Arizona "Grand Canyon State," reads a poster at the Hoover Dam. But the Grand Canyon, as it turned out, not only his wealth! And even from Interstate 40 (which collects pieces of the legendary Route 66) did not have to go far to make this little discovery of large natural wonder!
If you look at the map, you can see that in the West, Arizona Interstate 40 divides into two unequal parts by a small national park with the cryptic title of "the petrified forest" (Petrified Forest), that is, the petrified forest. South part of it more North and is a bit of a trap. We decided to roll up from the town of Holbrook and cross the Park from South to North.
Turned already before dawn, but even in the dark I could see that the neighborhood is simply desert. Breaking the approximately 35 km, we have come to a locked Park Gate (it turned out that the whole territory is enclosed by a wire fence, and he works until 7 pm), on one side a well-lit banner reported that here under sideways gift shop is absolutely free kempgraund.
When we opened our eyes, gates had already been opened. In the light of day very little added to the landscape, which we saw last night, … heightening kempgraund logs. They were stone! Stone trees! It looks absolutely identical alive.
Petrified Forest National Park, which runs the annual pass (it can be purchased in any national park for 80 dollars a year, and it applies to all passengers 5 seater car or two motorcycles, including the one on whom the pass is decorated).
Ranger in the box checkpoint asked whether we are taking in the car any stones-it was fun, but I had to lie, because we are everywhere we select some stones, they dangle all over the car and it would be difficult to find them under the rubble, to show that this simple cobblestones:) We wont handed card, wished to have fun and start time slowly otpolzat′ away. On the first point-the Museum "Rainbow wood", from which depart small walking routes, we suddenly begin to understand where to hit.
The fact of the matter is that desert, which has 10 minutes ago seemed faceless, 250 million years ago (is it possible to make such a time span?) was plain intersected by streams and rivers. It was inhabited by a variety of plants and animals. While powerful spills, large and small trees fall into the water, in various places formed aggregations of logs, which gradually covered by silt, clay, sand, and volcanic ash. In this condition the wood rots, almost no silicates, dissolved in water (volcano was nearby), gradually "pickled" logs and over time, organic fabric zamestilis′ silica.
So wood kamenela, while retaining its original shape. Millions of years have lain already petrified trees in the depths of the Earth, time, pressure and chemical composition turned them slowly in semi-precious stones. And only after the tectonic plates have occupied their current situation, these logs were very close to the surface. Gradually, hard woods that hide their destroyed and turned into softer, which in turn (right now!) destroy the wind and water. Trees are again on the surface. Most of them are cracked, but some have been preserved almost entirely (that is, sometimes there are all fragments of barrels).
Here were found many remains of dinosaurs, the truth is lived after the meteorite. And same here, still later people lived. Since "BC" to 14-th century. From them are cave paintings, petroglyphs and destroyed almost to the base of the city walls.
Incredibly rich place! All information about him is very accessible (with examples) appears in the Museum, it is also some of the bones found in the Petrified Forest. The most valuable are replaced with exact replicas of the originals, and moved to California.
After studying the prehistory (HO-HO … pre-at 250 million years!) We went from a cool small museum building and we just caught unawares. A very unusual feeling. Sense of time. Absolute on the kind of tree that is actually already an agate-stone (you can touch him)-can something pereŝelknut′ in the brain and include an unknown side of imagination. You suddenly can feel either does not fit, and in time. You trogaeš′ form, and if the stone is heated by the Sun, you can close your eyes and feel under a Palm regular bark, knots … just simply tree. And millions of millions of years ago and it was … and you as if time itself trogaeš′!
How thrilling! Especially for those who like dinosaurs or even once dreamt be among them).
We wandered under the scorching sun for the first time almost silently. Then the first wave of impressions and then scurried away, steel all around here. Since the opening of this place in modern times, the Park has undergone a variety of adventures. He has been a private tourist attraction, it was partially razvorovan and destroyed. Huge stone trunks blasted to remove it from the core of crystals 66 was built through it. In the end, the residents of the district about the situation of its treasures and made from Government appropriation of desert places of the National Park. From that moment on, the exhibits became a crime. Even nowadays, people return back chunks of petrified trees which made hence their grandparents. Nevertheless, tempting to rest at least maaalen′kij piece is very large-no control we never felt. Oddly enough, the temptation we overcame and went out of the park with the same stones that and had-without refill:)
Petrified trees are found worldwide, but this place is unique as the times not only on a small piece of such a huge number of trees, but also the color diversity! The reason for this volcano that breathed here at the same time as the trees, that is millions of years ago. Each time, izvergaâs′, he covered the neighborhood ash layers of different colors. Part of the Park and even called "the painted desert" ("painted desert"), pressed layers of sediment become bare now, low hills look fun-horizontal colorful striped:)
But not only the hills here, "pèinted", "she" absolutely everything here and thanks to the same volcanic minerals. This is the core of stone and trees, and flowers, and even lizards, which eventually "perekrasilis′" under the environment:)
Interesting were the traces of a different time who lived in these places people. The ruins of the ancient city is an amateur, stones piled in a rectangular path often look the same (although the very fact that the Pueblo Indians lived not tippy and not in earthen huts, like some of the other tribes, and built something similar to a youth hostel, in which each Member of the tribe had its own "apartment" is already interesting). And here are the pictures … This is something special! North America is rich in petroglyphs. It is now almost impossible to find out their true purpose, the descendants of the creators simply destroyed the Europeans. In the Petrified Forest has many such drawings. The trick only that come close to him is impossible. Belvederes are at disposal and telescopes come with solid pipes. It is a pity! But still I wonder:)
This National Park surprised us with another of its feature. There are no kempgraundov (even the toilets are almost absent, and those are open only in summer season), but you can stay overnight and spend the night in the wild, only notice to the Rangers on one of the points where they sit. You might do this to watch or listen to the coyotes, for example:) The truth is, time to warn you need at least two hours before the closing of the Park. We are not yet, and continued their journey to the East under the strong impression and with easy fatigue.
