I made it back safely after a lovely time of wallowing in the beauty of Joshua Tree, but it’s late and I’m for bed. Here’s an initial look back after entering the park at the north entrance (for those of you familiar with the the park.). I’ve also run out of storage on my iPhone, probably due in large part to the well over 3,000 photos on it, so I have to tend to that tomorrow so I can share more with you. 😉. I confess that as I hadn’t planned a trip here, I didn’t have my Nikon, just my phone. But it and I did our best.
And by the way, happy spring of you live in my hemisphere.
Humans have a compulsion to let others know they’ve been there, to make their marks, in this case literally. Hundreds of years separate the bighorn petroglyphs from the Spanish inscriptions, yet the desire to be known remained the same. Why did the ancient Pueblo dwellers portray the bighorns? We don’t know.
Here’s a closer look at some other petroglyphs. Below and to the left you can see a church, some stars, crosses, and a cavalry flag.
“R. H. Orton became adjutant-general of California after the Civil War. In the early years of the Civil Was, the California Column, as it was known, was set to New Mexico to reinforce Federal troops expecting Confederate Hostilities. Orton held the rank of captain when the First Cavalry was mustered out from March to October of 1866.” ~from the park guide
Imagine all these people through the centuries, first spying these massive rocks, getting closer to find the gift of water. There’s no spring feeding the pool. Rainfall and melting snow create an almost 12′ deep pool holding about 200,000 gallons of reliable water. The first people took time to find a way to the top to build where enemies could be spied from great distances and defended against, a place with a hidden pool of life-giving water. Later, Spanish, Mexican, and Americans were attracted by that same pool. What a shock these horse-riding strangers were to those first people, now living in pueblos in Zuni and Acoma! With the treatment most of them received, the shock probably continued.
The oldest non-Indian inscription is that of Don Juan de Onate, the first governor of New Mexico, 15 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. Considering the age of many of the inscriptions, you can realize what a job it can be to try to keep them intact.
Rounding the corner into the shade, the cold hit me in full force, The sun doesn’t reach here for much of the day so there was still snow but there were more inscriptions, so I soldiered on (as had so many before me.)
By the way, happy Valentine’s Day to anyone who celebrates. But don’t wait until one day a year to tell people you love them. Practice saying it often!
Sometimes detours take us to the best places. As Tolkien famously and aptly penned:
Not all those who wander are lost.
Regular readers may remember that the first day of my October trip to Illinois last year started with a detour taking me on a wander through the western part of New Mexico on two-lane highways. Once I recovered from the trauma of having the sun rise directly in the middle of the highway, which I tried to block by rising up in my seat as far as possible and holding the cover of a CD below the useless sun visor, I relished the lack of traffic and reveled in the scenery. Those of you who know me will understand my joy when I finally came upon snow, a light coating I admit, but enough to make my heart swell.
Then I saw this jutting up. What could it be? Seeing one of the pullouts that have signs that say “Historical marker,” I hit the brakes and pulled over, something I normally don’t do when I’m on a long trip because it takes time that I don’t have. (We like to call the “hysterical markers.”) I love history, but I usually have miles to go before I sleep.
I was hooked. This sort of thing is exactly my cup of tea (and you know how much I love tea.) I immediately resolved to adjust my return trip overnight stops so that I could spend time exploring El Morro and also stop at Zuni Pueblo.
Although you can make it from Phoenix to Naperville in two long days, my agenda called for 2 1/2, a leisurely drive of just over 1700 miles. Overnighting in Albequerque the second night, I arrived at El Morro early on a brisk morning where snow still lurked in the shaded areas. There were several walking options but I chose the shorter one, concentrating on the inscriptions, so I had time to get home before rush hour.
So here we are, ready to walk. Just be sure you have a coat because it’s cold.
The rocks loom above as we approach along the well-kept path. I learned later that the pueblo remains mentioned on the sign are at the top and that you can walk to the top. Something for another trip. But the size of the monument and the absolute quiet of the park filled me with delight. To be enveloped in history cloaked in the grandeur of nature is perfection.
The moon still stood over the cliffs.
“Go slowly, my lovely moon, go slowly.” ― Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner
When you think of western migration, you’ll probably at some point think of the gold rush. However, gold isn’t the real treasure in the West and Southwest, water is. You can go your entire life without gold but only somewhere between a few hours and a week or so, without water, depending on a variety of factors. This pool of water would have been the draw for living near or stopping on trips through this part of New Mexico. I can’t imagine it was fun hauling water from here to the pueblos on the top of the rocks but it would have to be done. I could just get my water bottle.
Of course what makes these rocks unique are the over 2,000 signatures, dates, messages, and petroglyphs made by a variety of visitors: ancestral Puebloans, Spanish, and Americans.
