Day four we traveled from Winslow to the Petrified Forest National Park. The first stop in the Park was the painted desert. We were blown away by how far we could see and seeing all the moving shadows from the clouds.
Interesting Fact:
On clear days in the Southwest, especially on crisp, cold winter days, you can see landscape features almost 100 miles away!
via here
Want to know how it got it's name?
Standing on the edge of a vast badlands landscape, a Spanish explorer is rumored to have named the area "El Desierto Pintado" (The Painted Desert) because the hills looked like they were painted with the colors of the sunset.
via here
A storm was rolling through so in some areas we saw bright blue skies and others were dark storm clouds.
The next stop was the Petrified Forest.
Interesting Fact:
The Petrified Forest is the only national park to protect a section of Historic Route 66.
via here
It is strictly prohibited to take any petrified wood from the park no matter how small it is. Although, there is petrified wood found outside of the park and can be bought in local shops, including tables.
Then we raced back to Winslow before we got caught in a snow storm.
*Ryan took some of these pictures!
The colors you captured in both the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest are outstanding.
ReplyDeleteSome of the landscape looks like a different planet. Looking forward to Day 5.
Thank you and I agree, some of the landscape does look like a different planet!
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