ARIZONA WHIRLWIND, Part 1: Portal, Petrified Forest, and Painted Desert, Guest Post by Owen Floody

Hummingbird, Portal, Arizona

Our friend Owen Floody traveled in Arizona last September.  Owen recently retired from a career of teaching and research at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. He has always been an avid photographer and in his retirement has taken numerous trips that allow him to pursue his passion. Here is the first part of a short reflection on his trip and some of his excellent photographs.
 
In early September of 2014, I headed for Arizona, my excuse being an invitation to visit friends in Portal, near the state's southeastern corner.  Since I flew into Tucson, I was able to visit several attractions before making my way to Portal.  In the immediate vicinity of Tucson, these included the wonderful Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and the Rincon Mountain district of Saguaro National Park.  Closer to Portal, I enjoyed stops at the Amerind Museum in Dragoon (a small museum specializing in Indian history and artifacts) and the Chiricahua Desert Museum in Rodeo (worth a visit if only for the reptile displays).  Once in Portal, I spent a pleasant week catching up with old friends.  This was further enriched by hikes and excursions to exploit the bird-watching (perhaps especially hummingbird-watching) for which Portal is famous among birders.

Cactus in bloom, Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Once my week expired, I spent an additional week in Arizona pursuing a counterclockwise loop that took in Petrified Forest National Park and the adjacent Painted Desert, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Antelope Canyon Navajo Tribal Park, and Grand Canyon National Park.  Throughout, I was trying to concentrate my sightseeing and photography in the mornings and evenings, reserving the afternoons for the longer drives between parks.  Each of the places I visited was wonderful.

Petrified logs in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

In the Petrified Forest, I was most struck by two things.  The first related to the volume and distribution of the petrified wood that is the park's focus: Petrified logs are everywhere, making it great fun to wander the many trails, perhaps especially early or late in the day, when the colors in the stone are best illuminated.  

Fragments of petrified wood in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Some of my favorite views were of gullies, through which petrified logs seemed to tumble down, attesting to the number of such logs and the natural processes that continue to reveal them.  Second, it was impressed upon me that petrified wood comes in all sizes and shapes.  Though the logs are clearly impressive, I also was much taken by the small but colorful fragments of petrified wood that litter the ground in some places.

(Continued next week--Part 2: Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley)