Family Travel and Autism

The loneliness of the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest was almost tangible.  There were few people around and very little life of any kind.  I could imagine how difficult life was for those people 1,000 years ago.

My son was even feeling the remoteness.  "Where is the water?"  "How do they go to the bathroom?"  Good questions I thought.

Newspaper rock was an incredible site.  A large set of rocks with petroglyphs.  Apparently groups of people left messages for each other.  A part of the rock was even used to mark the seasons.  When the sun hit a certain petroglph at a certain time of the year that meant it was the beginning of summer soltice.  An amazing use of marking time.  For a moment I felt connected to the people of the past and the inherent need to keep time.  This large rock marked with odd figures was their way of keeping touch with each other.  A meeting place is a barren land.  I wondered, why here?

As we drove out of the petrified forest, my son yet again became a junior forest ranger. 

There were very few petrified rocks in the park.  Large signs with serious warnings of steep fines were posted everywhere.  Of course, just outside the entrance was a gift shop with acres of piles of petrified rock.

Somehow, it just didn't feel the same.