Early morning.
I made many photos of the Painted Desert. There is
just no way to capture how magnificent it is.
Painted Desert Inn. See below.
The Eagles made it famous.
A stop at Walnut Canyon. See below
There were a lot of steps down and up to do the
Walnut Canyon tour.
A trip down Highway 89 from Flagstaff to Sedona. Words cannot
describe how beautiful. 25 miles (one way). An excellent
side trip.
Day seven. Overnight in Flagstaff, Arizona. Still headed west.
We began the day in Gallup, New Mexico, but we were quickly in Arizona. It seldom rains in the desert, and it did not rain today. The temperature to start the day was 70 degrees. We saw 97 degrees in mid afternoon.
Most of yesterday the route we took the elevation was 6,000 to 7,500 feet. Our ride today took us to the 5,000 feet mark, but at the end of the day (in Flagstaff) we were back to 7,000 feet.
We made a stop at the New Mexico - Arizona border, in a small community called Lupton, to see an interesting "strip" comprised of trading posts offering the usual fare of tourist souvenirs. We made a few photos and moved on.
Our next stop was at the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest, a pair of natural attractions. The trip around the park is approximately 30 miles, and the exit is on the other end from where we began. The Painted Desert park was established in 1906 under Theodore Roosevelt. It was designated a national park in 1962. The area was once a dense and humid forest, many eons ago. I won't try to explain the process, but the trees turned to stone, and have survived the elements in today's form.
The Painted Desert is just north of the highway and connects with the Petrified Forest to the south. Although I made lots of photos it is hard to capture its beauty. The road around the park was/is in decent condition and has a posted speed limit of 45 mph. We were constantly slowing and stopping so no speeding tickets today. Did I mention it was hot - low 90's. We kept reminding ourselves it was okay....it is/was "a dry heat".
We were amazed at how few tourists we saw at our stops along the way today, and earlier on this trip. There were people there, just no crowds. Certainly no Disney World type lines anywhere in sight.
Included above is an exterior photo of the Painted Desert Inn, a national landmark. The original building was built in 1920 as a hotel and restaurant of its time. That was almost 100 years ago. At the time it was off the grid for water and electricity. Recall that Arizona was the last state to join the union (1912) before the addition of Alaska and Hawaii in 1959. The Inn was built on a shifting clay base which created structural issues early after being built. It was ultimately sold to the National Park Service (NPS), along with four sections (four square miles) of land. Today it is manned (or woman-ed as the case may be - like today) by NPS staff, and contains artifacts and light museum pieces. The building itself is the attraction.
When we exited the gates at the Painted Desert we went to Holbrook for gas and food, Then we traveled on to Walnut Canyon National Park. Walnut Canyon was home to the Sinagua Indians. They left no written history and were gone from the canyon by 1250 AD. The Sinagua story has been pieced together by examining their living locations and artifacts that remained after being ravished by early settlers and explorers. We walked down the NPS-provided steps to see up close what living conditions prevailed during the Sinagua's time. The lived in dwellings covered by the overhanging roofs, and protected on the front by rock and clay walls. Interesting.
When we left Walnut Canyon we dropped our bags at the hotel in Flagstaff (pop. appx. 70,000) and we rode to Sedona, for the ride, and for dinner. We finished eating (and talking) after dark and rode back to the hotel in mostly warm temperatures. Sedona sets at 5,000 feet in elevation and has a population of approximately 10,000.
Another good day.
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