Today we drove out to Petrified Forest in Arizona. I thought the views were amazing.
The colors were spectacular in the Painted Desert.
We learned about how the area was formed millions of years ago. They even found dinosaur fossils in the soil as it is eroding from the weather.
We even found an owl pellet that contained a kangaroo rat skeleton.
We visited the old Painted Desert Inn. We were all tired from hiking and B and I were sad we couldn’t get a treat at the old shut down historic hotel!
We saw part of historic Route 66 and even saw a 1932 Studebaker wearing away in the desert.
We saw Pueblo building remnants. Only part is excavated to make sure that the other parts are preserved as best as possible.
I loved the pink flower and figured out that the white flowers turn pink before they die.
We hiked a long trail at the Blue Mesa. The soil and rock actually looked blueish purple!
The rocks had petroglyph carvings from prehistoric times. It was neat to try to figure out what the carvings meant.
I fell in love with the Indian Paintbrush plants. I used the new camera to take some photos. I worked with Dad and Mom on composition and how to set up a photo.
By the afternoon I was laying on the ground trying to find good shots with foreground, middle ground and background.
We saw lots of petrified trees. Part of the Junior Ranger program was to hug a piece of petrified wood. We were supposed to look and feel but NOT take!
Another shot I took with the petrified wood and the Blue Mesa in the background.
Some of the petrified wood turned into crystallized quartz! Sadly people have stolen some pieces over the years but there were still some samples to see and touch.
Mom was at her wits end with our constant stories and banter. We drove her to almost diving off the rocks! Just kidding…
I was shocked to see so many HUGE specimens. I loved all the different colors in the once logs.
More flowers to take photos of. I am loving the flowers with the petrified wood in the background.
On the way back to New Mexico and the campground we stopped at a roadside stand and I bought a cool necklace made of beads, cedar berry and a piece of turquoise. It was handmade by a local Navajo member.
I also HAD to have another fry bread! Yum yum yum!
