The Four Corners Area - American Southwest - page 108

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Just inside the northern entrance to the park is the Painted Desert Visitor Center
( & 928/524-6228 ), open daily 8am to 5pm (7am-7pm in summer), where you can
watch a short film that explains the process by which wood becomes fossilized. Adjacent
to the visitor center are a cafeteria, a bookshop, and a gas station.

OTHER REASONS TO LINGER IN HOLBROOK
Although the Petrified Forest National Park is the main reason for visiting this area, you
might want to stop by downtown Holbrook's Old West Museum, 100 E. Arizona St.
( & 928/524-6558 ), which also houses the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce visitor
center. This old and dusty museum has exhibits on local history but is most interesting
for its old jail cells. It's open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm and Saturday and
Sunday from 8am to 4pm; admission is free. On weekday evenings between June and
July, the Holbrook Chamber sponsors Native American dances on the lawn in front.
Although it is against the law to collect petrified wood inside Petrified Forest National
Park, there are several rock shops in Holbrook where you can buy legally collected pieces
of petrified wood in all shapes and sizes. You'll find them lined up along the main street
through town and out on U.S. 180, the highway leading to the south entrance of Petri-
fied Forest National Park. The biggest and best of these rock shops is Jim Gray's Petri-
fied Wood Co., 147 Hwy. 180 ( & 928/524-1842; www.petrifiedwoodco.com), which
has everything from raw rocks to $24,000 petrified-wood coffee tables. This store also
has a fascinating display of minerals and fossils. It's open daily from 7:30am to 7pm
(longer hours in summer) and is well worth a stop.
If you're interested in petroglyphs, you may want to schedule a visit to the Rock Art
Ranch ( & 928/288-3260 or 928/386-5047), southwest of Holbrook, on part of the
old Hashknife Ranch, which was the largest ranch in the country during the late 19th
century. Within the bounds of this ranch, pecked into the rock walls of Chevelon Can-
yon, are hundreds of Ancestral Puebloan petroglyphs. The setting, a narrow canyon that
is almost invisible until you are right beside it, is enchanting, making this the finest place
in the state to view petroglyphs. Tours (reservations required) are available Monday
through Saturday at 9 and 11am (call to get rate information and directions to the
ranch).
WHERE TO STAY & DINE
Holbrook, the town nearest to Petrified Forest National Park, offers lots of budget chain
motels charging very reasonable rates.
While there are plenty of inexpensive restaurants in Holbrook, none is particularly
memorable or recommendable. Your best bet is to drive over to Winslow to the Turquoise
Room at La Posada hotel.
Wigwam Motel Finds If you're willing to sleep on a saggy mattress for the sake of
reliving a bit of Route 66 history, don't miss this collection of concrete wigwams (tepees,
actually). This unique motel was built in the 1940s, when unusual architecture was
springing up all along famous Route 66. The motel has been owned by the same family
since it was built and still has the original rustic furniture. Old cars are kept in the park-
ing lot for an added dose of Route 66 character.
811 W. Hopi Dr., Holbrook, AZ 86025. & 928/524-3048. Fax [phone]. www.galerie-kokopelli.com/
wigwam. 15 units. $52-$58 double. MC, V. Pets accepted. In room: A/C, TV.

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