Believe It or Not
Would you believe that a tree can turn into a stone? What is this? A myth? A fantasy? Or a lie? Maybe you have read books that tell stories of people turned to stones. I have read from the Holy Bible about Lot's wife who was turned into a pillar of salt. Now, can a tree really turn into a stone?
While traveling from east to west in the US along the Interstate freeway 40, I chanced upon an ad about petrified woods. Petrify means to change something into a stony mass. With the existence of the word "petrify" alone made me think probably there could be some truth in this phenomenon - yet a shadow of doubt still existed in my mind.
Finally, I happened to find a pamphlet about the Petrified Forest National Park! Wow! It is not just a single tree but even a forest! Since I don't travel this route often, I took the chance to examine the place myself.
The Petrified Forest National Park is situated in the northeastern region of Arizona. The park covers thousands of acres of land. Thus visiting the area on foot is impractical. To visit the place as you travel I-40, take Exit #311.
It features a beautiful scenery with hills that look like they were painted. There are hill formations that resemble a tepee. There are areas where you can find tree stumps and logs that have been cut into pieces. On a closer look, these are the petrified woods! These dead trees have become highly mineralized that they have become stony hard. A petrified wood may have beautiful colorful features that you may find within the structure.
Unfortunately, no forested lands with free standing petrified trees can be found in these places, nor can you even find a single free standing petrified tree! But some experts claim that these areas used to be forested years and years ago.
As a warning, taking a petrified wood or a fossil out of the park for souvenir is not allowed. However, just before leaving the park, a souvenir store is present where visitors can purchase their own souvenirs. A piece of petrified wood can cost from $5 and even more.
The park also features some places where its early inhabitants have lived. Early writings of these people can also be found along the big rocks in the area.
Well, there's the evidence. Check out the place yourself and see if a petrified wood do really exist.
About the Author
VMT Singuillo is a freelance writer and has written articles for www.grandfatherclock.biz, www.yourcheaphotels.com, www.an-airline-ticket.com, www.cheaphotelsforyou.com and more.