On Wednesday I shared pictures that Miss Grace took from our trip to the Petrified Forest in Flora, MS, and today I'm sharing some of mine! This is such an unique place, one that you can really use as a multi-spectrum teaching tool, that I really wanted to showcase it!
Located in Flora, off Hwy 49, 15 minutes North West of Jackson, MS, it's about a 20-25 minute from Jackson, depending where you are staying. It is tucked away and seems like you will never see the entrance, and then suddenly, there it is! Opened in 1962, I'm told not much has changed, and having been to numerous parks and attractions dated from that period across the country, I'd say that is true! But the kitsch factor really works for this location, as history is what it is all about!
When you come in there is a camp ground on the left and the shop/entrance to the right. You pay inside, then go out the exit door onto the trail. The trail takes about 25-30 minutes, depending on how fast/slow you go through the trail, It took us about 35 minutes, as we kept stopping to take pictures. As you can see the trail is marked with log timbers and markers. As you can see, this allows for hands on touching of the trees/stones. You are given a guide sheet with info on the markers to read. Miss Grace was fascinated with them and we had to stop and read all of them, as though they were hallowed comments! LOL. The piece from the Sequoia tree is there to illustrate how old the trees are in the forest. Miss Grace could NOT believe that California has such HUGE trees! It was hard for her to fathom that the trees in the MS forest were over 100 feet tall, when alive!
Many of the trees/rocks are still where they landed centuries ago, after floods, rivers and glaciers pushed through and deposited their remains.This is what is truly unique. You can look at the hills and slopes and imagine your great great great grandfather walking through them with HIS father, and knowing they may have seen the same rocks/trees! As we had 6 ancestors that marched through this area enroute to battles in Jackson, Vicksburg and Natchez, it was easy to see the area through their eyes, as there are no modern conveniences other than the markers and rails, out on the trail.
As you can see, the erosion and force of the water has made for some really cool looking rocks, that resemble statues
As you can see Miss Grace had a great time capturing the forest herself. And yes, those would be the binoculars she 'conned' me out of at the Museum of Natural Science the day before ("so I can do some bird watching and look real close at the far away trees").
Miss Grace was fascinated with the 'bench' stone- it has been worn smooth ins ections by so many people sitting in it! Can you imagine how many people have sat on it in almost 50 years the park has been open, much less before hand?
The trees have gown hugging the hillsides and formed many unique forms, their roots branching out in all directions, forming twisted shapes that keep you looking.
The trail is windy in spots, up and down in others, but an easy hike. They do have a handicapped accessible trail that seemed to parallel most of the regular trail, and laid out with a set in walkway.
I call the photo on the right my 'mermaid' shot- the stone/log looks like an alligator or a wave, depending on the angle you are looking at.
The trail winds back down the hill to the shop, and you enter into a small museum first.
The museum has some excellent marine fossils and replicas, including the large shark behind Miss Grace, that she declared downright 'scary!'. But the highlight of the day after all she had seen, was getting to 'pan for jewels'! The store has a fully functioning water flume set up outside the store. You can purchase a bag, small bucket, or large bucket of dirt that has been 'seeded' with rocks and minerals. Miss Grace got the small bucket and ended up with two handfuls of large rocks to add to her collection- she was VERY thrilled with the entire experience (and financially it came out about the same as buying the pieces individually, once you add in the 'experience' factor! For the older folks, there are old 'tractors' and hoes on the hill behind the flumes. The hill also provides a look at how the hillside might have looked during the Civil War.
If you are looking for an experience that keeps on giving, be sure to check out his Petrified Forest!
The gift shop has some gorgeous jewelry and art pieces made from smaller pieces of the petrified wood for sale. You are sure to find a momento or two (or four, at excellent prices) to take home to remember your trip with!
Comments
Post a Comment