Sedona hiking, Petrified Forest, and Anasazi Ruins in AZ and NM

Red rock hiking in Sedona, AZ.

Pictographs at Pelatki Heritage Site near Sedona.

The view from within a small cliff dwelling above the Mescal Trail.

Close up of tiny wildflowers using a macro lens attached to my Iphone.

Looking down on Sedona from Wilson Mountain -- the highest point in the Sedona area.

I saw at least 5 of these horned toads on the hike up Wilson.

To enter Petrified Forest National Park from the north, you first drive through the Painted Desert.

Somehow these tiny flowers grow in the painted desert habitat among the colored sands.

The white streaks in the photos are hail. It was a wild day of weather with 2 big hail storms, some distant thunder, and very dynamic skies.

View from the Blue Mesa trail.

Petrified Log bridge. I think this is the largest intact log in the park.

I was jogging the Crystal Forest loop trail since  I needed to be out of the park by dark.

I spent the night just outside the south entrance of the park and came back through the next morning in the sunshine to see what I didn't have time for the day before. Painted desert colors were more vivid but the sky was just plain old blue without the dynamic lighting of the day before.  Petrified wood makes for very solid building material. Agate house photo below.

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Canyon de Chelly, AZ is Navajo land with drives along the north and south rims. There are homes in the lush green canyon. There's only one 2.5 mile hike to the bottom of the canyon; authorized Navajo guides offer tours to other areas in the canyon.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park








The photos above are from my first day of hiking in Chaco. But, alas, a storm was brewing that would bring hail, rain, and intermittent sunshine for my next 3 days of exploring here. I thought I was going to get caught up with the blog today, but I'm afraid it's not going to happen. It's getting late and the internet must be getting 'tired'; it's getting progressively slower.  I still have some research to do this evening to figure out where I'm heading tomorrow and the next few days. So I'll have to leave this  for now and pick up with posting at some point in the future when I have good cell or internet coverage to share more photos of Chaco. It's an amazing place that is believed to have been the administrative center of Ancient Puebloan (Anasazi) culture.