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Published: November 6th 2009
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Painted Desert and Petrified Forest - October 18th
As we left the Rockies, dropping down from the mountains, the landscape changed around us quickly. We were now in a vast desert area with deep red mountains as a back drop and giant boulders that looked like they'd just been placed there. As we crossed int the border into Arizona we stopped for fuel and were given an alternative route suggested by a nice Mexican which he said was very scenic. I was also amused by the writing on the toilet wall...
Person 1: "Hey Gringo, leave my wife alone!"
Person 2: "We'll come and get me then you f**k!"
The route was certainly scenic and took us through very baron land and through towns and villages off the beaten track. Farms and houses built as shacks and people on long, straight roads trying to hitch from one place to another. We stopped to get money from a cash point in the town of Chinle in a car park. Within in 2 minutes of parking a fat, drunk Mexican lady bowled over basically on the hunt for money, with $300 in hand Bowks shoved it between her legs for
safe keeping! After she told us to be careful of the drunks that were about we were out of there. As we drove away we watched parents hiding their children under sheets ion the back of their pickup trucks, telling them to stay down in order not get pulled over by the police.
We arrived at the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert, a national park which gains its name from trees that became fossilised millions of years ago. The Painted Desert was simply named due to the array of colours that are laid in the rocks as if painted, truly beautiful to see. Upon entrance we picked up a leaflet and that read that you could camp there, great. We had envisioned a designated camping area, wrong! You basically could just wander out into the wilderness as long as you had a gallon of water, could not be seen by the general public and you must be at least a mile out. This appealed to us with the added bonus it was FREE! So, backpack packed, tent in hand and off we set down the steep descent that took us over, through and across the mounds, flats and undergrowth.
I must admit I walked cautiously looking for beasties that might be lurking in the undergrowth including rattlesnakes to whom it was their perfect habitat. No snakes but just jumped out of my skin every time a lizard made a dart for his life.
1 mile out, hidden away from public eye, tent pitched, gallon of water and half a bottle of wine of course we were then able to relax. The setting was mind blowing, mounds and cliffs in deep reds surrounded by well, just see the photos...times them by 1000 and you're still not close. It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. With sun setting we climbed one of the steep mounds which the sun was still hitting and with wine in hand again watched another great sunset.
Early to sleep although we were lying awake for at least 1 hour thinking we could hear things moving about outside the tent, I suppose it's just being out in the wilderness. Bill Bryson explains it very well in
his book 'A Walk in the Woods', "You're profoundly aware that you are out of your element and you ought to keep your ears pricked.
Though you tell yourself it's preposterous you can't quite shake the feeling that you're being watched."
However we did eventually drop off and had a decent nights sleep and we were awake to see the sun rise. We walked back to the car trying to follow the route we took to get out there, though this proved to be a little difficult as we lost our bearings and ended up climbing over rocks to find our path again.
The rest of the Painted Deseert and Petrified Forest were spectacular, again a picture paints a thousand words, just see the photos and then made onward progress to the home of casinos and more importantly my birthday celebrations in Las Vegas.
We arrived at the KOA campsite in the town of Williams part of the old Route 66 by mid afternoon still trying to eat the amazing, big banana muffins we'd bought at lunch and more importantly in need of a nice hot shower. KOA Williams fitted the bill, an award winning campsite complete with hot tub and swimming pool. That eve we took a visit to Williams town centre, all still based in the 1950's, shops restaurants, garages
holding lots of Route 66 memorabilia. We ate that eve at a traditional 50's diner, it had everything we required for it to be classed as an traditional diner.
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