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DETOUR TO DRAMA

THERE'S MORE THAN KITSCH OFF

Route 66. Beyond the neon and robust coffee, jam-packed trinket shops and vintage motels of the Mother Road, slight detours north and south in Arizona lead motorists to memorable sights — the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert and the gold-hoarding Black Mountains. Also near the road await Walnut Canyon, Wupatki Ruins, Meteor Crater, the San Francisco Peaks, the Hualapai Mountains, Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, Montezuma Castle, the White Cliffs, the Cerbat Mountains, high desert arroyos, rangeland, dense forests. And don't forget Winona.The mostly deserted open landscapes along what was once called the "World's Longest Traffic Jam" rank among the country's most inspiring views. And off the road, away from the lights, the stars shine brightly, sunsets burn intensely and nature's handiwork shines. Watch for jackrabbits, lizards and the occasional roadrunner amid the caves and prairies along the way. And look out for wild burros near the end of the road. — Beth Deveny (PRECEDING PANEL, PAGES 22 AND 23) In Petrified Forest National Park, bentonite clay deposits from the ash of long ago volcanic eruptions erode, exposing the fossilized remains of a Triassic-era forest.

(LEFT) The eroded tuff of Red Mountain north of Flagstaff creates a fanciful ochre landscape in the heart of an extinct volcano. TOM DANIELSEN (ABOVE) Near Williams, flowering calliopsis brightens the shore of Kaibab Lake. BOB AND SUZANNE CLEMENZ

(PRECEDING PANEL, PAGES 28 AND 29) Old Route 66 cuts through the nearly million-acre Hualapai Indian Reservation, which encompasses much of the southwest end of the Grand Canyon. JACK DYKINGA (ABOVE) Sweeping vistas dotted with Joshua trees stretch to the horizon below the Grand Wash Cliffs north of Kingman. DAVID LAZAROFF

(RIGHT) The rugged Black Mountains provided Arizona's final challenge to travelers on Old Route 66 as it approached the California border. Once past the mountain range's winding defiles, the road led to the Colorado River and on to California. NEIL WEIDNER