Day 9 - Changing Plans

I knew today would be a longish drive so I wanted to get started early.  Unfortunately, yesterday my windshield was hit with a stone from a passing truck and it chipped and started a small crack in the windshield.  Fortunately there was a windshield repair store open on Saturday but not until  9am.  I was on their door step promptly and they took me right in.  $20 and 15 minutes later I was on my way.  Hopefully the treatment will stabilize the crack.

It wasn't long before I was in Arizona.  Turns out AZ is always on Mountain Standard Time so I gained an hour as if I had hit the Pacific Daylight Time Zone.
The country changed again with a much drier look. The next shot was taken, if I remember correctly somewhere along Indian Service Route 5 on what was the Navajo reservation.  At one gas stop there was a Navajo rancher filling up his 4x4 pickup and he asked if I liked my Jeep.  We chatted a bit, shook hands and wished each other safe travels.  A smile and friendlyness is the secret sauce.

I had decided not to go to the Grand  Canyon since that would be about 10 hours of driving and I already had a late start.  I have been to the South Rim and I am sure it will be very crowded since this is vacation season.  So I headed south and then west going much of the way on I 40.  This route took me past the Petrified Forest National Park which I had not seen (or if I did I did not remember it!).  It is a vast area encompassing the petrified wood forests along with many geologic and archeologic features and sites.  There are "painted" desert features with many different colors showing in the layers of the soil.

Forests of petrified wood, these next three are Crystal Forest

Below is the Agate Bridge, a tree that was petrified and remained intact while water eroded away the ground underneath to create a bridge.  Eventually it will  weaken from further weathering but for the time being it is supported by a concrete base to help preserve it.

On the way to I 40 and along I 40 there are portions of the historic Route 66.  In some  sections there is highway but at this point the highway has been removed and all that was left was the row of telephone poles that stood next to the highway.  This particular spot had a little marker and the shell of an old car.

At one point near the end of the day I stopped for dinner.  Where else could you find the Roadkill  Cafe on Route 66!

Tomorrow will be a drive down the Patton Memorial Museum in California, drive through Joshua Tree National Park and then to Twentynine Palms CA.