Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Friday, July 8, 2011

Painted Desert, Arizona

Several of you mentioned the Painted Desert in THIS blog post.   SO---I thought I'd show you a little more of it today.  The Painted Desert is a 146-square-mile area of badlands located in Northern Arizona (north of Cameron) in the United States.  This area stretches from the Grand Canyon National Park into the Petrified Forest National Park --and runs just north of the Little Colorado and the Puerco Rivers.

The Painted Desert has been described as a multi-colored layer cake.   The variety of hues in the sandstone and mudstone layers of the Chinie Formation is the result of the varying mineral content in the sediments and the rate at which the sediments were laid down.  When sediments are deposited slowly,  oxides of iron and (hematite) aluminum become concentrated in the soil.  These concentrations create the red,  orange and pink colors you see.  During a rapid sediment buildup (such as a flooding event),  oxygen is removed from the soil forming the blue, gray and lavender layers.   This is truly something to behold --- and one needs to see this for him or herself in person if possible.  (I know, Suzanne:  TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!! ha ha)

It was extremely windy the day we were at the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest (I'll talk about the Petrified Forest in another blog) ---but the wind kept it from feeling too hot that day.  George did get a sunburn on his head --since he couldn't wear his hat!!!!! ha

Above is a picture of us at the Painted Desert.  Below are more.




This is the Painted Desert Inn.  It is a National Historic Landmark, and is located at Kachina Point.   The history is interesting to read.  It was originally called the "Stone Tree House" because so much of the original material was from petrified wood. It was built in 1924. Rooms rented from $2-$4 a night.   Then,  the CCC renovated the inn and it was open for about 2 years before World War II.  Later, this inn used to serve as a respite for travelers along historic Route 66. The Petrified Forest is the only National Park in America where historic Route 66 went through at one time.

The inn today opened again in 2006 --after much renovation.  It is now a museum and bookstore --and does not offer food or accommodations now.  When renovating,  they preserved very interesting wall murals done by Hopi Indian artist,  Fred Kabotie.




This is one picture of some of the inside of the bar and eating area at the Painted Desert Inn... When they renovated,  they tried to preserve as much of the history as possible.  We enjoyed touring the inn ---and especially seeing the gorgeous wall murals.




These little adobe houses were near the Painted Desert Inn...   They also have been renovated... I read somewhere that artists-in-residence to the park stay in these neat little homes, when they are chosen to come here.  Wouldn't that be wonderful ---IF I were an artist?????ha



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Now--just sit back,  get another cup of coffee --and just enjoy these next three pictures of the Painted Desert... Click on them to make them larger. They are truly AWESOME!!!!




 We have plenty more pictures of all of this beauty---but I'll stop for today.... Hope you enjoy reading about the history as much as just seeing the pictures...

Have a wonderful weekend.  I will see you on Monday!!!  I will spend part of this weekend  learning the NEW Blogger Dashboard which appeared on my computer Thursday night.....  Everything is DIFFERENT.... Fun --Fun-- Fun...  (They are certainly keeping us on our toes!!!!)

Hugs,

73 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good Morning Betsy, These photos are extraordinary! I also enjoyed seeing the inside of the Inn. I hope you and George have a restful weekend.

Ms. A said...

Absolutely amazing! I can't imagine seeing it in person.

I hope blogger doesn't mess with my dashboard... it's been messed with enough already! Yikes!

Tabor said...

The world has such amazing diversity.

pam said...

Gorgeous pictures! I'm going to try and update my blogger template this weekend...wish me luck!!

MadSnapper said...

thanks so much, this would be on my bucket list if i made one. i have always wanted to see it, even more than the grand canyon. i love the old west and would love to see these old building too. a little envy going on here today

Big Dude said...

As a history buff, I like getting the info Betsy and I'm looking forward to the rest of yout trip.

Arkansas Patti said...

It almost seems like you have dropped onto another planet. Love the old Inn. You really are making a trip west a must. Thanks.

Ruth Hiebert said...

We have been given such a beautiful world to enjoy.I am amazed at the colors in this desert.Thanks for the mini tour.

Janice K said...

So beautiful, but just a foretaste of the things to come.

Darla said...

This is just amazing!

Birdman said...

Your photos show why it's called the 'painted desert'.

TexWisGirl said...

the adobes were wonderful, but the desert itself blew them away. :)

CottonLady said...

Great photos, Betsy! We have a tiny version of the painted desert in a place called Palo Duro Canyon just south of Amarillo. The layed stone look there are called Indian Skirts. Very pretty.
Not TMI in my book, but then I think you were teasing!
Have a great weekend..Blessings!
CottonLady

amelia said...

WOW Betsy!! How totally stunning and beautiful! I love this whole post and the history is very interesting too!
You are one lucky lady to have seen this.

Becca's Dirt said...

What an amazing place. Thanks for the info and the lovely photos. I am putting this on my bucket list.

Pat - Arkansas said...

Wonderful photos, Mrs. A. I wouldn't want to be lost in the Painted Desert, but it is truly beautiful.

I enjoyed the background information, too.

imac said...

Real beauty Betsy.
Pity there wasnt a person standing in the photos to just give the perspective. You should have sent George for a very long walk,lol.

I Am Woody said...

Looks like the light was wonderful for your visit to the Painted Desert. On our visit, the light caused the colors to be very washed out. And it was very windy for us as well - maybe the desert is just windy:)

Chatty Crone said...

It almost seems you are out of the United States.It was SO beautiful. The enlarged pictures did make it seem like a real painted desert. It was gorgeous - you both got to do so many fun things! Enjoyed all the pictures.

Sally Wessely said...

You and George make such a cute couple. Thanks for your photos of the Painted Desert. It looks like a very fascinating place.

I've not checked out the new dashboard. I guess we are all in for another learning curve.

KathyA said...

Magnificently beautiful!!

Tracy said...

Betsy, the photos are a sight to behold, I can't imagine what it is like in person...stunning!
But I do have to say that the adobe structures are so cool...really unique! Was it somewhat cooler inside the buildings? do they use AC?
so neat!

Karin said...

Enjoyed my reminiscing tour!! Great photo of the two of you! What a fascinating place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there for long, I need trees and flowers and the green grass and creeks and rivers, lol! Have a fabulous week-end! I'm off to lunch with my dinosaurs - retired volunteer services managers - then work tomorrow and on Sunday our daughter Evi is dropping her 4 off for the week! Fun and busy times1

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Your photos are beautiful, Betsy, and they are just making me more and more anxious for our trip to begin. We hadn't planned to see this area again this year, but your photos are making me want to change plans! Have a wonderful weekend.

Betty Manousos said...

wow! that desert does not look real. thanks for sharing these lovely photos and the info.
it seems such a fascinating place to visit...an absolute must-see.


amazing shots!

happy weekend!

hugs!
betty xx

Anonymous said...

This is another place that I would like to see in person. Your pictures are wonderful; however, from experience I know that no picture can ever give justice to some places! You just have to see the place for yourself!

Lola said...

Magnificent Betsy. Thanks so much for the pics. I've always wanted to see some of the West. Now I have through your camera lens. I can imagine it in person.
I'm so glad my oldest brother got to see a small part of Arizona before he passed.

Ginny Hartzler said...

I love ALL of this, the picture of you and George is great! Now I had to go and look up the definition of Badlands! You did not tell too much info, I wanted to know what made the colors, now I know the blues and purples are where the oyygen is depleted. Can't wait to see more. A new Dashboard, oy!! Will people ever leave well enough alone? Just when I get used to things, they go and change them as new and improved or whatever. I had heard there is a whole Blogger re-make going on. Now I just have to spend more time learning all this, it better be GOOD!!!

Ginny Hartzler said...

I meant to tell you how delighted I was with the inside picture of the petrified museum!! I was just going to e-mail you and chide you for not going inside, and then I got to the picture! SO not what I expected! It almost looks like a little girl's dollhouse kitchen!!

Unknown said...

Really enjoyed tagging along, Betsy! That banner is nothing short of spectacular!

Terry and Linda said...

I always like to see photos of you two...your smiles are million dollar smiles.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

Betty Manousos said...

...and you both look great in that photo!

mudderbear said...

This is beautiful. I've been through that country and it is always amazing. Love the history...If we didn't know about things, we might not realize what awesome country we are looking at. It might look rather barren I was on a plane once looking down at what I thought must be the Grand Canyon, but it just didn't seem right. From your photos, now I'm quite sure it must have been the Painted Desert. Eureka!!! Thank you so much for helping me discover that. Really, thank you so much.

Busy Bee Suz said...

Betsy, that was just enough of the right information. :)
I actually learned some of this stuff too..so I could call it old news. But with me repetitive actually sinks into my brain better than hearing it once. :)
Great photos. God's handiwork has never been so beautiful!
Enjoy your weekend!
xoxox
Suz

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for sharing such amazing photos - and the one of you and George is great, too!
Have a lovely weekend!

happyone said...

Thanks for the informative post and truly beautiful pictures. I know pictures can't do justice to the real thing, but these are wonderful.

GreatGranny said...

Thanks so much for these photos. My new hubby and I took a delayed honeymoon trip out West. It was a memorable trip that I wish I could repeat.

Anonymous said...

I remember making adobe house in school, & again when my daughter was in school =)

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, Yes, it is an exquisite place. I have been there twice but it has been several years ago now. Have a super nice day!

Janie said...

