Dulce...

There's an urban legend that's been going around,
about a 'secret base', hidden under ground;
where there are aliens and our Air Force too;
conducting experiments on people like you!

There's no truth to it, there are Apaches in place,
this is their home here in the high desert place,
the Tribe is the Jicarilla (hek-a-REH-ya) is how to say it,
they've been here for centuries, and want you to know it.

Top:  Dulce is near this mesa
Middle(1) Ladies going to the Pow Wow
Middle(2) Jicarilla means 'little' basket people
Bottom: Apache 'warriors' at the Pow Wow

Petrified Forest National Park...

Petrified, not scary, these rocks are all stone,
harder than anything, harder than bone;
they were growing taller many years ago,
now they've tumbled down, part of a show.

We are in the Painted Desert, it's grassland I'm told,
the grass may grow, but most of all, everything is old!
It's very dry here all the time, I don't think it has rain,
maybe so of us should live out here, it may help the pain.

Top:  The log tumble
Middle: The Devils Playground
Bottom: A wider view of the Painted Desert

Winslow...

...Arizona, another stop of Highway Sixty-Six,
in the song Winslow, Barstow, San Bernidino,
but that's the wrong direction, we are headed east,
but not before we stop and look at the La Posada beast.

The Grand hotel, a Harvey House, built some time ago,
the land has changed, they've been exchanged, we may be at a low,
let these buildings and these towns, become a pile of dust,
just the way, back some time, when we let the railroads rust.

Top:  Interior, the La Posada (art deco)
Middle: Exterior, the La Posada
Bottom: Well, I'm a standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, and such a fine sight to see
             It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford,
             slowin' down to take a look at me
  The Eagles

More on the hotel at: http://www.laposada.org/
                                          

Williams...

Arizona,  located right on the Highway Sixty-six,
a lot of nice things, an it's not out in the sticks,
the Grand Canyon Railroad, both diesel and steam,
go ahead and ride one, it's a lot of peoples dream.

The landscape has changed some, this is new,
more grass and less "canyon" view,
but it's still in Arizona, so one can expect,
to see mountains and desert, no big city wreck.

Top:  One of the steam locomotives, GCRR
Middle: Golf anyone?  Look at the view
Bottom: Portion of US66 a national treasure, mostly gone now:(

Grand....

....Canyon NP, Arizona

Oh my! How big does nature get?
477 miles long, 18 miles wide and yet,
you'll need to go one mile down,
to get to the bottom, there's a river you might drown.

People have lived here for fifty thousand years,
there are still signs of them, or hear them with your ears,
cliff dwellers and folk like us are just the latest,
see all the layers, it's the evidence of the greatest

Top:  An aerial view
Middle:  Sunrise on the canyon
Bottom:  The Colorado River runs below Pueblo storehouses

Page....

....Arizona, a nearly new town,

what the photo shows, is a lot of brown,

built for housing during the construction of the dam;

at Glen Canyon, and now Lake Powell is part of the plan.

There are two power plants, the largest in the State,

that distinction makes Page important, even great.

Then there is the scenery, Antelope Canyon comes to mind,

one of the prettiest places you can ever find.

.

Top:  The Town of Page
Middle:  Near Antelope Canyon (on the outside)
Bottom:  Antelope Canyon (on the inside) - Wow!

Yes! I know we've been to Arizona before - but we'll see new places.

Kingman.....

….Arizona, this is Mojave country, and we can hardly wait,
to get back on to that ranch, and open up the gate,
but, or course, we need to stop and catch a little sleep;
we are being called back just like a couple of sheep.

While we're here we look around at familiar sights,
the high desert in all it's glory, ahhh, pure delight,
a few more days and we'll take a break and rest,
and clear out busy minds, and take in all the best.

Flagstaff….

….Arizona, high up in northern part of the state,
this is the home of something that are really great,
high-country wildflowers in a 200 acre garden plot;
don't tell me they don't offer a lot.

The altitude is well over a mile high,
you can reach right out and touch the sky,
just a short ride for the western entrance of the Grand Canyon,
colored by the gods a long time ago with a multicolored crayon.

We've looked around, it's a really great place,
but we're kinda in a hurry, it's almost a race;
want to get home a few hundred more miles,
when I tell Abby about Tehachapi she smiles.

Westward ho!

Tuba City….

….Arizona, sure ain't no Sousaphone place,
we didn't see a marching band at any rate;
it's in the Painted Desert, mostly inhabited by Navajo,
it's the largest Navajo town, and a number of Hopi are here also.

There's a whole lot to see here, if you like desert scenery,
we thought things were beautiful, like Abby is to me;
take a look at the photo, it's right up above,
one big dinosaur footprint, don't look like no sign of love.

At one time these huge critters roamed around here free,
you can tell it wasn't recent, there sure ain't no mud to see;
it's just a short hop over to Grand Canyons eastern edge,
which is one of natures largest sightings of colorful ledge.

On westward!

Kayenta…..

…..Arizona, out here in Navajo land,

we owe them a lot that Navajo band,
they helped us win in World War Two,
they did their best for me and you.

They speak a language that was not understood,
by the enemy, that thought we had a code that just too good,
there are other achivements from where these people roam,
weaving and jewelry along with art to decorate your home.

We'll stay here just overnight, closer to home now,
Abby is eager to see the ranch, wants to know how to milk a cow,
and I miss Meatloaf, a wonderful hoss,
I can't wait to show him that I'm still the boss.

The photo is from nearby Monument Valley NP