The oldest legible inscription at El Morro, left by Juan de Oñate, the first Spanish governor of the colony of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, is dated April 16, 1605. Among the Anglo-American emigrants who left their names there in 1858 were several members of the Rose-Baley Party, including Leonard Rose and John Udell.[4] Nearby petroglyphs and carvings made by the Ancestral Puebloans were inscribed centuries before Europeans arrived. In 1906, U.S. federal law prohibited further carving on the cliffs.~Wikipedia
It reminded me of the autograph books we had when I was in high school, although I doubt any of these people wrote the often-used: “2 good 2 be 4 gotten,” or if they did, it was either in Spanish or petroglyphs, neither of which I can read.
I’ll have mercy on you and not show you all the photos I took of the carvings but let me whet your appetite with these two photos. The park provides a free guide that points out the main signatures and gives lots of information. I’m happy to report that there doesn’t seem to be any modern graffiti, which surprised me but in a good way. I’m thankful the President Theodore Roosevelt designated this as a national monument so that we could see it intact today. It’s also free, so if you’re ever in the area of Albuquerque or Grants, New Mexico, consider stopping. The walk to the top is supposed to take about an hour or I believe you can walk all the way around the base. I simply enjoyed my meander through the centuries in this awe-inspiring spot.
I thought you might enjoy a few details of the insides of The White Dove, Mission San Xavier del Baca, that I highlighted in yesterday’s post. So without further ado, let’s start looking a bit closer.
I like the brightly colored border that you can see beneath the well-worn carving. It adds a feeling of brightness and joy. Church should be a place filled with joy and light. In the Southwest, where we have lots of sunshine and many interiors have lots of white, the color is a perfect contrast and keeps the whiteness from being overwhelming. Outside it doesn’t matter. The blue sky makes the white building stand out.
More border and an attractively shaped border surrounding this statue, which has it’s own niche. The depth creates interest.
I really enjoyed the designs on the ceiling. At first glance, they appear almost childish but after looking more closely, some at least reminded me of some Grecian designs.
Again, there’s a colorful border with interesting shapes and lovely details but not an over-abundance. I like the simplicity. it’s not too busy.
Finally, I imagine you don’t normally imagine angels wearing this sort of outfit but after all, you’re in the Southwest United States. I think the decorations and designs should reflect the area where you find them.
Thanks for spending a bit more time enjoying the treasure that is The White Dove and I hope you’re also having a wonderful day!
It was a short walk from my room in The Big Texan motel to the restaurant of the same name…minus “hotel” of course. 😉. I’d already looked at the menu online and for once decided what I’d order before I got there. But I wasn’t going for the free 72-ounce steak! Free? Yes, if you can eat it and all the accompaniments in one hour.
You do not need to make reservation for challenge attempts. When you’re ready, we’re ready! Challenge attempts available during all regular business hours. 72-ounce Steak Dinner Challenge Includes: Shrimp Cocktail, Baked Potato, Salad
There are a number of rules that you can find here but even without anything else, 72-ounces of even the best steak would be a challenge…a Texas-sized challenge!
The restaurant is enormous, filled with all sorts of Western decorations.
Everything on this trip runs along or nearby Route 66. There are museums, souvenir shops, and sections of the actual route everywhere, even in The Big Texan.
While I was there, a two-man musical group came on, playing guitar and singing.
I ordered a Whiskey Barrel Stout to go with…
…my meal of smoked BBQ beef brisket, side (salad for me but there are lots of other choice), and two rolls for only $14 plus $7 for the pint of beer. There was so much meat that I finished the rest of it tonight at the motel with one roll while the other was part of my breakfast. Pretty good deal. The meat you can see here was just the meat on top. There was just as much underneath. I did NOT eat the jalapeño!!
I know I haven’t told you about the motel yet but I will. Today’s trip took me through hundreds of miles of endless deciduous trees all changing colors. It was gorgeous. I arrived early and have spent the afternoon and evening watching “Midsomer Murders” and “Hart to Hart”, plus did a few other things. Nice to relax a bit. Tomorrow it’s on to Naperville.
4 AM was the time I’d set to leave but as I woke up earlier than my alarm, I left the house at about 3:30 AM. The good part about leaving at that time and in the dark is that there are very few people on the highway. The two bad things about leaving in the dark are you miss all the really beautiful scenery in the first part of the drive and you really have to pay attention to the road to be sure no elk, deer, or other wild animals come charging out into the road. So I’d been the road for 2 1/2 hours when the sun began peeking over the horizon.
I ran into an issue with a detour that immediately added half an hour to my trip, a trip where because of time zones, I lost two hours on the first day. Arizona doesn’t do daylight savings time so when I got into New Mexico it was an hour later, then another hour later when I passed into Texas. But an unexpected issue made itself blazingly obvious when I turned east—the rising sun was directly in the middle of the road just over the horizon. I could barely see. I Jerry-rigged an additional sun visor by putting a CD envelope (not a case) in the bottom of the mirror on the sun visor so I could just see the road but not have the sun directly in my eyes. This is a little of how it looked without that. Bad photo but taken with great care which is the important thing.
When things improved, this is what I saw.
However, the detour that I was unhappy about, turned out to be the high point of the entire day. I drove through a part of New Mexico that was beautiful. I plan to visit it on the way back.
