Woof! A Dog Friendly National Park!!

Trekking to the North and the West...we find ourselves first in California, then off to Arizona and now, nearly in Utah or Nevada.  All of it is within our boundary created by availability of sunshine and warm temperatures...so, where are we? (Remember the "Sun and 70 Rule"?)

Up in northern Arizona is a treasure belonging to America's National Parklands:  Petrified Forest and Painted Desert National Park.  We noticed this when we drove the new motorhome back to  San Juan Island from Mississippi in November of 2011.  We had no time to stop.  Now, in 2014, we aim the Breeze for the south entry gate and arrive on a Friday morning.

Steve gets up close and personal with petrified log

The first stop is an area called the Trail of Logs.  We walk the half mile loop featuring ...yes, a trail of logs, but these logs have turned to colorful stone.  Beautiful, beautiful smooth petrified wood....oh, these are not the little pieces of petrified wood you hold in your hand or put in a pocket...they are huge!

Incredible colors!

The park is 28 miles long.  We drive the rig and tow right through, stopping easily at the pull off points.  Here's a first.  We find that this park is "dog friendly!"  The Ranger tells us, feel free to take the dogs with you on the trails, as long as they are leashed.  A dog friendly National Park!

Painted Desert section

The story told here is not just about geology, changing landforms, forests turned to stone or sedentary layers of earth,  but about who has lived on this land and walked this ground before us.  Yes, there is evidence of dinosaurs....many, many dinosaurs.

Double dare?

Archelogical digs have also provided the proof of ancient civilizations....both in petroglyphs and in the walls of the dwelling spaces of an entire village.

Story: Giant bird disciplines the bad children....or, eats frogs...take your pick!

Village as it looks today

Village visitors Steve and Sparky

Just for perspective, here's an idea of how historians see this village around 1100AD.  Sparky says notice the dog please!  (front and center!)

Village life....a LONG time ago

Kiva: Enclosed room used for ceremonies

Five stars for a National Park that welcomes dogs, outside of the cars... provides many short hiking loops with good signage...and sports sunshine and warm temperatures...at least on this day!

We spend a half day here, but with more hiking we could have easily spent the whole day.  For us, it's off toward the Grand Canyon as we continue to aim to the north...and to the west....poco y  poco. (little by little)