Posts Tagged ‘Petrified Forest’

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SkyWatch Friday: Arizona Skies

July 29, 2011

The sky above Puerco Pueblo in the Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. June 13, 2011.

This is my post for Skywatch Friday, a meme for sharing views of the sky from all over the world.  To see more, or to join and share your own photos of the sky, click HERE.

There is no doubt that the main attractions of the Petrified Forest National Park are the Painted Desert and the petrified logs.  But the sky is also an attraction, especially on a clear day like it was when we visited in June.  As the day wore on, a few white clouds appeared.  The long, flat cloud in the picture above appeared over Puerco Pueblo, where we saw our first group of petroglyphs.

The Painted Desert south of Newspaper Rock, Petrified Forest National Park. June 13, 2011.

By the time we got past Newspaper Rock, a few smaller wispy clouds put in their appearance.

The Painted Desert, Petrified Forest National Park. June 13, 2011.

I can’t help but feel that those white clouds in that beautiful blue sky added to the wonderful colors of the Painted Desert.

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I Married a Drive-by Shooter

July 28, 2011

The Painted Desert in the Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona. June 13, 2011. (Photo by Betsy)

No, not that kind — the good kind!

One disadvantage to doing the driving on a road trip is that it’s easy to miss some of the scenery because you have to keep an eye on the road (and traffic).

The Painted Desert in the Petrified Forest National Park. June 13, 2011. (Photo by Betsy)

Fortunately Betsy has become a very accomplished drive-by shooter with her camera.  She took all these pictures as we drove along Petrified Forest Road between Newspaper Rock and The Tepees in the Petrified Forest National Park.

The Painted Desert in the Petrified Forest National Park. June 13, 2011. (Photo by Betsy)

If there was a pullout I could stop, enjoy the scenery, and take some pictures.  But pullouts were few and far between, so I’m glad Betsy got these great shots of the scenery.

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Posted in Betsy | 15 Comments »

My World: Petroglyphs

July 26, 2011

Petroglyphs at Puerco Pueblo, Petrified Forest National Park. June 13, 2011.

This is my post for the My World meme.  It is hosted by Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, and Fishing Guy.  To learn more about our world or to join and share your part of the world, click HERE.

Betsy and I have often heard  others talk about petroglyphs, and when we visited the Petrified Forest National Park we were able to see some for ourselves.

Another boulder at Puerco Pueblo with petroglyphs. June 13, 2011.

The first set we saw was at Puerco Pueblo, an archeological site which was occupied between 1250 and 1400.  The petroglyphs were on the side of cliffs adjoining the village, although we were unable to view one set because the trail leading to the viewing platform was closed because of swarming bees.

The ruins of Puerco Pueblo. June 13, 2011.

The picture above shows some of the ruins of the village.

Newspaper Rock, Petrified Forest National Forest. June 13, 2011. (Photo by Betsy)

The second set of petroglyphs was at Newspaper Rock, shown above in a picture that Betsy took.  There are more than 650 petroglyphs on the cliff and on boulders that have tumbled from the cliff.

Because of defacement that has taken place in the past and unstable hillsides, visitors are restricted to a viewing platform at the top of the cliff.  There was quite a crowd on the platform, and it was very windy, but we did manage to see a few of the images.

Petroglyphs at Newspaper Rock. June 13, 2011.

The light wasn’t the best for the petroglyphs on this boulder, but they are on at least two of the sides.

Petroglyphs at Newspaper Rock. June 13, 2011.

The lower image on this boulder reminds me of how I feel after working all day in the garden.

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Posted in My World | 18 Comments »

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