Petrified Forest

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Hello from Holbrook, AZ. Other than several stretches of US highways that were incredibly rough (I’ve been on dirt roads that were smoother than these were) it was a smooth day.

The colors were brilliant in the Moab campground when I took Chessy out right at sunrise. But the skies quickly became gray with a thin high overcast. It really made me even more grateful for the incredible weather I had. Conditions were nearly perfect every day and I was truly blessed.

I was glad I drove south of Moab to see the formations Thursday afternoon as the overcast skies would have made for very blah photos today.

I stopped at the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site in Ganado, AZ. It is the oldest continuously operating trading post in the Navajo Nation. Thinking of the Hubbell telescope I asked if it was named after J L Hubbell (who started the trading post). Turns out he was related to the Hubbell telescope’s namesake.

I found out how it works stopping at tourist attractions in the RV during a drive today. I would have been in a bind at the trading post had I been towing Ike. But it was smooth sailing through Petrified Forest NP. I almost passed it by but decided to drive through. The sunset was beautiful and it was worth it to arrive at the campground and set up after dark.

I think this is only the 2nd or 3rd time in 25,000 miles of RVing that I’ve had to set up after dark. It’s not too difficult but I still prefer to settle in before dark.

I’ll meet up with Jeff and Toni tomorrow afternoon and we’ll begin our week of fun in AZ and NV.

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Photos

campground color
The color was brilliant in the campground at Moab this morning.

Hubbell Trading Post
I enjoyed walking around the buildings. Cars were parked in front of the trading post so it wasn't photogenic.

Painted Desert
Here's a view of the Painted Desert in Petrified Forest NP from the Whipple Point Overlook.

Route 66
Historic Route 66 used to run through Petrified Forest. The telephone poles behind the old car mark the roadbed. I-40 now runs close by this section and you can see traffic on I-40 in the background.

Petrified Sunset
The sunset was pretty nice in Petrified Forest NP this evening. I was concerned I might not find a suitable location as I arrived at the visitor's center a little over an hour before sunset.