As we started out on our road trip across the southwestern US at the end of July, I expected to see a lot of sweltering desert and not much else. So it was a happy surprise to find so much beautiful scenery as we traveled along Highway 40 through Arizona and New Mexico. Of course, there were plenty of flat and empty miles on our route, but the areas of colorful landscape made up for that. If we had more time to stop along the way, it would have been great to explore the Pyramid Rock and Navajo Church Rock trails, located  a few miles east of Gallup, New Mexico. I did manage to get a few photos from the car — just enough to whet my appetite for more.

Pyramid Rock