May 4th - Petrified Forest to Albuquerque

The gates to the park opened at 8 am and we were the second vehicle through. Very sparse traffic. Learned how the petrified stumps are formed.

• The process of petrification happens underground, when wood is buried by sediment and deprived of oxygen, thereby preserving it. Then, water containing minerals flows through the sediment, depositing minerals in the cells. As the cells the decay, the remaining minerals form a mold made of stone.

                - deeproot.com
The stumps were everywhere, with way cool colors in the rings.

But the coolest part of the park is the ruins and petroglyphs left behind by native peoples who lived there for 13,000 years. The ruins of Puerco Pueblo (named after the adjacent river) are a square, 100-unit complex of small apartments around a large central plaza. Underground sweat rooms dotted the plaza.

Among the petroglyphs, archaeologists discovered a slit cut through rocks that, when aligned with the sun at the summer solstice, illuminates a spiral mark on the underlying rock. The natives studied the heavens - which is appropriate in a spot that has been designated as one of the top "dark sky" locations in the US.

Back on the road, we wasted an hour and a half finding a place refuel and eat in Gallup, NM, then discovered a rare, green lawn dog park in Grants, NM. The dogs loved playing fetch on the soft, cool surface for about 40 minutes. Tonic for their souls!

We camped at Kirtland Air Force Base, which is open to retired vets, with full hook-ups. Happy to report that the air conditioner works as well as the furnace in the trailer! It cooled down quickly overnight, though, so we didn't need it long.