Mileage: 57,449 Painted Rock Petroglyph Site and Campground BLM Gila Bend, Arizona

We took 10W out of Tuscon and onto 8W across the desert. Saguaro, mesquite trees, flowering yellow brittlebush, scraggly creosote bushes with a backdrop of mountain peaks comprised our panorama. We also passed farm fields full of cotton, cattle farms, and a solar powered farm.

We arrived at the Painted Rock Petroglyph Site and Campground at around noon. 75% of the land in Arizona is public land. This park is part of the Bureau of Land Management. The camping fee with our senior pass was $4.00.

We packed our lunch and headed out with the Jeep to explore. Our first stop was the petroglyph site. Looking at these pictures carved into the rock made me feel like I was looking at something both timeless and sacred. No one can decipher exactly what the pictures mean or what they were used for but they have been there for about 1,400 years. Some of the symbols are recognizable while others are a mystery that scientists are still trying to interpret.

We drove miles into the desert. Desolate and beautiful…we couldn’t get enough!

Our lunch spot.

What lives in these holes? We know there are all sorts of things to be wary of in this environment. These holes were covered by a very fine layer of spider webs.

The dry bed of the Gila River.

We rested for awhile this afternoon and then made dinner. Grilled ahi tuna with a mango lime rub, grilled avocados stuffed with bruschetta and goat cheese and grilled sweet potatoes with brown sugar glaze and pecans…very nice!

As we cooked and ate our meal, the sun went down. The whole world was glowing pink.

The moon is almost full…tomorrow I think.

We went back out with the Jeep after eating to try out Tim’s new off road lights. We were looking for desert critters but we saw nothing. It is very peaceful and quiet and dark. The stars are lovely. Tomorrow we move to Yuma.