A trip to the (petrified) forest

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Val wanted to go outdoors so we drove to Calistoga, which we have visited two years ago. This time, however, instead of going with Anna, we drove there with our son and with Mommy. And instead of doing a vineyard tour (which is what many tourists are doing when in the Napa Valley), we opted to go on a nature trip by visiting the Petrified Forest.

I first came across the concept of petrification in Prof Dimaandal's Science 1 class in high school because we covered geology in that course. I first saw an example of petrified wood in that class but never have I ever thought that I'd see a forest of petrified trees... until we visited. Val was fascinated by the petrified forest as well because he has only read about it in school; this was the first time he saw a petrified forest.

From what I've read about the Petrified Forest in the signages peppering the trail (yes, Mommy went hiking!),  I learned that this forest was created over 3,000,000 years ago after Mt St Helena erupted and knocked down the redwoods that used to live in the area. The eruption also deposited mineral-rich ash on the prehistoric forest, eventually seeping into the organic matter and fossilising the fallen trees.

I was surprised that the family who owns the Petrified Forest has given nicknames to several trees in the vicinity. One was named after Robert Louis Stevenson (who wrote Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr Jeckyll and My Hyde). A 2,000-year-old tree is referred to as The Queen and one of the biggest trees is aptly called The Giant.

Obviously, our son is still too young to appreciate the geological history of the Petrified Forest. However, he enjoyed being out in nature (I was carrying him in a harness) and seeing live trees, petrified trees, and birds. 

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