Scenic Loop

Just north of Flagstaff we took a scenic drive and watched the terrain continue to change. There were miles of open spaces with only this straw-like yellow grass and hardy green shrubs. Evidently this grass does turn green in the fall (not in the spring as we are accustomed to) after the late summer monsoons.

There were also areas like this where the soil was like black gravel, but rich enough to support plants.

Then we went over a steep hill and this stunning view wowed us. It's aptly called the painted desert.