The Petrified Forest & Painted Desert - Apache & Navajo Co., Arizona

DATE:  July 6, 2015

HISTORICAL SITE:  Petrified Forest National Park

LOCATION:  Apache & Navajo Co., Arizona

MARKER #:  75000217 & 76000185 & 87001421 & 05000284

DEDICATED:  October 10, 1975 & July 12, 1976 & May 28, 1987 & April 15, 2005

"This property has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior   1976   Newspaper Rock Petroglyphs Archaeological District"

"Painted Desert Inn has been designated a National Historic Landmark   This site possesses National significance in commemorating the history of the United States of America   1987   National Park Service   United States Department of the Interior"

"This property has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior   2005   Painted Desert Community Complex Historic District"

MARKER PLACED BY:  National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS: 

I was surprised to find out that although Dirk was born and raised in Arizona, he has never visited the Petrified Forest or Painted Desert. I remember my parents taking us as little girls and for some reason that has stuck with me and is the driving force behind my desire to see this area again.

While not as breathtaking as the Grand Canyon, you can see similarities and this place can still stop you in your tracks with its beauty.

At one point, Dirk and I were just standing and looking. We'd said all the oooh's and ahhh's and were quiet. I looked over at Dirk and he had this look on his face I have seen before and am in awe of. I'm not sure how to describe it other than to say it is joy and the quietness of a soul...if that makes sense. He then looked at me and said "God did good".

While it's officially the Petrified Forest National Park, the northern end extends into the Painted Desert and is known for fossilized trees from the late Triassic period, about 225 million years ago.

In the late 1800's, concern grew over the number of tourists visiting and removing artifacts. Arizona asked the U.S. government to create a Petrified Forest National Park.

Like the Grand Canyon, the journey to national park wasn't easy and like the Grand Canyon, Roosevelt had to use the Antiquities Act of 1906 to create the Petrified Forest National Monument in 1932 and finally it became a National Park in 1962. Several successive presidents have signed legislation to acquire additional land where the size is currently 218,533 acres.

As part of the super continent of Pangaea, this area was near the equator and had a sub-tropical climate.

Paleontologists have been working in the park since the early 20th century, finding Triassic plants, but also giant crocodile like reptiles called phytosaurs, large salamander like amphibians called Buettneria and early dinosaurs.

It is the same sediments that buried the tree's so they could fossilize, that has caused the Painted Desert is be so colorful and that sediment is estimated to be up to 800 feet deep.

There have been nine species of fossil trees identified here...all extinct. Driving through the park, you can see remnants of the tree's all over the place, some denser than others.

The sediment is also easily weathered giving the landscape its cliffs, gullies and rounded hills.

The earliest humans arrived at least 8,000 years ago. Mostly nomadic until about 2,000 years ago when humans built pueblos and were growing corn here.

As the climate changed, people moved out but more than 600 sites have been found to be archaeologically significant, including the petroglyphs site called Newspaper Rock.

The Hopi nation call it "Tutuveni" and the petroglyphs show the history of the Hopi Indian tribe carved into stone. The area contains about 5,000 petroglyphs estimated to be between 650 and 2,000 years old.

In 2008, Newspaper Rock was included on the Worlds Monument Watch List of endangered cultural sites. Sadly, along with the ancient petroglyphs is the graffiti of today. $100,000.00 later, the site is surrounded by a chain link fence and monitored by hidden cameras.

 
Until the 16th century, the only inhabitants were indigenous people. Then the Spaniards discovered this area while exploring Mexico and the southwest.

The first U.S. survey was in 1853, made by American explorers looking for good east to west routes. Soon a wagon trail was "built"...is that the right word? What do you call it..."carved" a wagon trail?

Homesteaders settled in the area and their cattle grazed within the borders of the park until the mid-20th century. Next came the railroad and finally, constant car traffic on Route 66 and now Interstate 40.

There are 3 sites designated as historical, the main complex, the petroglyphs and finally...the Painted Desert Inn.

Back in the 1920's, Herbert Lore built a tourist shop, lunch counter and trading post on the Kachina rim. In 1932, the U.S. government proclaimed the Painted Desert a national monument. Lore negotiated $59,400.00 out of the U.S. government for his land and building. $60k in 1932? Not bad at all.

The original inn was built using the petrified wood from the park and was called Stone Tree House. Using the parks natural resources was a bit frowned upon so they rebuilt the inn; that being completed by the Conservation Corps in 1937.

Ok, this is strange to me but they didn't want to use the parks resources that were ALREADY being used so they tear it down and use other natural resources. Maybe less scarce but I bet that petrified wood was going to last forever.

Hopi artist Fred Kabotie was hired to paint scenes of everyday Hopi life and ceremonies on the walls of the Inn. 

There was a bit more remodeling right after the war and it was used as a railway hotel from 1947 to 1963 and finally destruction was discussed in the mid-70's.

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and after major renovations, the inn reopened in 2006 as a museum. You walk through the building and can appreciate the craftsmanship and the painting, but then you look up and there is a beautiful stained glass ceiling.

I'm really glad we got the opportunity to see one of the U.S.'s beautiful National Park.

