Petrified Trees and Oatman, Arizona

Interstate 40 splits the Petrified National Forest and the Painted Desert.  We didn't think the kids would enjoy those places enough to take the time for a drive-through.  However, we knew that they would like our favorite rock shop, so we took about a one-mile detour off of the Interstate into Holbrook, Arizona and stretched our legs.  There are amazing pieces of petrified wood all polished up for tourists to be entranced by.

We were right.  They loved it!  We promised that on their way back to Texas we'd stop again and let them buy some cool souvenirs.

Our first need after settling in to our house in Kingman was to stock the refrigerator.  The most cost-effective way to do that was at Sam's Club.  Now, if you've been reading our blog for awhile, you know that there are two ways to get to Sam's - the fun way and the fast way.  The kids had their choice, and they chose the fun way.  That meant following Old Route 66 past ancient extinct volcanoes  in the Black Mountains,

and on up into the mountains.  Across Sitgreaves Pass,

and on into Oatman, the land of donkeys/burros.  (Check out our earlier blog posts about Oatman:
http://www.thetravelerstwo.net/2015/05/the-road-to-sams-club.html
http://www.thetravelerstwo.net/2014/01/wild-burros.html
http://www.thetravelerstwo.net/2014/01/oatman-arizona-second-time-around.html
http://www.thetravelerstwo.net/2015/03/a-different-yucca-plant.html
and more if you'd like to browse the blog.)

Cutest critters ever!  Except for our grandchildren!