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Our first stop is the Painted Desert in the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona	The fantastic view from one of the overlooks, Tiponi Point
The stark landscape was very reminiscent of the Badlands in South Dakota (which was our first trip to a National Park together)	Another breaktaking shot from another overlook, Kachina Point
This is the Painted Desert Inn, a National Historic Landmark, in the Pueblo Revival style of architecture	Here are some petroglyphs at Puerco Pueblo, the ruins of a 100-room pueblo built around 1250
Our favorite petroglyph, the man-eating duck!	These are cone-shaped formations of layered minerals, appropriately named "The Tepees"
Our favorite views in the park were here at the Blue Mesa, with folks hiking down below!	Another beautiful photo of the Blue Mesa, where the unique formations are colored in metallic tones, rather than in earth tones
Pieces of petrified logs scatter the landscape	Amazingly, the petrified wood is over 225 million years old
This is the Park's largest petrified log, "Old Faithful" (The National Park Service seems to running low on originality)	Here is petrified wood that has been polished to bring out the gorgeous colors
Our next stop is the Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Arizona	Navajo people still live in the Canyon, evidenced by the farmlands seen here on the canyon floor
The view from Tsegi Overlook	Dan poses next to Junction Overlook
Here are the White House Ruins, that were occupied over 1000 years ago by ancient Puebloan people (look closely at the base of wall for the ruins)	Yet another beautiful photograph of the canyon
A camouflaged little friend accompanies us on our hike	Can you spot the face on Face Rock?
Here is a close-up view of the face (the face's left ear is next to the dark vertical line; the chin is the curved line in the center about 1/3rd from the bottom)	This is Spider Rock, an 800-foot sandstone spire that rises from the canyon floor
Shefali especially liked this tree	Here is Window Rock, a natural sandstone formation located at the capital of the Navajo Nation
This is the view while traveling on the Sandia Peak Tramway, the world's longest tramway (2.7 miles long) located on the outskirts of Albuquerque	Approaching top of the Tramway, at an altitude of 10,378 feet
Here is a view of the car that we just rode	Dan looks out at the many, many sights of Albuquerque
The next tram on its way to the top	Another view of the tram and the Sandia Mountains in the background
Sunset over Albuquerque	Our hotel in Santa Fe, called the Eldorado
A view of the hotel entrance	The beautiful lobby in the Eldorado
The Plaza in the center of Santa Fe	A stone burro stands at the entrance of the appropriately named Burro Alley
The Palace of the Governors at the Plaza, which is the oldest public building in the U.S., having housed New Mexican governors for centuries. Now the interior holds a museum of New Mexican history and Native American jewelry and art vendors line the veranda	This is the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi on the Plaza in Santa Fe
The beautiful altar in this cathedral	Turtle Bread was spotted in a French creperie in Santa Fe
Shefali poses in front of the San Miguel Mission, built in 1610, making it one of the country's oldest churches still in use	Here is the altar in the mission, with ruins from the original altar from centuries ago visible underneath a glass floor in the front
Visiting the Museum of International Folk Art on Museum Hill in Santa Fe	An exhibit devoted to Carnival celebrations all over the world
Work of an Indian (from India, that is) artist, made of cement, jute and metal, called "Followers of Gandhi"	Nothing like a big chair to make you feel like a kid again
What a beautiful day on Museum Hill	A stone Indian warrior standing in front of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
Finally, Shefali found the perfect Navajo taco (with sopapillas on the side) in a small restaurant in Old Town in Albuquerque

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