As you know from the previous post, we arrived in Holbrook, Arizona under the cover of darkness. We got up pretty early and I took the kids to shower and for an all you can eat pancake breakfast, prepared by the owners of the campground and served alfresco in the crisp morning air. Today we are going to the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Park. I have to say it was an awe inspiring experience. The landscape around Holbrook is sparse, almost alien. It is in the high desert, at an altitude well over 5,000 feet, surrounded by nothing but scrub, dirt and rocks. The kids ate their pancakes and I drank a couple of cups of coffee while my wife showered and got ready. When everyone was assembled and the jeep was loaded up, we headed east for the desert. I first thing that strikes you is the enormity of it all. The vast desert stretches for as far as the eye can see and is littered with rocky mounds, colorful buttes and dry washes. Heading east on I-40 we began seeing pieces of petrified wood scattered about, and the colorful beginnings of the Painted Dessert. We pulled into the park and went into the very nice visitor center. After purchasing a few trinkets and post cards for the kids, we proceeded to watch a 10 minute film on the history of the Petrified Forest, which was extremely interesting.
Leaving the visitor center, we got back into the jeep and headed on our journey. The Petrified Forest and Painted Desert can be experienced by car or on foot. The 28 mile drive through the park is breathtaking. Along the well maintained roads are numerous places to pullover and hike, view the remains of ancient dwellings and petroglyphs or study a few of the hundreds of thousands of pieces of petrified wood. We stopped at every overlook, marveled at the ruins and drawings of ancient peoples who lived here long ago, but most importantly we hiked out into the park itself. The hike was not particularly long, a couple of miles at best, but the experience was one that I will never forget. You turn off the main road running through the park and drive a few miles to the trailhead. The Blue Mesa trailhead is located at the top of Blue Mesa and the trail begins by following the crest of the Mesa to a point where you descend approximately 1,000 feet into a beautiful valley surrounded by blue, pink and purple cliffs. The first thing you notice is the complete solitude and silence, it is absolutely unbelievable. In fact, there were only two other people who braved the 100 degree heat and made the hike to the valley floor, so we had the whole area practically to ourselves. The second thing you notice is the petrified wood, and I mean a lot of it. The amazing thing about this stuff is that it most of it looks like wood, not rock. You see all of the imperfections of in each tree as they existed millions of years ago. As you follow the trail along the sun baked desert floor you really begin to appreciate the beauty and diversity of nature. I would never have imagined that being in such an unforgiving place could be so indescribably beautiful. After hiking back up onto the mesa, we hydrated and finished our journey through the park with a quiet sense of accomplishment. The kids earned their Junior Park Ranger badges, after completing a self guided booklet. The Jr. Ranger program is sponsored by the National Park Service, and is a great reinforcing tool to teach kids about the diversity, history and geology of each park. Heading home we stopped at a place that sells petrified wood and other items. I purchased a few pieces of petrified wood, a couple of geodes and a big chunk of obsidian (we are going to make our own arrowheads since we missed the class). Back at the campground, we grilled burgers and ate outside. I drank a few beers while my wife enjoyed a couple glasses of wine. It was the picture perfect ending of a picture perfect Father’s Day.
Leaving the visitor center, we got back into the jeep and headed on our journey. The Petrified Forest and Painted Desert can be experienced by car or on foot. The 28 mile drive through the park is breathtaking. Along the well maintained roads are numerous places to pullover and hike, view the remains of ancient dwellings and petroglyphs or study a few of the hundreds of thousands of pieces of petrified wood. We stopped at every overlook, marveled at the ruins and drawings of ancient peoples who lived here long ago, but most importantly we hiked out into the park itself. The hike was not particularly long, a couple of miles at best, but the experience was one that I will never forget. You turn off the main road running through the park and drive a few miles to the trailhead. The Blue Mesa trailhead is located at the top of Blue Mesa and the trail begins by following the crest of the Mesa to a point where you descend approximately 1,000 feet into a beautiful valley surrounded by blue, pink and purple cliffs. The first thing you notice is the complete solitude and silence, it is absolutely unbelievable. In fact, there were only two other people who braved the 100 degree heat and made the hike to the valley floor, so we had the whole area practically to ourselves. The second thing you notice is the petrified wood, and I mean a lot of it. The amazing thing about this stuff is that it most of it looks like wood, not rock. You see all of the imperfections of in each tree as they existed millions of years ago. As you follow the trail along the sun baked desert floor you really begin to appreciate the beauty and diversity of nature. I would never have imagined that being in such an unforgiving place could be so indescribably beautiful. After hiking back up onto the mesa, we hydrated and finished our journey through the park with a quiet sense of accomplishment. The kids earned their Junior Park Ranger badges, after completing a self guided booklet. The Jr. Ranger program is sponsored by the National Park Service, and is a great reinforcing tool to teach kids about the diversity, history and geology of each park. Heading home we stopped at a place that sells petrified wood and other items. I purchased a few pieces of petrified wood, a couple of geodes and a big chunk of obsidian (we are going to make our own arrowheads since we missed the class). Back at the campground, we grilled burgers and ate outside. I drank a few beers while my wife enjoyed a couple glasses of wine. It was the picture perfect ending of a picture perfect Father’s Day.
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