Each day of the journey from California to North Carolina, I tried to plan at least one beautiful or interesting stop. From the Grand Canyon, we drove to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to spend the night. I wanted to find a good place to walk the dog that next morning and spent the evening sleuthing on the internet.

Early in the morning, I headed to Piedras Marcadas Canyon, part of the Petroglyph National Monument. I had seen petroglyphs before in Hawaii but wasn’t sure what to expect at this park. The park website led me directly to a small parking area. From there, the dog and I took off for an easy walk. The park offers a few helpful signs, and once I knew what to look for, I could see petroglyphs on a number of rocks.

Can you see the moon and the faces?

The view looking back into Albuquerque filled me with peace and made me wish my mom had joined us for the walk.

It’s a beautiful spot to spend a few quiet minutes, and though the park site suggests an hour and a half to walk the area, the trail is sandy and easy to walk, and you could spend less time if you don’t need to find all 300 petroglyphs. We encountered only a few other people, also out walking their dogs, and only one other native to the canyon.

Posing for me? Or more likely trying to hide from my dog.

Have you seen petroglyphs before? If so, I’d love to hear about your experience and what you thought about them.

There are a lot of wonderful places to see in this country. Get out and explore it, y’all!