Disappointments that weren't.

As a kid, I first heard of the Petrified Forest, which was trees turned into stone, and my mind immediately pictured something like this. And then someone showed me pictures of it and it was actually a flat plain with some rocks and I was mightily disappointed and learned not to ever trust geologists again.

As a adult, with a heathy distrust of cartographers and anything called a "driving tour," I approached the Painted Desert/Petrified Forest National Park with trepidation. A national park with no trails? Rocks? Dull.

However, it was pretty impressive. A Martian landscape, with a few small trails that managed to make you feel as thought you were out in the middle of a barren landscape while your car and a/c happily idled a few minutes walk away.