When we saw Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, Jackson Hole, Snowbird Ski Resort, Bryce Canyon, and Everything else the pictures just didn't do them justice. I know that's been said before, but it's the truth! Today we saw the Petrified Forest and the Painted Dessert. OKay.... here's what we saw:
In all fairness, it was very interesting how this is the only place in the WORLD that has petrified wood with these colors. It's all due to the minerals that settled in the wood over 200 million years ago. So... it is Very interesting, it's just that the pictures do tell the whole story this time. It's a "forest" of pieces of wood that's turned to stone.
The Painted Dessert was pretty enough to see, it's just that this is what it looks like. Maybe we're spoiled now, this is week 5 for us and we've seen some beautiful things! From here we drove to the Canyon de Chelly National Monument - one of Arizona's "Best Kept Secrets". It's in the Navajo Reservation. The Navajo Indians live in the canyon during the summer to take advantage of the coolness, streams, rivers and trees. In the winter they move up to the plateaus because it' warmer. This was beautiful and interesting also.
The drive there and back was pretty cool too. We saw wild horses and windmills.
Tomorrow we drive to Albuquerque, New Mexico to catch the Balloon Fiesta. We lucked out with our timing. We scheduled a balloon ride for Rusty on Friday! We'll keep ya'll posted.
Tootles for now.
A few questions:
ReplyDelete1. In the Petrified Forest, how did the trees get so smoothly sliced into logs -- and why? I mean, a jillion years ago, the trees would have fallen down whole, and then turned into rock as whole fallen trees, right?
2. Is that a UFO I see landed in the lower left quadrant of the 6th photo (the picture of the canyon)? Are ya'll near Area 51?
Can't wait for pictures of Rusty in a balloon! Up, up & away!