Petrified
Forest National Park marked a memorable milestone for Chris, Kellisa, and
Egypt. During their cross-country move from Jacksonville, Florida, to
Roseville, California in January 2016, Arizona became the 40th state
that the three explored together. The stop was part of a whirlwind journey
west, proving that even while relocating across the country, there is always
time to add another adventure to Kellisa's growing list of accessible hikes.
The
photos capture a landscape unlike almost anywhere else in America. They show
Kellisa smiling beside enormous, fossilized tree trunks that have been
transformed into colorful stone over more than 200 million years. Other images
highlight sweeping views across the Painted Desert, where layers of red,
purple, gray, and orange stretch to the horizon. We also photographed the
surreal Blue Mesa badlands, whose soft blue and lavender hills resemble another
planet, along with overlooks where the wheelchair could be positioned safely to
enjoy the scenery. Together, the pictures emphasize that the park is about much
more than petrified logs—it is a place of vast open vistas, remarkable geology,
and shared family memories.
In
January 2014, Egypt and Kellisa added Arkansas to their growing hiking map,
marking the 14th state they had explored together. Their destination was Lake
Poinsett State Park, a quiet northeastern Arkansas park tucked along the
western shore of Lake Poinsett near Harrisburg. For a winter hike, it offered
the kind of simple beauty that makes a state-park stop memorable: bare trees,
open views, lake air, and the satisfaction of another state checked off on a
shared adventure.
