My family and I swept across the plains on Route 66, now called I-40, from Albuquerque to the famous corner in Winslow, Arizona. We wanted to make a beeline for the Grand Canyon. On an impulse, because we needed a rest after leaving Gallup, New Mexico, we stopped at the Petrified Forest.

What we found was a paradise of color and history that is singularly unique in travel experiences. The words from Ithaca by Constantine Cavafy written about a destination half a world away from the Petrified Forest , reminds me of my time spent in this desolate area of America 's southwest. "Always keep Ithaca in your mind. To arrive there is your ultimate goal. But do not hurry the voyage at all."

The landscape was resplendent with facets of color emanating from every quarter as we descended at the Blue Mesa area to the dried riverbed below.  A herd of Pronghorn Antelope purposefully paralleled the austere watercourse in search of a few tufts of desert grass. The stratified soil formations formed a fabulous display of pink, white, and lavender carved by the methodical process of erosion over thousands of years.   To hurry from this Triassic landscape would surely have transgressed some immortal code.

Having survived the sieges of eons, the arrival of the railroads almost doomed these prehistoric Elysian Fields. The first tourists loaded train cars with the precious agate, amethyst crystals, and quartz material from the petrified timber. They hauled them away,  some to be crushed and used for emery sandpaper.   Even an early explorer and artist sent to survey a railroad route couldn't help but take a few specimens with him. Baldwin Mollhausen stated in 1853, "Trees of all sizes lay irregularly scattered about—great heaps of petrifications gleaming with such splendid colours that we could not resist the temptation." The temptation, of course, was to break off a few pieces and cart them away.  Today, collecting within park boundaries is forbidden, but shops do sell samples collected from private property outside of the park.

Very intriguing to most tourists is the fact that the petrified trees dating to more than 200 million years ago did not actually grow in this area.   During the Triassic Period the park was a flat, marshy swampland. According to Park Ranger Marcel Johnston, a river system draining from volcanic mountains that would become the Mogollons washed the giant trees down from the heights during tremendous floods and buried them under 300 feet of sediment rich in silica and ash called the Chinle formation. Deprived of oxygen, the trees did not rot and slowly began to petrify.

The first visitors to the park were ice age hunters following Pleistocene game, especially the herds of bison and mastodon.   The weapon of choice for these primitive hunters was the fluted Clovis or Folsom point. Although Paleo kill sites have not been discovered in the park, fluted points made of petrified wood have been found in adjacent areas. Puerco Pueblo and the Agate House, two tremendous archeological sites located within park boundaries are open to the public.  They give a glimpse into the lives of the early residents of the park.   These people farmed the land, planted beans, corn, and squash, lived in multi-storied houses, and made baskets.

A large central plaza provided a protected play area for children and a work place for the women to grind corn with manos and metates in the cool desert evenings. Pottery items can be viewed at the Painted Desert Inn upon entering the park from the East, but most of the pottery is considered to be trade items made by other tribes. Archeologists believe Puerco Pueblo had more than 100 rooms at its peak occupation period.  The search for Quivira led Coronado to the forest in 1541; he found the land deserted.  The people probably left due to changing climate with resulting drought.  The nearby Hopi or Zuni's would have absorbed the Puerco people.

 Some of the most numerous and best-preserved petroglyphs in America are found in the Petrified Forest.  In the area known as Newspaper Rock, they are mostly geometric designs, with spirals and circles being the most prominent design.  Over 600 are located at this site but many more are located throughout the park. The petroglyphs, thought to be based upon lunar cycles, may also commemorate important events, clan marks, and territorial boundaries.  Be sure to bring binoculars since direct access to the petroglyphs is forbidden due to unstable terrain.  Use a telephoto lens and try to take your best pictures in early morning or evening light to limit harsh shadows.

Cavafy continued by saying, "Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.   Without her you would never have set out on the road.   She has nothing more to give you."  Unlike the beautiful Ithaca from Cavafy's memory whose favored place had given all, the Petrified Forest continues to reveal more hidden secrets with each rain.  While getting your kicks on Route 66, don't overlook the Petrified Forest, the history and beauty will leave the guest with a feeling of having participated in a "beautiful voyage."

First photo by Photo by Galen R Frysinger http://www.galenfrysinger.com .

All others by Clayton Esterson http://www.pbase.com/qleap .   

Happy Traveling!

If you have questions e-mail me at:

Walter@photoandtravel.com