The pink area is the reservation, with Arizona on the left and New Mexico on the right.

This guy is definitely NOT having a good day!

Another state! Yay!

Endless billboard signs

And to think this was once a proud nation.

Our first stop was the Painted Desert Visitor Center at the north end of the park. After watching a movie about the landscape, we set out to do as many of the viewpoints as we could with the remaining light, working our way down to the south entrance.

At Tawa Point, we took a short stroll along the Rim Trail, elevation 5,826 feet. We were overlooking the Painted Desert. These features and colors are from the Chinle Formation deposited over 200 million years ago when this area was a vast inland basin. There were good views and many informative signs about the plants and the area.

The rangers were on horseback since most of the trails were across rough terrain.

Spectactual views!

The clouds actually had a pink reflection from the vibrant earth color.

An incredible range of colors and textures

Torrey Mormon Tea can be traced back to the time of the dinosaurs. It is one of three species of Mormon tea that grows here.

Green Mormon Tea is another one.

A Prickly Pear cactus in bloom

One-seed Juniper - only the female tree produces berries

Broadleaf Yucca

An Pai Striped Whiptail with its bright blue throat and tail. The very similar Arizona Striped Whiptail has seven stripes instead of six.

A Band-winged grasshopper

The Painted Desert Inn was built in the 1920's as a restaurant and inn. It was bought by the National Park Service in 1936 and remodeled by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937-1940. At the same time, they also paved roads, built bridges, made trails, laid a water pipeline, built the inn's furniture, and constructed the museum.

1938

I'd run too from something like that!

This mountain lion petroglyph, found in 1934 near Blue Mesa, is now a famous park symbol.

I have never been so grateful as I was for this... free lemonade! It was SO incredibly hot out!

We continued our drive, stopping at the numerous viewpoints, learning more about this amazing place with each stop.

Chindle Point

Signs at each stop focused on different interesting facts.

Giant reptiles and amphibians ruled the tropical waterways here over 200 million years ago during the Late Triassic Period. Most of the giant fossils are relatives of the crocodile. Then the first small dinosaurs arrived on the scene. Dinosaurs have different hips, ankles and other physical characteristics.

My poor Elantra, baking in the hot sun!

From Pintado Point, it is possible to see the mountain peaks 120 miles away on a clear day. Air quality here is among the purest in the continental US.

A giant wash tells of seasonal water flows.

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