Leaving Arizona

After the Petrified Forest we drove down the eastern edge of Arizona, through the Blue Mountains. It was a narrow windy road, full of steep climbs and harrowing hairpin turns. Vehicles exceeding a certain length are prohibited on the road because of the tightness of the turns, although we passed one very long coach with a tow vehicle that chose to ignore the restrictions.

Once we were back in the lower elevations, one of our last stops in Arizona was Kartchner Caverns. The caverns opened while we still lived in Arizona, but a combination of conflicting schedules and sold out tours meant that we never made it there. I was sad to discover that photos were no longer allowed inside, so I had to content myself with sneaking up on the wildlife in the hummingbird garden outside the visitor center.

The caves are definitely worth a visit; they’ve worked very hard to keep the environment inside as natural as possible, to keep from disrupting the growth of the formations. Where other caverns we’ve been to are mostly dormant, Kartchner is still very much alive. It’s very different to look at a “bacon” curtain when light shines through the thin rippling sheet of stone and illuminates all the shades of cream and red inside, than it is to see a dormant curtain. I’d show you what I mean if I could have taken a picture (sad face).

Roadrunner with lizard

After a night at the nearby campground, we passed through Fairbanks ghost town (very small), Tombstone (just as touristy as you’d imagine), and Chiricahua National Monument (a surprise tucked into the eastern edge of the state). After taking in some of the highlights of Chiricahua, we drove into New Mexico, and found ourselves a state park that seemed designed just for our grubby little rock collecting souls: Rockhound State Park.

Kingsnake