We crossed the Continental Divide and gasped at the beauty of Arizona. Nature really got it right. The Petrified Forest and Painted Dessert were mind blowing.
We were so glad we detoured onto the 27-mile drive for this National Treasure. In addition to the beautiful desert scenery the National Park also contains a rich collection of archaeological remains from centuries of human occupation. Chief among these are the remarkable petroglyphs—figures carved into the dark "desert varnish" which covers the sandstone.
Detail of some of the petroglyphs can be seen in the picture on the left. Most striking is the large wading bird--an avocet, perhaps--pictured just to the left of center. It isn't known whether the artist depicted a frog, or a person, in the bird's mouth. These ancient drawings date from the 1100's and are some of best examples of petroglyphs found in the southwestern United States. They were probably carved by the Anasazi Indians. We found ourselves, once again, in awe of those who pioneered this land so long ago.
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