Road

The Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park in Winter by Tara Tayan

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For the past several years, my mom has travelled to Arizona for the Gem & Mineral Show in Tucson. It’s long days at the shows but a few times we have made it into road trip where I got to check some national parks off my list. One of those times we drove to the Petrified Forest National Park and Painted Desert.

I loved how the snow dusted the barren landscape. The temperature was a high of 35 that day but the sun was out. It was so peaceful with hardly any other people walking the trails or cars clogging up popular areas.

I remember our bed & breakfast, Brad’s Desert Inn, had themed rooms. We were in the eagle room (go birds) and the owner would make the most enormous breakfast. She told us about her dreams for renovating the rooms and I hope to go back one day to see how they turned out.

This trip had many memorable stops. Arizona is one of my favorite places but I definitely loved our time at this park. Stay tuned for a more detailed blog post on the route we took and stops we made along the way!

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This national park has preserved part of Route 66. This old Studebaker sits at the crossroads where the newly built I-40, runs almost parallel with it.

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sedimentary layers of Blue Mesa

sedimentary layers of Blue Mesa

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Agate Bridge

Agate Bridge

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Like a giant chocolate log cake.

Like a giant chocolate log cake.

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This is where I bought a petrified wood specimen to further my collection! :)

This is where I bought a petrified wood specimen to further my collection! :)

On the road again... by Tara Tayan

Oregon sunrise

Oregon sunrise

I love being on the road, not the whole preparation for it, but once were out there with the music and podcasts blaring, it’s peaceful. We’re getting ready to head out into America once again, now a new region I’ve never been to: the Midwest! I’m excited for the weird road side stops, vast open grasslands, learning about the last wild areas of the US, and exploring the strange terrain of Badlands National Park.

Here’s a throwback of all my most recent road pics!

“There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.” -Jack Kerouac, On the Road: the Original Scroll

Near Asheville, North Carolina on our 1st road trip down to Georgia for the Professional Photographers of America conference. 2016.

Near Asheville, North Carolina on our 1st road trip down to Georgia for the Professional Photographers of America conference. 2016.

Drove down to the end of the road for the cloudy sunset, Hawaii, 2013.

Drove down to the end of the road for the cloudy sunset, Hawaii, 2013.

My view from behind our driver, Damien, across the countryside of Cuba on our way back to Havana from Trinidad. 2016

My view from behind our driver, Damien, across the countryside of Cuba on our way back to Havana from Trinidad. 2016

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Signs of the South, 2016

Signs of the South, 2016

Dingman’s Ferry Bridge, connecting PA and NJ, 2016.

Dingman’s Ferry Bridge, connecting PA and NJ, 2016.

Golden Road, Maine

Golden Road, Maine

Sedona, Arizona

Sedona, Arizona

Arizona to Nevada

Arizona to Nevada

Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam

Las Vegas

Las Vegas

My mom, somewhere in Arizona, 2018.

My mom, somewhere in Arizona, 2018.

Driving through Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon

Driving through Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon

Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

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Whizzing by New York

Whizzing by New York

Cadillac Mountain for the sunrise, 2016.

Cadillac Mountain for the sunrise, 2016.

Monterey, CA, 2017.

Monterey, CA, 2017.

Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree

Jenni + co-pilot Gabby in Joshua Tree

Jenni + co-pilot Gabby in Joshua Tree

Zack, near Sacramento

Zack, near Sacramento

To Ashland, OR!

To Ashland, OR!

Crater Lake

Crater Lake

Forest fires in Bend, OR, 2017.

Forest fires in Bend, OR, 2017.

Devastation of the fires, outside Bend, OR, 2017.

Devastation of the fires, outside Bend, OR, 2017.

Claudia at the wheel during our Iceland adventure.

Claudia at the wheel during our Iceland adventure.

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Crazy Iceland roads, 2018.

Crazy Iceland roads, 2018.

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Gabby driving through the Italian countryside, 2019.

Gabby driving through the Italian countryside, 2019.

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On the way back from Washington, D.C. 2020

On the way back from Washington, D.C. 2020

Snowstorm outside of Tombstone, Arizona, 2019.

Snowstorm outside of Tombstone, Arizona, 2019.

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Petrified Forest, 2019.

Petrified Forest, 2019.

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Goats hanging out in Hawaii, 2019.

Goats hanging out in Hawaii, 2019.

Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes National Park

Oahu

Oahu

Devastation from the 2018 volcanic eruption.

Devastation from the 2018 volcanic eruption.

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Italian countryside, 2019.

Italian countryside, 2019.

Pittsburgh, 2018.

Pittsburgh, 2018.