Another special National Park!

The Painted Desert & Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

(Sightseeing)

April 28, 2017 - May 1, 2017

From Globe we drove to Show Low, AZ where we spent the night at a lovely state campground - getting the last site that was long enough for our motorhome and car.  We spent the night there then headed to Holbrook, AZ which put us in good position to visit the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park. We drove over the next day to see the sights.

Part of the Painted Desert which derives its name from the multitude of colors ranging
from shades of lavender to shades of gray to shades of red, orange and pink. It consists
mostly of  barren badland hills and buttes but the colors make it a very beautiful place.

More Painted Desert

The Painted Desert Inn, built in 1920.  Originally it was built of blocks of petrified wood.
During the depression in the 30's the CCC added the adobe facade.

Interior shots of the Painted Desert Inn.

Check out the ceiling!

Isn't this right out of the 30's.

Sorry this is so blurry.  Just to give you an idea of the prices:
Plain Ice Cream: 15 cents
Chocolate sauce: 20 cents
Lemonade, Ginger Ale, Club Soda, Lime Ade, Coca Cola, Root Beer: 15 cents

The inn, of course, looks out over the painted desert.  In it's day it must have been quite the place to stay.

The Petrified Forest NP has many fine examples of pictographs.

There are lots of badlands in the Petrified Forest NP.
This is probably also considered painted desert but the colors are very muted.

When this petrified tree fell it bridged a ravine where it has lain ever since.
The CCC added the concrete support in the 30's in order to preserve the bridge.

All those tiny looking dark rocks in the valley below are chunks of  petrified wood.

Some petrified wood chunks up close.

An especially colorful piece of petrified wood.  The colors come from different minerals.

Another colorful piece.

The center of this tree was rotten when the tree fell.

Examples of long lengths of trees are relatively rare.
As you can see this tree has broken into pieces due to weathering.

Another long length of tree from it's base.

There are numerous shops around Holbrook where you can buy Petrified Wood.
This is one of the larger ones.

Examples of using petrified wood in your garden.

Examples of pieces large and small.

This petrified wood was next to the office in our campground.