Today was our day to explore the Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert. This park is about 20
miles east of where we are staying here in Northern Arizona. It starts off going through the Painted Desert part of the park and then the road winds down through the Petrified Forest. The entire trip is 28 miles long. In the Painted Desert there are numerous pull off points where we could park and get out and take pictures. Several of them had hikin
g trails to give people a closer view of that particular area. We did some of the shorter trails but decided against the long treks down to the floor of the park. It is amazing to see the various colors in the formations in this area developed over thousands of years. The rock and soil is fairly fragile and changes over time as wind and rain impact it. The area where Joanne is standing in this picture is referred to as the Badlands, due to it's similarity to the Badlands up in the Dakotas. Due to it's rugged terrain it was very hard for travelers and explorers to cross.
miles east of where we are staying here in Northern Arizona. It starts off going through the Painted Desert part of the park and then the road winds down through the Petrified Forest. The entire trip is 28 miles long. In the Painted Desert there are numerous pull off points where we could park and get out and take pictures. Several of them had hikin
g trails to give people a closer view of that particular area. We did some of the shorter trails but decided against the long treks down to the floor of the park. It is amazing to see the various colors in the formations in this area developed over thousands of years. The rock and soil is fairly fragile and changes over time as wind and rain impact it. The area where Joanne is standing in this picture is referred to as the Badlands, due to it's similarity to the Badlands up in the Dakotas. Due to it's rugged terrain it was very hard for travelers and explorers to cross. As we moved farther south in the park we crossed the Puerco River and came upon the Puerco Pueblo. This was
an area with the ruins for a 100-room pueblo built about 1250AD and housed nearly 1,200 people. Also in this area were many petroglyphs pecked into the stones by the native people of that time. These
people farmed the low lying areas along the river. As time passed and the area became more arid the people drifted away, becoming a part of the Hopi Tribe or the Zuni Tribe that inhabits this part of Arizona today.
an area with the ruins for a 100-room pueblo built about 1250AD and housed nearly 1,200 people. Also in this area were many petroglyphs pecked into the stones by the native people of that time. These
people farmed the low lying areas along the river. As time passed and the area became more arid the people drifted away, becoming a part of the Hopi Tribe or the Zuni Tribe that inhabits this part of Arizona today.After a few more miles drive we came to the actual Petrified Forest. These trees are truly amazing. Thous
ands of years ago this area was covered with forest of large trees. As the trees toppled as the area changed they were covered with silt. Minerals drained down into the silt transforming the wood into stone. Eventually the silt eroded away leaving these massive tree shaped stones. These petrified trees are very hard, much harder than the rocks around them but yet are fragile in that they have broken into pieces with the pressure of the earth around them. When a person sees one of these logs it is in many sections. It reminds us of the trees we used to cut on my Dad's farm for firewood, laying there in sections.
ands of years ago this area was covered with forest of large trees. As the trees toppled as the area changed they were covered with silt. Minerals drained down into the silt transforming the wood into stone. Eventually the silt eroded away leaving these massive tree shaped stones. These petrified trees are very hard, much harder than the rocks around them but yet are fragile in that they have broken into pieces with the pressure of the earth around them. When a person sees one of these logs it is in many sections. It reminds us of the trees we used to cut on my Dad's farm for firewood, laying there in sections.All in all it was a very enjoyable day in the National Park. When we left the park at the south end we were eighteen miles east of Holbrook. We could either retrace our path
back through the park to Interstate 40 or take the state highway into Holbrook. We chose the latter and decided to have a late Sunday lunch in town. We found a nice diner and had an exceptional lunch. Also, we were fascinated with the Wigwam Motel. I remember seeing this motel as a kid when we drove to California via U.S. Route 66. (This was before the advent of the Interstate System.) The guest rooms are teepee's (wigwams) set out around the property. Today they are still in use as motel rooms but the owners have placed classic cars in front of them to draw the travelers attention to their place.
back through the park to Interstate 40 or take the state highway into Holbrook. We chose the latter and decided to have a late Sunday lunch in town. We found a nice diner and had an exceptional lunch. Also, we were fascinated with the Wigwam Motel. I remember seeing this motel as a kid when we drove to California via U.S. Route 66. (This was before the advent of the Interstate System.) The guest rooms are teepee's (wigwams) set out around the property. Today they are still in use as motel rooms but the owners have placed classic cars in front of them to draw the travelers attention to their place.
1 comment:
The colours of the painted desert and the size of the chunks of petrified wood are a lasting memory. I think that the painted desert is what inspires the 'SouthWest' decorating colour scheme, isn't it?
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