Went from New Mexico to Arizona.
We then went to see the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. It is amazing to see. The Painted Desert is naturally colorful.
The distinct white layers are sandstone. The caps of the Tepees (the hill looking objects) are made of clay. The dark layers are caused by high carbon content. Darker reds are iron-stained siltstone. Reddish bases are stained by iron oxide, which is also called hematite.
We also saw the crystal forest, which are petrified logs that have glassy amethyst and quartz crystals in them.
DD surprised me and bought me a piece of petrified wood from a store there. It is still wrapped up and I will see it when I get home. I bought a pretty necklace of polished petrified wood for my pretty girlfriend Jennifer. I hope she likes it.
We then went to see the Meteor Crater.
It is huge. But it is deceptive because it does not look like it until you see how big things are and then can see how big is really is. There is a 6 foot cutout of an astronaut at the bottom of the crater and you can barely see it. There is a rock about the size of a house
and it looks small since it is so far way.
We then drove straight to California
and then to my hometown.