The drive from Albuquerque to Phoenix is full of national parks and natural wonders. We intentionally did this drive over one-and-a-half days. We started on the afternoon of the first day.

The first stop was the Church Rock hiking trail in Red Rock Park. It’s a relatively flat, 2.6 miles hike.

We stayed overnight at Gallup and the next day, our first stop was Tee Pee Trading Post.

At the next stop, Yellowhorse Trading Post We got Navajo fried bread, it tastes similar to Indian “bhatoora”. I would recommend trying it.

Next, we entered Petrified Forest, National Park. There are several small hikes and stops here to check out. You can spend the full day here. First, the science, of petrification happens when silica sediments along with the water enter a log of wood. Over time, the wood piece starts to resemble an amalgam of wood and quartz stone. This park is full of petrified wood.

Our last stop in the journey was the city of Sedona before reaching Phoenix.