The Petrified Forest in 60 Minutes or Less

When Shawna, Kelly, Jimmy and I arrived at the Petrified Forest National Park we needed fuel. It was out first stop since lunch, four hours earlier, so we took our time roaming in the gift shops, there were three. Maybe the kitschy gifts and toys brought out the children in us because Jimmy and Kelly had a snow ball fight and I felt compelled to imitate a desert lizard sculpture.

"We need to get going guys," said Shawna. We pilled into the SUV and headed to the gate.

"The park closes at five, so you have 50 minutes." The gatekeeper said.

"How long is the road?" someone asked.

"28 miles" Shawna said, "so we got to be quick."

We had been driving through the desert all day but as soon as we approached the overlook the landscape opened to expose a rippling velvet pink valley and we all gasped. Then we jumped out of the car to take pictures. After snapping picture like paparazzi we sprinted back to the SUV and hurled down the two lane road at 50 miles per hour. We stopped at as many places as we could: Pintado point, Nizhimo point, Newspaper rock, the Tepees, Jasper Forest and finally Crystal Forest.

With each new turn we became more giddy and louder as we screamed, "look at that," and "no, over there."

The vastness and texture of the painted forest proved more profound than photographs could hope to express. Instead of processing the landscape to a point of astute analyzation, the visual stimulation of purple and magenta banded limestone mounds and orange, gold and red crystalized logs came at us with a constant assault.

We rolled out of the park a few minutes after five feeling satisfied and humbled by the painted desert and the petrified forest.