Petrified Forest National Park

After we driving days in the Arizona desert without a single tree in sign, a 'Forest' sounds appealing place to visit. However, the only trees we saw after driving hundreds miles from Natural Bridges National Park were trees from hundreds million years ago. There are not trees to be still standing in thick rocky groves, instead the stone log fragments all lying flat in sections as they are. However, the petrified logs are extremely beautiful with most unexpectedly bright colors.

 
Petrified wood was formed 225 million years ago during the Triassic period and is 4 times as hard as granite and very colorful, due to the effect of impurities such as iron, manganese, copper and lithium present in the wood during the fossilizing process. The area was once part of a large forest. The preservation process began during occasional flooding, when some of the trees were buried by a great depth of water and sediment quickly enough to prevent aerobic decay. Over a long period, water containing dissolved minerals seeped into the wood and replaced the organic cells with stone. Much later, the whole
area was uplifted and eroded to give the landscape seen today.

Mexican Hat

We found this Mexican Hat on our way to Natural Bridges, and I do not think you can find it any where in the map.

Horse Shoe Bend

It located few mile south of Lake Powell Dam. You have to walk 2 mile on the desert to get there. We saw few snakes on our way.

Death Valley