We passed canyons and mesas, many of them grey, on our way into Arizona.
On our way here we took a southern detour off 66 to 'The Petrified Forest National Park' which includes 'The Painted Desert'. The views were unbelievable, as can be seen from the following photographs but the sheer size and scale cannot be shown.
By the side of the road we visited the Painted Desert Inn and this is one of the murals in the dining room. Each room was painted by a famous Native American Artist.
We decided not to swap our car for this one but couldn't resist a photo opportunity.
The remains of an eight hundred year old Pueblo settlement are in the park and these petroglyphs were close by on the edge of the site.
Further on we entered a new section of the desert where the scenery was strange and looked like something from another planet. Once again we can't show the scale, these are enormous. From the edge of the road we saw ravens, lizards, ground squirrels and a pronghorn deer.
Outside The Rainbow Forest Museum, at the south end of the park, twenty eight miles from the entrance, there was a half mile trail through a section of petrified forest. This may look like wood but it is solid rock containing amethyst, quartz and other crystals in all the colours of the rainbow.
We are not much further on Route 66 but have decided to spend a few days relaxing and seeing the sights of Arizona.
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