We made it to Arizona!

Hey kids, Flat Stanley here. Last time I wrote to you we were in Texas riding on the famous Route 66. We have continued to ride this legendary highway and have made our way through New Mexico and half way through Arizona. The riding was beautiful today. White pillow clouds in the blue sky as far as the eye can see. The views are amazing with huge mesas and buttes all around separated by fast flat desert plains.

Here is a picture of us riding on the highway.







We stopped off at the Petrified Forest National Park which is located in the Painted Desert of Arizona. Petrified Forest National Park is known for its fossils, especially of fallen trees that lived in the Late Triassic period of the Mesozoic era, about 225 million years ago. During this period, the region that is now the park was near the equator on the southwestern edge of the supercontinent Pangaea, and its climate was humid and sub-tropical. What later became northeastern Arizona was a low plain flanked by mountains to the south and southeast and a sea to the west. Streams flowing across the plain from the highlands deposited inorganic sediment and organic matter, including trees as well as other plants and animals that had entered or fallen into the water. Although most organic matter decays rapidly or is eaten by other organisms, some is buried so quickly that it remains intact and may become fossilized. (source Wikipedia)

Here is a picture of me in front of the painted desert.







Here is a picture of some of the trees that were petrified.

I bought a piece of petrified wood from the gift shop and have sent it to Makaden as a gift. Makaden, please share this piece of petrified wood with your class so they can see how very old trees can be changed into rocks. This piece of wood is over 225 million years old and was around with the dinosaurs! Enjoy. Tomorrow I am going to visit the Grand Canyon. I can't wait. See you all soon. --Flat Stanley