We had some free time and decided to visit Gyeongju's Natural History Museum. This is the view from the tower close by, as soon as we spotted it we knew we had to go there. The kids were hooked and ready as soon as I said, "DINOSAUR!" This was a spur-of-the-moment thing and we didn't really expect too much, but we were pleasantly surprised! With Korea's workload we rarely get many holidays, I mean my winter vacation was so darn short, but we made the most of it by visiting many places and tiring out the kids.
From the outside they had some cool dinosaur statues as well as many petrified trees. I have never seen petrified trees before so that was pretty cool. They are as hard and cool as stone, very cool to touch.
I asked ChatGPT to translate this for us. AI is amazing these days, scary but amazing.
Petrified Wood
At the entrance of the Natural History Museum of the Gyeongju Expo, you can see something that looks like a wooden log but also resembles a unique stone. This is petrified wood.
Petrified wood refers to wood that has turned into stone through the process of fossilization. Normally, when trees die or fall to the ground, they decompose and disappear. However, if they are buried quickly and fossilized, the organic matter in the wood is replaced by minerals, preserving the intricate texture of the wood as stone.
Petrified wood is an important subject of research as it helps us understand the history of the Earth dating back 4.6 billion years.
Amid the wonders of nature, come and experience the mysterious brilliance of petrified wood at the Natural History Museum.
AAAAAND IN WE GO!
Inside we saw a ton of cool fossils. While some of the fish and plant fossils we a tad boring for the kids, they absolutely loved the dinosaurs. For me, the real mammoth tusk was probably the coolest.
This one was quite heartbreaking. Even though no one knows what really happened, the image of what they thought happened to this poor little one is quite sad...
I have never seen petrified wood before so it was quite cool. It feels exactly like stone, and very cold to the touch. The kids didn't care for it at all, but I found it fascinating.
Overall, this was a very cool experience. As always I think I might have enjoyed it more than my kids. Either way, we all had a good time, which is all that matters.
Thanks for reading, catch ya in the next one!
Also, Happy New Year to everyone! I sincerely hope that 2025 will bless you and your family.
Also, Happy New Year to everyone! I sincerely hope that 2025 will bless you and your family.