The late Triassic Period was the “dawn of the dinosaurs.” That was about 237 million years to 201.3 million years ago, give or take a few hundred thousand years….. Petrified Forest National Park is one of the best places in the world to see this fossil record. It’s a land where giant dinosaurs roamed and giant forests toppled.
Not far from Winslow, Arizona off the I-40 corridor, this Petrified Forest tells the stories of ancient ecosystems. Fossils provide evidence of animals and plants that lived millions of years ago. Petrified wood found in the park and surrounding region is the fossilized remains of an immense ancient forest.
The petrified wood here consists of almost solid quartz – a giant sparkling crystal with a rainbow of colors produced by impurities in the quartz from iron, carbon and manganese.
Besides petrified wood, there’s more to Winslow than just standing on a street corner! The historic La Posada Hotel is located on the Amtrak Railroad Line at the intersection of Route 66 (now called 2nd Street) and Arizona Hwy 87. It hosts the best restaurant for hundreds of miles – the fabulous Turquoise Room.
Here’s a short preview of what you’ll find if you venture down the I-40 corridor to Winslow…