Petrified Forest National Park: A Journey Through Time

The Petrified Forest National Park is located in the northeastern part of Arizona off of Interstate 40. We drove the 28-mile drive through the park, starting at the visitor center  in the Painted Desert and ending at the visitor center in the Petrified Forrest.

This was my husbands favorite place that we visited in Arizona. It is amazing, but I equally loved Sedona and the Saguaro National Park. Actually, I loved everything about Arizona! 😊

 There are many overlooks and places to hike along the route. Park Map

Some of the fossils found in the park indicate that the area was once a tropical region.

More than 200 million years ago, flourishing trees and vegetation covered much of this area of Northeastern Arizona. Volcanic lava destroyed the forest and the remains were covered until erosion set them free, revealing the petrified wood.

Petroglyph drawings on rock surfaces are visible within the park. These markings indicate that ancient native people inhabited this region about 10,000 years ago.

The beautiful colors in the petrified wood come mainly from three minerals. The white is pure quartz, manganese oxides form blue, purple, black, and brown, and iron oxides provide hues from yellow through red to brown.

The two men standing by one of the logs really show off the size of these pieces of petrified wood!

I would highly recommend a visit to this park. The history and nature are amazing!

Address:

Petrified Forest National Park
1 Park Road
Petrified Forest, AZ 86028





Happy Travels! 

Discovering the Cactus Forest at Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona

The Saguaro National Park is divided into two sections. They are located on either side of the city of Tucson, Arizona. 

The park is named after the saguaro cactus, native to its desert environment.

In the eastern Rincon Mountain District, Cactus Forest Drive is a paved eight mile drive with beautiful views of the desert. There are many pull overs and hiking trails on the route.

There are around 1200 species of plants in the Rincon Mountain District and about 400 species in the Tucson Mountain District.

 The saguaro cactus is the largest of the 25 species of cactus located in the park. It can grow up to 60 feet tall and weigh up to 4800 pounds. If the conditions are right, it can live up to 200 years.

All of these photos were taken on the drive in the Rincon Mountain district.

Address:

3693 S Old Spanish Rd

Tucson, AZ 85730

Happy Travels! 

Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch ( Review) Tucson, Arizona

I was looking for a place to stay in Tucson, Arizona when I came across the Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch. The front entry had me hooked immediately! I read on about the accommodations and amenities, which all sounded good, so I made reservations. 

I have been disappointed many times when I was expecting a place to be how it was presented and it wasn't. But let me tell you, this place exceeded my expectations! It is amazing!

The Hacienda Del Sol is one of Tucson's oldest and most prestigious guest ranch resorts with a very interesting history. Read about the resort's history here.

The resort offers lodging in an older section or in the new area. We chose the newer area.

The adobe buildings and grounds are beautiful!

We stayed in #52, which is at the top of these stairs.

Besides being incredibly beautiful, our room had everything we could possibly need. We even had soft robes to put on after getting out of the shower!

Brightly colored tile work is throughout the grounds and buildings.

There are walkways, gardens, and courtyards connecting the old and new sections.

The door to our room

One of two pools on the property. This one is an infinity with a hot tub connected located in the new section. We had this one to ourselves the whole time we were there.

The second pool is located on the side of a hill in the older section. The view is breath taking from the pool and hot tub both. Both pool areas are great places to watch the sun set.

The perfect place to watch the sun set on a chilly day.

I noticed a rainbow as we were loading the car to leave. The perfect ending to a perfect stay! I hope you enjoyed the tour around the Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch.

Happy Travels! ~ Sherri