The Painted Desert

The Painted Desert is an area of badlands stretching across northeastern Arizona. It’s know for its bright bands of color, mainly red, orange, purple and grey. Its layers come from sedimentary deposits over millions of years.

Petrified National Park is right off of I-40 (exit 311). When you take the exit, you are at the North/Painted Desert entrance. The Painted Desert Inn was originally built in the 1920 as an oasis of sorts for travelers. The clay shifted and the original structure began to show cracks. It was subsequently sold to the National Park Service. It was restored by the Civilian Conservation Corps and reopened in 1940 supplying travelers along Route 66. It continues to show cracks as the ground underneath shifts. It has also been modernized and is serving as a temporary visitor center while the normal visitor center is being renovated.

The Inn remains a charming place to stop while in the park. In the summer, you can even get ice cream in the parlor.

Check back tomorrow to see what petrified wood is.