The Spectacular Grand Canyon - Tusayan, Arizona

DATE VISITED:  04/27/2015

NATIONAL LANDMARK & HISTORICAL SITE:  Grand Canyon

LOCATION:  Tusayan, Coconino Co., Arizona

DEDICATED:  February 26, 1919

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:  

What can you say about the Grand Canyon that hasn’t already been said? 

Pre 1500’s… it was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years. Currently the Native Tribes of the Havasupai, Hualapai, Navajo, and Hopi all maintain ownership of parts of the park. By the way, the Hopi are considered one of the oldest living cultures in documented history.

1500’s…discovered by Europeans, Spaniards.  

1882, 1883 & 1886…Senator Benjamin Harris introduced legislation to make the Grand Canyon a National Park. All were defeated.

1893…President Harris declared it protected as a forest reserve.

1903…President Teddy Roosevelt visited. His quote is below.

1906…President Roosevelt upgraded the park to a game reserve which allowed for the protection of wildlife.

1908…President Roosevelt made the park a National Monument.

1910 & 1911…Legislation was introduced to make the Grand Canyon a National Park. Again, like the attempts in the late 1800’s, both were defeated.

1919…President Woodrow Wilson signed into law legislation that made the Grand Canyon a National Park on February 26, 1919.

 1966 to approx. 2009…Development was halted because of an ownership dispute between the Hopi and Navajo Nations.

1979…The Grand Canyon National Park was declared a World Heritage Site.

I was surprised to read of the difficulties in getting the site declared a National Park given the fact that attendance was already in the thousands at a time when it wasn’t easy getting there. The number of visitors in 1919 is estimated to have been almost 38,000. 

But these are just facts, not what you feel when you gaze at the expanse and you realize you are holding your breath.

John Wesley Powell said…"The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself. The resources of the graphic art are taxed beyond their powers in attempting to portray its features. Language and illustration combined must fail."

Teddy Roosevelt said…"The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison—beyond description; absolutely unparalleled through-out the wide world... Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimity and loveliness. You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see."

John McCain said…"I believe in evolution. But I also believe, when I hike the Grand Canyon and see it at sunset that the hand of God is there also."

It is true, you must see it to understand.

As little girls we traveled back and forth across the United States visiting my Dad’s family in North Carolina. My dad only had so much vacation every year and he wasn’t going to spend any more of it travelling than he had to. It often felt like a race from one coast to the other and that certainly doesn’t leave any time for sightseeing.

When I envisioned this trip, the one thing that I knew I would do no matter how far off my route I had to go or how much time it took. I HAD to see the Grand Canyon. Everything else on the trip was negotiable except this.

 

Dana and I arrived at the park early and got our first surprise before we even stopped the car. There were a couple of elk sitting next to the road. We hurriedly parked and went to see. A guy standing there told us they were young elk, not very big, but they sure seemed big to Dana and I.

We spent a little time going through the visitor’s center and I asked one of the rangers what he felt we should concentrate on if we had a good half a day and are not anything close to hikers. He suggested the free bus up the south rim to Hermit’s Rest overlook, so that was the direction we took.

Our first stop was at Bright Angel Trailhead. You get off the bus and have to climb up to the overlook. Until this moment, the only thing we had seen were pictures of the canyon.

It’s interesting…you really never get a “glimpse”…all of a sudden, there it is, right in front of you and it takes your breath away.

 

I have to say, I heard no chattering from anyone during the first couple of stops. We are all awe struck into reverential silence.

Every stop had different views of the canyon and I heard several people say that you need to visit at different times of the day as the sun on the canyon walls change as the day goes on.

 

I’ll bet sunrise at the Canyon is amazing and Dana and I briefly talked about it but, early the next morning, we were quite comfortable in our soft beds back at the hotel. Ok, I was curious enough to Google some images of sunrise and it does look spectacular.

At Powell Point overlook, there is a monument to John Wesley Powell, the first to lead an exploration of the canyon. I couldn’t believe it, people were going past the railing and standing at the edge.

The landmark reads…

“1869…John C Sumner / Walter H Powell / GY Bradley / William R Hawkins / Andrew Hall

1872…AH Thompson / FS Dellenbaugh / John K Hillers / Stephen V Jones / W Clement Powell / Andrew J Hatten

Erected by the Congress of the United States to Major John Wesley Powell, first explorer of the Grand Canyon who descended the river with his party in row boats traversing the Gorge beneath this point August 17, 1869 and again September 1, 1872.”

 Don’t get me wrong…I’m really not afraid of heights, but I am afraid of the “splat” if you fall. But several people assured me that it was an overhang and the next area was maybe 6 feet down, so I sent Dana out on the ledge to get a picture.

If there is one thing we should have prepared for, visitors are warned that bathrooms, food and drinking water are scarce. We were both pretty thirsty by the time we got to Hermit’s Rest and yippee…they had Dr. Pepper.

The monument at Hermit’s Rest reads…

“Hermit’s Rest has been designated a National Historic Landmark. This site possesses national significance in commemorating the history of the United States of America. 1987. National Park Service. United States Department of the Interior”

It’s amazing to think how many people visit the Grand Canyon every year. In 1919, almost 38,000 people visited and it has grown every year since. 2014 saw 4.8 million visitors and we were just 2 more this year.

I did a review on TripAdvisor and just want to include how I closed my review…

“Whoever or whatever is responsible for this…thank you for allowing me to take a peek at your handiwork”.

Life is good