Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Other people's vacations

During one afternoon of our vacation, we found ourselves within striking distance of the Painted Desert, in the Petrified Wood National Park. We decided to cruise through to see what the fuss was all about.

The scenery was outstanding, but what really caught my eye was a roadside overlook boasting a sign that told of one man's love for the area. He had his picture taken when he was a boy of about 12, and 50 years later, he returned, with the photograph, to that same spot. He used the original photo to position himself, then had his granddaughter take his photo. I don't know how the Park Service got wind of the story, but they honored his respect for the park by posting the story of that long-ago vacation.


Some of the scenery we saw.

Hiking in the Blue Mesa

The overlook hosting the sign from above.

The Painted Desert

11 comments:

  1. How cool is that man's story...I need to go through some vacation pics when I was little....that would be very cool to have!

    I can't believe the colors, shadows and highlights in these areas, simply stunning!

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  2. Hi Val,
    Great story. Awesome shots you took. That painted desert if beautiful. Have a great day!

    Sherrie

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  3. great story and outstanding photo's from your trip

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  4. Love the story . . . and the images of the painted desert are awesome!

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  5. Your photos of this area are outstanding.

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  6. OK, I just love the people at the visitors' center at Petrified Forest. We were there last September. We hadn't planned on it, but John's trauma hauling the camper over the Rockies prompted us to to choose an alternate route back from Utah. It brought us past the Petrified Forest, so we decided to stop. I had read about the Petrified Forest in the Golden Book Encyclopedia when I was eight, and I had wanted to see it ever since. I was SO excited about being there that the staff awarded me a Junior Ranger badge!

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  7. I've never been to the Painted Desert...but now I want to go there!

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  8. Some people poke fun at the touristy shots of people in front of the beautiful scenes...I happen to like all those kitchsy nostalgic photos which seem to preserve memories of vacations for the children once they are grown. You have some very beautiful landscapes that you have captured.

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  9. There is a reason that putting people in a scenic shot works! Especially for time travelling...

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  10. Great photos!! Really like the Painted Desert ....

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