50th Anniversary trip - Arizona

 

 Yesterday's photos:

 

                                          Painted Desert - my photo certainly doesn't do it justice

                                                                 Painted Desert

                      Puerco Pueblo ruins - Reached it's peak population about 1300 A.D. with 100 rooms

  Puerco Pueblo Petroglyphs - The wading bird and the fact they grew crops here seems amazing when you look out at the stark desert.

                                                                     Puerco Pueblo petrogyphs

 

                   Millions of years ago, this desert was a forest - Petrified Forest National Park

You can envision the Triassic forest as you are driving through miles of petrified logs.

Collared Lizard - My personal favorite North American Lizard... courtesy of Christopher who stayed by the lizard and sent word to me that he had found one. I had talked to his family earlier in the day about collared lizards. I was super impressed with his thoughtfulness.  Unique family as they had been on the road for a year with the kids being home schooled.   

 Everything about this lizard is amazing.. Look at those colors. When it ran off, it exhibited the unique behavior of running on it's back legs which is the unique characteristic of this species. (runs like  theropod dinosaurs).  There is an entire science class laying on the log.

                            A snapshot is a frozen moment in time.. but only the log is petrified.

                 The photo says it all unless you are too  young to know the music of the "Eagles".

                               We did more than just stand on the corner in Winslow, Arizona