Tony, etc.

The last major stop on the trip was at Petrified Forest National Park.  It is here that one can see a great deal of vegetation that has miraculously withstood the test of time and in great abundance.  The park staff (in particular, a ranger who took a small group of us on a guided tour to an off-limits area to explain a great deal about the park and its features) left me with a great impression and an even greater appreciation for the park and its contents.

Standing on Navajo Bridge that crosses the Colorado River, I witnessed the beginning of the Grand Canyon.  Not much further south from here is the canyon itself, so seeing this rather small (in comparison, though the distance from the bridge deck to the river below is over 450 feet) section of carved rock made you feel the vast difference created by the Grand Canyon.

Just before crossing over the Colorado River at the south end of Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, there was an area with rock formations and soil that made me feel as though I was walking the surface of the Red Planet itself.  Aside from the blue sky and clouds, I could have been fooled into believing it was true.

Again, another portion of the Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness that was captured at a roadside stopping area with information about the surrounding terrain.  I was amazed at the color seen here, and the sharp line drawn by the ground, cliffs, and sky.

Just south along the Utah-Arizona state line is a beautiful rock formation that borders what has been recently created and called the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument.  The drive along the south end is quite breathtaking.  This image shows the contrast between the surrounding area before the cliffs.

Stopping at Best Friends Animal Society, if you can ignore the variety and volume of living creatures assembled within the vicinity of the sanctuary, it becomes apparent that the entire area is a canyon with very distinctive rock formations surrounding it.  These formations contrast the flat expanse of the floor where most of the animals are kept, but collectively they provide a very scenic landscape to enjoy when not captivated by the living creatures contained therein.

On the way out of Zion National Park, this feature caught my eye, as it shows a wonderful contrast between the high rock formations and the canyons that occur naturally throughout the park.  The vertical grooves in the rock formations, again, remind me of what I have seen at Bryce and Canyonlands further east in Utah.  Also noticeable is the amount of trees that grow in this area, which I would consider to be difficult to get a foothold in, were I a plant or tree!

I consider this to be the most-associated feature of Zion National Park, whether it truly is or not.  The sets of horizontal and vertical lines give it a truly unique look.  Both caused by weather, though different aspects for each set of lines (wind for the horizontal lines, and freezing/thawing for the vertical lines) makes this the only instance where I have seen this personally, though others may exist.  One day, with enough of this weather, the entire rock formation will become a sand dune, but I am sure it will be long into the future.

This is a fine example of what you can see just a short distance off the main road.  Only fifty feet from the main road lies what appears to be a formation on its side.  The layers of sandstone are stacked horizontally outward from the walking path.  How this came to be is yet another wonder seen in the park.

Some of the more popular features from Zion National Park seem to be the sandstone formations.  Similar to what I saw in Yosemite National Park, you can see layers of sandstone where natural erosion creates this visually exciting look.  They way the road winds through the park allows for maximum exposure to these formations.  Trails also lead from the roadside to provide some great opportunities for closer inspection and subsequent appreciation for the natural beauty of the park.