 | |  | |  | |  |
impressive natural site in North America. I wasn’t disappointed. I drove to the North Rim of the canyon, which is
1,000 feet higher than the South Rim and much wider. Needless to say, but the views were spectacular,
breathtaking. It was so incredible. It almost didn’t seem real. My first stop in the park was the Visitor Center at
Bright Angel Point. I learned a little about the history, the plant and animal life and the geological evolution of this
area. (1 - 3) The views from the lodge and from the tip of Bright Angel Point are wonderful, (4 & 5) next to the
Visitor Center are rental log cabins and a main lodge. The cabins were built in the early 1900’s, are rustic and
have a natural, cozy feel, (6) my next stop was Point Imperial. From here you can see one of the main tributaries,
which feeds the Colorado River. The views here are even better, more spectacular. The Canyon goes a mile to a
mile and a half down, (7) my last stop and the most beautiful of all was Cape Royal Overlook. This is the only
place on the North Rim where you can see a part of the Colorado River, (8) on the walk out to the tip there is a
view point where you can look-out and see a large, natural opening cut into the large abutment/cliff sticking out.
This is referred to as Angel’s Window. Angel’s Window is located right next to Cape Royal Overlook.
unusual rock formations to wet my appetite. The Park itself isn’t part of the National Park system. Rather, it is
part of the Indian Reservation, which spans parts of N.M., AZ, and UT. The 17 mile scenic drive in the park was
unpaved gravel and dirt – a bit rough on my front wheel drive Saab. But, the views were worth it. (1 - 4) Most
people will recognize this region from the movies: including, John Ford’s famous Stagecoach and many others. It’
s a desert climate with rolling hills and these large rock outcroppings, buttes and mesas scattered about – very
unusual and awe-inspiring.
Point and Pintado Point in the Painted Desert were very beautiful – rolling hills of multi-colored rocks and sand
with mountains in the distance. From there, I drove south along the parks scenic drive into the Petrified Forest, (3)
at the Tepees, layers of various mineral deposits form cone shaped mountains, (4-7) The highlight for me was the
Crystal Forest and Trail, where you can walk amongst, next to, and touch these marvels of nature. These petrified
logs were formed approximately 225 million years ago, during the Late Triassic Period. Giant trees fell and were
washed into the floodplain below, “silt, mud and volcanic ash then covered the logs. Silica laden groundwater
seeped through the logs and replaced the original wood tissue with silica deposits. The silica crystallized into
quartz, and the logs were preserved as petrified wood.” Millions of years later this whole region was thrust
upwards and then erosion cleared the layers of sediment away to expose these treasures. Walking amongst them
and touching them was like taking a journey back in time. These objects are bizarre and very beautiful at the same
time, and (8) another beautiful sunset this time from the Petrified Forest.
