That's a Wrap

The open road, now leading back to camp and work. With about a month until I go home to Erie, the Great Southwestern Road Trip Adventure comes to a close.

The scenery, landscapes, and culture of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado are so diverse-- so different-- and yet so close to each other. Truly an amazing part of the country. 

My brother says goodbye. This is not staged.

And so does Marty, my uncle. Mission accomplished. 

Petrified Forest

 It's the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.

 There's lots of old logs there. And lots of sun. 

Almost looks like a scene from Dr. Seuss' book "The Lorax".

Meteor Crater

 

A meteor hit here many many many years ago. 

 

 

 It made a big hole you can look at. 

 

 Matt learned all about it in the museum.

 

Then he tried to escape. 

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon. We only had time to check out the North Rim.

 

But how indescribable it was.

 

 

  All I can say is... well, you have to see it for yourself.

Bryce Canyon

 Bryce Canyon National Park.

 It's big. It's red. And all-around amazing. Honestly.

 

 The trees there are mostly Ponderosa pine. And there's a lot of dead ones.

Matt pretended he was a tree.

  One of my favorite of the National Parks we visited.

Arches

 

 Arches National Park in Utah. It's huge-- miles long. It would take a week to see everything. 

 

 My brother has trouble with signs sometimes...

 

Double arch. The only one like it in the whole park. Pretty amazing. 

Needles Overlook

 

Chimichunga at Needles Overlook. 

 The wood there was so dead and dry, it looked pretty awesome.

 The views-- so vast. And when the wind was silent, you could hear a pin drop.

The red rocks and blue sky; there's nothing like this in Pennsylvania.

This was one of the the most impressive and peaceful places I've been.

On the Road Again

 

 Sun going down in Arizona from the car. 

 

Chimichunga's shadow on the glowing landscape. 

 

Utah in the distance. The landscape from the road changed so much, but it all was so beautiful.

 

We even ran into Mater from Cars in Monticello, Utah. 

Four Corners

 

Four Corners is a tourist trap on the corners of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah.

 

 This is me standing on the only point in the United States where you can be in four states at once. Good thing I didn't buy anything-- sales tax would've been a mess. 

Looking from Four Corners into Arizona. That was my first time in Arizona. 

Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde is a National Park in Southwestern Colorado.

 

 It's a series of Native American cliff dwellings built into the surrounding canyons.

  

The Pueblo people lived in these at one time. I'm sure they didn't have too many visitors.