The View from Blue Mesa

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This is a view of the Painted Desert as seen from Blue Mesa in the Petrified Forest National Park. The mesa gets its name from the layers of blue clay that make it up. Some of that blue clay can be seen in the valley below the mesa.

The Painted Desert from Kachina Point

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We came upon this view of the Painted Desert while on a short hike at Kachina Point in Petrified Forest National Park.

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My Blogging Muse has become about as dry and unproductive as our yard and garden, so Betsy and I have decided to take a blogging break. I'm not sure what (if anything) we'll do other than trying to keep our roses and other plants alive. If my Muse cooperates, I'll be back the last week of September.

The Painted Desert from Tawa Point

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The day we visited Petrified Forest National Park was about as perfect as a day could be -- a clear blue sky with a few white clouds and bright sunshine lighting up every color and hue of the Painted Desert. This picture was taken at Tawa Point.

The Painted Desert from Nizhoni Point

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Nizhoni Point was the last overlook we visited in the northern (Painted Desert) part of the Petrified Forest National Park. The colors were just as vibrant and breath-taking as they were at the first overlook.

The Tepees

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The Tepees is an area of the Petrified Forest National Park dominated by cone-shaped rock formations. The formations contain layered blues, purples and grays in addition to the colors found in other portions of the park. The Tepees are in the southern section of the park between Newspaper Rock and Blue Mesa.

Kachina Point View

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This picture of the Painted Desert was taken at Kachina Point in the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.

Painted Desert Inn

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The Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark was originally built as a trading post, inn and restaurant for travelers along Route 66 in Arizona. It was originally built of petrified wood and other native stone in the 1920s. The building was extensively remodeled in the Pueblo Revival style during the late 1930s by the CCC. The inn now serves as a museum in the Petrified Forest National Park.

If you would like to see what this photo looks like as a drawing, click HERE.

Our First View of the Painted Desert

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The first stop in Arizona while on our trip west was the Petrified Forest National Park. After stopping at the Painted Desert Visitor Center, we drove to Tiponi Point, where we got our first view of the beautiful Painted Desert.

If you would like to see what the photograph above looks like as a line drawing, click HERE.