Day Twenty-Two: July 1 (Mom's View)

Today is going to be a big sightseeing day.  We are using the trip to see a few major sites: Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, and 4 Corners Monument to start.  We are getting an early start because we really don’t want to stay at Root 66 for any longer than necessary.

We began our journey at the Petrified Forest National Park.  We stopped at the Painted Desert Inn, which was a happening inn/bar in the 1930s.  We saw the amazing colors on the Painted Desert.  Carsen stated,” God used his best Colored Pencils.”

The petrified wood amazed Cameron.  He has always had a thing for fossils so he was intrigued by fossilized wood.

We then started the long trek to the Four Corner’s Monument: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.  It wasn’t the best road and it started smelling a bit port-a-pottish, but we made it in one piece.  I have to admit (although I thought it was a cheesy journey), it was cool to stand on all four states at the same time.  There was a great Navajo market around us with the actual artisans selling their goods.

Finally we made our way to Cortez, Colorado where we had a reservation at the Cortez/Mesa Verde KOA.  Again, KOA doesn’t let us down; it is a great campground with 3-acre dog park, pool, playgrounds, trees, and Mesa Verde views.  Perfect.  Time for a campfire!