Heading Home - Day 2

Today was a fun-filled day with lots of sightseeing. We all needed a day to somewhat relax and enjoy nature after being cooped up in the car all day yesterday.

Traveling down Interstate 40, we stopped at the Petrified Forest National Park, consisting of 90,000 acres of huge trees that have turned into stone and multi-colored Badlands.

The dinosaurs walked among these trees as they stood above them millions of years ago.
During that time, these trees grew in rain forests as much as 100 miles away and floated down to this area during flash floods via streams that suddenly formed during the heavy rainfall. The logs were covered with volcanic ash and other heavy sediments, sealing the trees from the atmosphere so rapidly that they did not have a chance to decay. Over time, these huge logs turned into stones! As passed time, erosion occurred and the petrified woods were revealed.

Here's Mom and Dad beside this giant fallen trees out in this desert land.

Pictured below is an up close look at a tree that turned into stone. Each piece of the petrified wood was unique because of its various colors.

Mom kept getting out of the car to walk on the trials but Dad was ready to get further down the road, trying not to get off schedule.

More photo opps!

You can tell I am not amused with the Petrified National Forest. If you have seen one dead tree, you have seen them all. And, the desert is not much to look at either - its just barren.

A portion of the historic Route 66 runs through this national park.

Some one's car broke down (years ago) and Dad tried to help them out to no avail.

Then came my favorite part - the Painted Desert!

The pink hues were beautiful against the blue sky (but then again, anything is pretty after looking at the desert for two days straight).

We spent the night in Albuquerque New Mexico, resting up to face another long day on the road.