Arizona, the Grand Canyon State

*Antelope Canyon

This was definitely the highlight of our West Coast trip so far! A canyon that is flooded every few years. Spectacular color patterns are created due to silicon and quartz in the rock. Absolutely breathtaking!

*Petrified Forest NP

The petrified forest was our next national park to visit. It's very interesting how it came to be... The tree trunks that are petrified today were washed up and covered with slag, so no oxygen could reach them. When silica-rich groundwater entered this area, the tree trunks were petrified - a truly amazing sight and definitely worth a visit!

*Grand Canyon NP

Here, Maren and I did different day hikes. While Maren did the complete descent and ascent of the Grand Canyon, I 'only' did half of it! I covered 15.4 km and 933 meters of elevation gain on this hike! The hike was even more impressive than the view from above the canyon, as you walk through the different layers of rock in the canyon.

*Route 66

The Route 66 - also known as the Mother Road - was an absolute must. We drove sections of this legendary road, with the towns of Kingman and Oatman being particularly beautiful. In Kingman, we also visited the Route 66 Museum. In Oatman, we waited in vain for the announced shootout, which we unfortunately missed. But because of the donkeys that amused us on the road and the delicious chili and ice cream, the detour to this small town was absolutely worthwhile!