Interesting history on the Inn, Betsy, and of course the painted desert is just lovely! Tell George to keep his hat on next time.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for your help, Betsy =)

Dorothy said...

Great blog post, Betsy! We enjoyed the Painted Desert, too. We encountered a large group of people who were members of a Corvette club while we were there. All the colorful Corvettes added to the beauty of this colorful area.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

I looked at your anniversary photos of YorkTown, you in front of the white soldiers tent, I wonder how many soldiers lept inside. May be it was meant to be uncomfortable, so they are alert the moment they are told to get up and fight.

Connie said...

Gorgeous photos, Betsy. I really liked seeing the eating area of the Inn there too. It looks like a fun place to go. :)

Diane said...

I love the adobe buildings. When I drove through the desert (about 4:00 a.m. in the morning it was incredibly beautiful. So I can imagine how much you enjoyed it. Diane

Ann said...

I'm in awe here. Those are gorgeous. I can't imagine how you must have felt standing there seeing it for real. WOW.
Love that inn. Looks like they did an awesome job of restoring it.

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

Just beautiful, Betsy. Must add this to my list of things to see on a future trip.

Lynda said...

I love the smiles on your faces in the picture of the two of you. The photos of real life are as beautiful as a painting. They look like something someone imagined - - - that would be GOD! Thanks for sharing a part of the country I haven't seen.

Donna said...

Hi, Betsy! I haven't visited in a while and glad I stopped by to see this post! I haven't been to this particular area, but it sure looks pretty!

carolina nana said...

WOW what a neat place to visit and so pretty.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend
Blessings
Marilyn

SquirrelQueen said...

Oh wow, Betsy you got some amazing shots. This must have been an exciting area to explore. We have been over quite a bit of the southern part of AZ but never north, now I know what we missed.

Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Beautiful landscapes, Betsy! The Painted Desert is a gorgeous place to visit. Wonderful photos, I really like the one of you and George. Have a great weekend.

Out on the prairie said...

What lovely colors, I had forgotten how beautiful this was. I went to college in Tucson,AZ so explored this a long time ago.

Living In Williamsburg Virginia said...

Wow, what a beautiful series of photos and interesting description.

Darryl and Ruth :)

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

Betsy,
These are awesome photos of the Painted Desert. What a magnificent place. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for sharing this magnificent trip with us. I feel like I'm traveling with you all.

Unknown said...

Beautiful, but I like a bit more green in my daily view. The US is incredibly vast in its many ecosystems.

I am right there with you in trying to figure out the new Blogger layout. Just when I was getting so familiar with the old style. ;-)

Neal said...

That is a beautiful area. It is hard to capture it on camera but you did a very good job.

Rebecca said...

How incredible! Thank you, my friend, for taking us along through your wonderful photos!

Waving from Our Back Porch,
Rebecca

Shug said...

Hi Betsy...

Great picture of you and George...I think it is so wonderful that the two of you love to travel and that you enjoy bringing back pictures for all of us to see...Does George use the same kind of camera as you?

I am so much enjoying all your beautiful pictures...
blessings and hugs
shug

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy

Beautiful Photos!!! The Painted Desert looks like a fantastic place to visit :-)

Have a great weekend :-)

~Ron

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Sarah Knight said...

Looks like a marvelous place!

penny said...

Good morning Betsy, with my cup of coffee in hand.. I did sit back and enjoy your awesome photos of the Painted Desert.. what a magnificent view you two had. Thanks for the journey.

hugs,
Pam

Andrea said...

That's really an amazing awesome desert. I wish to see it in person too. And those cute square hourse, they are like toys in the desert. And another amazing thing is the number of your comments here. I only see that much number in your blog. haha.

Kim@stuffcould.... said...

It really looks like a painting which surprises me...Just never thought of it.

Deb from WhatsInMyAttic said...

What a wonderful trip this must have been. Thanks for sharing the photos; I never really get tired of viewing them.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I love the photo of you and george, Betsy!'
This is ssuch a beautiful area of Arizona! We drove through this region after visitng the Grand Canyon years ago. Did you see the large meteroite crater and the petifried forest as well? We went all the way to Winslow and then turned around to go back to Phoenix.

Fred Alton said...

Betsy, I always enjoy your commentary - plus you do excellent photos as well. The history and geology lessons are great. Thank you!

Pranavam Ravikumar said...

Amazing Betsy.. Great to see you back.. Such a cool pics.. Loved it. Have a good day!

Kay said...

I have not been to the Painted Desert since I was a little kid traveling Route 66 with my parents and my brothers.

Kay

Rose said...

Oh Betsy, beautiful place...but looks like it could be really lonely, too.

Mary said...

Wonderful! I imagine in different lights it all looks different. An endless wonder.

diane b said...

An amazing place.