A few things about a few things…

Show Low, AZ is kind of a dump. The RV park we stayed in was a mobile home park, not an RV park, and it was truly meant for people staying there and not at all for RVs. I scraped my roof for goodness sake as I drove out because the trees aren’t trimmed enough to stay off the roof tops in the main path out. SMH

Then, because I am a moron, I pulled into a gas station to fill the RV, and realized there was no way I was getting out of there without unhooking the Pilot. It was kind of a nightmare that involved using hammers and screwdrivers to get the pegs out to unhook (probably voiding the warranty on the tow bar system, but I won’t ask), and a guy breaking his screwdriver, and getting it stuck instead of a peg (yeah, we were torqued really wrong at the station). It was either that or scrape the Pilot along the cement barrier that tells you that you’re too close to the gas pump. )sigh(

Sassy for days

After that, reconnected, and cruised on down to the Petrified Forest National Park. We did a few cool hikes (short), and got the Junior Ranger books and came back to decide what to do. I kind of committed to the (free is for me) boondocking (a.k.a. dry camping – no hook ups at all) for the first time, well, the kids hate it because nothing will charge, and they want to do electronic junk and it is kind of funny. It is a little scary – we boondocked on the edge of the Petrified Forest at a Gift Store that allows it, and it is remote and well, we locked both doors and the car and called it a night. It is free (except for running the generator off and on).  We managed to survive, although I will admit, I told the kids they could sleep in my short King Sized bed, since we didn't drop the boys' bunks down (electric, and I didn't feel like it)

Gratuitous entrance sign photo

Very old tree hugging - I love that this park is hands on and  this behavior encouraged (one of the steps in the Junior Ranger book)

Checking out the "white sand" that makes up the Tepees (their spelling) and Mesas 

Lounge chair of really old wood, turned stone

B was excited by the pretty yellow

So many colors

Amazing how much of this there is

Another stone of many colors

Probably my favorite photo of C

This resonated with me

Tepee rocks

Petroglyph of Summer Solstice

The kids think this one is a robot, but I'm not so sure

B swore she couldn't see ANYTHING on the rocks

These petroglyphs were really neat, and clearly preserved

Cool looking steps in the village at Puerco Pueblo (K said this means Pig City)

We think it is a guy with a bunch of bananas on his head. Or something

The rocks at Newspaper Rock had a TON of petroglyphs that were clear with binoculars or scopes, but not my wimpy camera zoom

So many petroglyphs that they looked like the Sunday Comics or something

Just amazing layers of time in these rocks

A beautiful day for seeing everything at Petrified Forest NP

And of course, by the time we are done, the kids are bored with "the rocks." )sigh(

But I wasn't

Hike through Blue Mesa had great views of purple, grey and white bands of sandy rocks

View from the top of Blue Mesa

Just a cool mix of new plants and old

Nice to just get out and be so close to the action

PFNP is the only National Park that contains parts of the old Route 66 

An oldie on site at the Mother Road remains

The Painted Desert is at the north end of the park

I think on a less grey day, this would have been even more amazing

I think if you look hard enough you can see just about every color

H loved the "stepping" in this area

Caught the pre-teen angst that is being told not to run screaming like a banshee along a path where others are attempting to enjoy the scenery as well

The old Painted Desert Inn might someday again become available as a B&B

Thursday, we went back through the PFNP, and on into New Mexico with an eye toward White Sands, eventually. I am thinking maybe a weekend in Albuquerque, but we’ll see. Heard there is a free Monster Truck thing tomorrow afternoon, totally up my alley (NOT!) There is a Petroglyph National Monument thing too, that we want to check out (you know, another Ranger Badge).

Our next adventure