MORE OF BEAUTIFUL (YET FREEZING COLD) ARIZONA

Julianne Lillie
Mar 1, 2023
6 min read

Jules’ Journal: The Two Big Ones!

By: Julianne Lillie

2/26/23: PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK

We had an early morning, packed a picnic lunch, and were out the door by 8:15am. It took us 3 hours driving in the snow! At first it was just a “winter wonderland” and the roads were clear.

But as we drove North towards Flagstaff we entered the storm. Visibility became low and the streets became snow packed and icy.

But we powered through and finally found a snowplow which we followed for some time. By the time we reached the Petrified National Park Visitor’s Center, we learned that the park was closed until Noon or 1:00pm when the roads were to be cleared.

So, the kids worked on their Jr Ranger booklets and then we watched the park video. We also found a café and warmed up with some hot chocolates, coffee, & tea as we waited for the park to open.

About 1pm the kids had finished their booklets, so they took their oath and received their 81st Jr. Ranger badge! (*Notice: Jason in the background visiting with some fellow Sooners who are from Bartlesville, OK!)

We then headed over to visit with one of their many Park Ranger Paleontologists who excavate fossils in the park. It was really cool to see what she was working on. They had just discovered a brand new species of reptile from the late Triassic period and she was working on categorizing the different bones. I guess I didn’t realize that this park was an active archeological site where they uncover fossils regularly! So neat!

About that time the park had opened so we ate our picnic lunch in the truck to stay warm as we headed in to explore the park! Unfortunately, all the hiking trails were closed due to snow & ice. But we still were able to do and see a lot in the park via driving.

We started out driving the scenic road overlooking the Painted Desert – which looked oddly beautiful covered in snow. And truly lives up to its namesake… it looks like a painting!

We also stopped to take a look at "Newspaper Rock" that has petroglyphs on it.

We then entered into the Blue Mesas area and their colorful layers were stunning. There were scenic overlooks throughout which we pulled over to take it all in. (It was freezing cold & windy though… so they were short stops!)

Fun Fact: The Petrified Forest National Park is the only National Park to protect a portion of the old Route 66 road within its park boundaries. And to commemorate this, they have left an old 1932 Studabaker near the road.

About this time, we started seeing TONS of petrified logs and wood chunks spattered all throughout the landscape. It was wild!

We then made it to the Rainbow Forest Museum at the end of the park where the famous Giant Logs trail is. They had actually opened up the trail by the time we got there, however those that we saw attempting it looked absolutely miserable and muddy. So, we decided against it. But we were able to catch a glimpse of some beautiful petrified wood pieces around the museum.

We learned from the park video that long ago the forest was destroyed and the logs were buried in the Silica rich soil which crystallized the wood into quartz. The colors we see come from the nutrients within the soil such as manganese, iron, etc. And over time erosion has uncovered the logs exposing the petrified wood pieces at the surface. Just remarkable!

Inside, the Rainbow Forest Museum was filled with displays of dinosaur, amphibian, & reptile fossils. Some were even full skeletons, all of which had been discovered on site in the park!

Jett decided he wanted to earn the special Jr Ranger Paleontologist badge, so he completed the book and earned his 82nd badge! He really enjoyed this one!

On our way back to the campground, we stopped through Winslow, AZ so we could “stand on the corner” & “take it easy!”

Jason blasted the Eagles song in the truck on the way and I’m pretty sure the kids will never forgive him for that! Ha! It was a fun day despite the cold & snow!

2/28/23: GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

After having to cancel our Grand Canyon plans 3 times within the last week due to the several winter storms & road closures, we FINALLY made it!

Another early morning, packed a picnic lunch, and left our camper by 8am. We had to drive a little over 2 hours to get to the Grand Canyon South Rim’s Visitor Center. It was FREEZING when we got there and flurries started to fall all around us. The parking lots & roads were mostly cleared, but the sidewalks & footpaths were quite treacherous! We carefully skated our way to the Visitor Center where we worked on the Jr Ranger booklets and watch the park film.

The kids earned their 84th Jr Ranger badge and then we shopped for souvenirs. We ended up eating our picnic lunch in the truck again to stay warm. And once we warmed up, we braved the cold wind and skated/walked our way to Mather’s Point overlook. It was absolutely spectacular! It just took my breath away. We soaked up the beauty and took some photos. Then carefully scurried back to our truck to warm up again.

*Please note: Teenagers do not "believe" in wearing coats, hats, scarves, or gloves despite mother's nagging!

Since the Rim Trail leading to the Grand Canyon Village was closed, we just drove to it. We were able to check out those lookouts and the visitor center there.

We also enjoyed shopping the beautifully hand crafted Native American art pieces in the Hopi House.

Jaycie bought a Navajo woven pillow. She has been infatuated with weaving since we entered Albuquerque, NM!

I guess I didn’t realize that Grand Canyon Village is an actual town within the National Park. There is a school, a medic clinic, grocery store, gas stations, etc. People live, grow up, and graduate high school from right inside Grand Canyon National Park. That blew my mind!

After exploring the village, we piled up in the truck to drive the scenic E Desert Rim Rd. And as we were leaving, we saw a herd of Elk grazing on the railway… they were taking their sweet time and holding up the passenger train! It was so neat to watch them!

We thoroughly enjoyed the E. Desert Rim scenic road as there were many lookout points along the way where we could pullover and see different viewpoints of the Grand Canyon! We really got to understand just how massively expansive the Grand Canyon truly is! Such a humbling and beautiful experience.

The ravens were everywhere all throughout the park and not afraid of humans!

Lastly, we stumbled upon Desert View Visitor Center and Watch Tower. We were pleasantly surprised to learn we could go up into the Watch Tower!

And the Watch Tower was a beautiful masterpiece of art itself! The views from the top were simply magnificent!

After enjoying the 360 degree views, we climbed down and got a warm up on coffee & tea before we headed home through yet another winter storm! The Park Rangers said they were expecting another 6-7 inches of snow that night and it was quite possible the roads going into and out of the Grand Canyon would be closed again tomorrow. So needless to say, we were SUPER thankful we got in when we did…even if it was windy, cold and snowing on us! We ended up making it safely back to our camper around 7pm. Such a cold, but awesome day!

With all these winter storms, I think we are ready to move on. Out of the 10 days we’ve been in North/Mid Arizona, it has either snowed or sleeted on us every single day! It’s time to head further SOUTH to Tucson, AZ!

Jett’s Wild Flight: Grand Canyon & Jeep Tour!

By: Jett Lillie

2/27/23 – 2/28/23

Hello, and welcome to the GRAND CANYON! You guessed it, the canyon is very GRAND!

We arrived at the visitor center and got our Jr Ranger badge. We also watched the park film. After, we went to the gift shop and ate lunch. Then, we stopped at some lookouts and saw the Grand Canyon with our own eyes. It was awesome and super far down! It was also very icy. We went to a Native American shop which everything was expensive. But I had lots of fun!

We arrived in Sedona, AZ at Red Rock Jeep Tours and met our driver/guide named Salt.

She took us everywhere and told us all about the native plants and animals that live in Coconino National Forest. She was a fast driver!

She also told us alien stories that seem pretty true, as well as big foot stories! People suspect that there is an underground government base with aliens, new tech, and energy sources. And remember, we are talking Sedona, not Area 51 in New Mexico! We took some cool photos from the top of a mountain.