Indian Nations

From Durango we headed through the Indian Nations (four corners area) towards the Grand Canyon.

The Indian Nations is huge, desolate and probably the most inhospitable desert country in the US. This is not a good place to run out of gas, or anything else for that matter. No wonder we sent all the indians to reservations here. I can't think of a better way to cause a whole people to wither away and die. Of course lately the laugh is on the US as oil and especially abundant natural gas was discovered in some parts of the Nations, making the Southern Ute Tribe millionaires. My relatives from Europe liked the four corners area because they don't have anything like it. Well some of the red rock formations and desert landscapes are amazing but if you ask me they can have it. Maybe we can trade for part of Italy or something.

We stopped at the Petrified Forest / Painted Desert National Park. It's worth a stop and an afternoon if you are passing by but I wouldn't make a specific trip here. The most interesting thing is the petrified wood.

As you can see most of the wood was cut into rounds.

And here is another picture showing where they split the rounds into quarters. See all the chips?

However this same wood is now actually stone. It was petrified by mineral carrying water seeping into it, hundreds of millions of years before man existed on this planet. Scientists have accurately dated it.

Proof of life on other planets! Aliens on vacation obviously landed there RV at this location way before we even existed and enjoyed a good campfire.