When I was little, we moved into a house with a collection of Arizona Highways magazines that was left behind by the previous owners. My siblings and I used to look through them on rainy days, and cut out pictures for school projects. I never saw myself living in this area. It looked so hot and dry. But I remember all the desert colors!
We left the Grand Canyon and the Kaibab pine forest behind as we continued on our cross-country journey. Driving north and east through Monument Valley toward Colorado, we were surrounded by more incredible rock formations and amazing colors. Next stop: Mesa Verde National Park!
After spending time on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park admiring the view, taking photos, taking showers (hooray!), and dining in the lodge, we headed north again, and then east, hoping to get through the desert during the cooler part of the day and camp near the South Rim. More about our moonlight drive tomorrow!
For now, here is what happens when a controlled burn becomes uncontrolled. This was about two years old, according to someone at the lodge. Yuck! This is the Kaibab National Forest, north of the park.
