.

I drove back down to Flagstaff for the night tired and dejected. The less I say about my motel room the better. At least the person next door had a cat.

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