Out of the window…
And then there was snow!
And another from the van.
Despite the early start, attack by the sun, and detour, I arrived on good shape in Amarillo, Texas where I checked in to The Big Texan motel. Well, I didn’t actually have to check in. I was sent a room number and the code this morning and email so I just went to my room and went in. After a bit of a break, I walked over to their restaurant.
But all that’s another story. That’s it from the road today. Tomorrow I’m on my way to Rolla, Missouri. It’s a shorter day so I don’t have to leave so early. But as I wake up early, we’ll see what happens. As Scarlet O’Hara famously said, “Tomorrow is another day.”
Jasper Forest, originally called First Forest as it was the first part of the park accessed from Adamana, a town the railroad tracks passed through, has a high concentration of wood. To prevent full-scale looting, the road that once ran here was closed, but you can now take a nice long walk among hundreds of piece of petrified wood, some full-length although in sections. Remember that I told you they fall apart in piece due to their weight? And as I’m sure you now know, the Jasper Forest isn’t made of jasper but of…what else? Petrified wood, which is actually a fossil.
The variety of minerals make beautiful colors. There are so many beauties here that I found I finally had to stop taking photos. Each one looked as good or better than the last, finally causing a feeling of burnout. I did continue to marvel at them, though.
Everywhere you look you see more petrified wood and who knows how much lie still covered?
Friday will be our last day in Petrified Forest. Not much walking but some lovely pieces of petrified wood. Still having fun?
Independence Rock in Wyoming along what might be considered the Route 66 of the day, the Oregon Trail, is a giant, mounded rock filled with names of those passing by in their covered wagons. Newspaper Rock might be considered the petroglyph version of Independence Rock. Thankfully for the preservation of the markings, the rocks are down below the lookout area and in a place where it would be difficult to go. It was far enough down that I went back to the van for my telephoto so I could get some decent photos.
Petroglyphs last longer than rock art paintings because there’s nothing to wear off. While there isn’t a story as such, there are spiritual meanings, family meanings, as well as calendar events, as interpreted by modern American Indian groups.
The archeological site known as Newspaper Rock is neither a newspaper nor a single rock. The site boasts over 650 petroglyphs covering a group of rockfaces within a small area. High concentrations of petroglyphs like this mark a place as hugely significant. Many generations of people saw these markings and contributed their own. The petroglyphs were created by ancestral Puebloan people living, farming, and hunting along the Puerco River between 650 and 2,000 years ago. Some of the ancient artists may have lived at Puerco Pueblo, located less than one mile north of this site. ~The NPS website
Next up on our route is one of the most historically popular attractions, Agate Bridge, which of course isn’t actually agate but petrified wood, now supported now by a concrete beam. It’s about 100′ in length, 4′ in diameter, and goes across about 40′ of the chasm. In the early days of the park, many people had their photos taken on the log and the railroad finally paid to have the first supports put in so that the log wouldn’t collapse.
Finally there were some bits of bright yellow to offset the cloudy day. This first plant is the perfect example of plants being able to grow almost anywhere, even when it seems there’s nothing to serve as a growing medium.
Tomorrow we’ll be wandering around Jasper Forest so bring sturdy shoes even though there won’t be the steep slopes there were earlier in the trip at Blue Mesa. And be ready to see a lot of Petrified Wood!
We’ve seen lots of interesting and beautiful sights so far but this is the Petrified Forest, so let’s get to the wood. Blue Mesa’s trail is only about a mile but it’s definitely not a horizontal one. Don’t get too close to the edge and yes, we are going down there. But look. Right in front of you is a petrified log.
Here’s another view from this point before we head down.
The way a tree becomes petrified is that the tree dies, then loses its branches and bark. It falls into the water where sediment begins to cover it. By this rapid burial, the bacteria and oxygen are sealed away so it doesn’t decay but groundwater full of minerals deposits those minerals as it works through the log. The log weathers out of the surrounding rocks where further erosion snaps the brittle fossil into sections. As you can see below, it often appears that some manic creature tossed logs everywhere. Look that big one perched atop the peak in front of you.
Looking a bit closer.
Just as there are Badlands in South Dakota, these are examples of badlands with their striations and color variations, variations due to minerals deposits. The blueish color that gives this area its name comes from bentonite clay.
Here are some colorful examples of petrified wood. No one broke or cut these but they’re both heavy and brittle so snapping is easy. Petrified wood is composed mainly of quartz. But, you may say, quartz is colorless. True, but trace amounts of other elements such as iron mean you’ll see a variety of colors. Manganese, copper, chromium, a/o combinations of them are present in the wood.
Petrified wood is found all over the world but the largest concentration is here in the park. You can buy petrified wood at various places around the park but all of it comes from private land. The petrified wood in the park is protected.
Have a drink of water, take another look around at where you’ve been, then into the van and off to our next stop. Sorry, no cake available but you can rejoice in the calories you burned off and didn’t replace. 🙂
This, that and the other thing 