Another amazing day exploring our great country! Woke to 29F weather in Gallup but steadily got improved temps as we trekked across Arizona, gaining another time zone hour on the way. As usual the day continued lots of blacktop, many motel signs and other Americana, but also included a fantastic detour through a national park and an unexpected meeting with long-time friends far from home.

Today we traveled from Gallup NM into Arizona, and through: Lupton, Sanders, Holbrook, Winslow, Winona, Flagstaff, Williams, Seligman, Peach Springs, Hackberry and Kingman.

Two major highlights today – first, the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest National Park (between Sanders and Holbrook). We spent about two hours driving and walking around this amazing park, marveling at the colors and the nearly unimaginable age of the petrified forest (are they trees? Are they rocks? They’re both!). Pictures can’t really do justice to the desert vistas, but the fossilized trees are incredible.  Too many pics for the blog – check out the dedicated page above.

Second – an unexpected reunion with friends Steve & Deeana Lewis – who lived less that ten miles from us for years but we rarely saw until we are 2000 miles from home. They are in their own road trip odyssey and we just happened to cross paths in Arizona today.

Enjoy the pics…look for a semi-familiar slogan, one of the oddest motels you’ll find, beautiful desert nature among the dust, dinosaurs, ‘just a little bunny’, the unexpected meeting, and another brewery….