Sunday drive

Rob and I were a bit tired after two days of hiking so we decided that Sunday would be a good day to drive and explore the region.

We'd had Winslow, AZ on our list of places to visit so we got the girls ready and headed east along I40.

As we were driving along the interstate, I noticed a sign for Meteor Crater Road.  I think Rob and I both immediately thought that Meteor Crater sounded like a necessary side trip.

Meteor Crater is, according to the experts, the best preserved and first proven meteorite impact site on the planet.  The impact site was created approximately 50,000 years ago when a meteor ended its 500 million year long race through space on a rendezvous course with Earth.  It is believed that the meteor hit the earth with an explosive force greater than 20 million tons of TNT.  Numbers like this boggle my mind.  I wonder how many jellybeans they could put in the hole?

The Crater is in Northern Arizona, east of Flagstaff and is nearly a mile across and more than 550 feet deep.  The site so closely resembles the terrain of the moon that NASA made it an official training site for the Apollo astronauts.

The Meteor Crater site is impressive.  It can be viewed as just a big hole in the ground but the thought of something moving through space and impacting this planet at a speed of 26,000 mph is awe inspiring.

It is only seven miles off the Interstate and is worth the trip.  It is a bit pricey at $18 per adult and $9 for children.  Adults can get 1/2 off with military ID.  This gets you several viewpoints from the rim, a museum, a gift shop and a place to get a bite to eat.  We did not tarry long because dogs are not allowed.  We took turns having a look.

With our crater site visit complete, we continued to Winslow.

There is a bit more to Winslow, AZ than the famous line from the Eagles hit "Take It Easy."  If visitors choose the drive through approach, they can easily miss the history of the small town.

Winslow was founded in 1882 as a railroad city.  The city was named after a prominent railroader of the last century, General Edward F. Winslow.  The location was chosen because of the surest supply of water needed for the steam engines of the time and it was the easiest location to cross the Little Colorado River.

STANDING ON THE CORNER AND A FEW SITES ALONG THE RAILROAD

 There is also a hotel in Winslow called the La Posada and it is often referred to as the last great trackside hotel in the country.  Constructed in 1929, this legendary resting place is the masterpiece of Mary Jane Colter, one of Americas most renowned female architects.  The hotel closed in 1958 due to the decline of railroad travel.  Closed for decades, the grounds were maintained by local citizens with the hope that they would someday be reopened.  The hotel was purchased and restored and is now the pride of the region.  It draws nationwide and international guests.

HOP OFF THE AMTRAK AND CHECK IN

(stock photos)

Winslow is also the location of Homolovi Ruins State Park.  

Homolovi State Park is a state park of Arizona, USA, preserving over 300 Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites. Homolovi or Homol'ovi (the Hopi spelling of the word) is a Hopi word meaning "place of the little hills". The park is located just over a mile north of Winslow, Arizona, and features historical exhibits, interpretive programs, birdwatching, and hiking. 

A PRESERVED HOPI LIVING AREA AND LOVELY WILDFLOWERS

The Park also  contains a small cemetery from a group of 19th Century settlers who founded the city of Sunset.  

In January of 1876, over 200 men, women and children were called as missionaries to settle the Little Colorado River Valley.  These Mormon families had ten days to prepare for the 600 mile journey.  They arrived six weeks later and built the fort of Sunset. 

 After many hardships, floods and droughts, the pioneers were relieved of their calling in 1881.

Sunset Cemetery stands in memoriam to these pioneering families. 

SUNSET CEMETERY AND A VIEW OF THE HARSH PLAINS

After quite a bit of exploring, we left the park and started back towards the RV.  

We decided to drive up to Arizona Snowbowl before going home.  Snowbowl is a ski area just outside of Flagstaff and we wanted to see what the hiking trails had to offer.  As we climbed the mountain that is Snowbowl, the temperatures dropped and by the time we got to the top, it was 38 degrees.  We did not tarry long but we did get out long enough to allow Penny Lane to feel the cool air and smell the woodsy scents of the Aspen laden trails.

I LOVE ASPEN TREES 

We may revisit this area when we are properly dressed and equipped.

We headed down the mountain and Penny Lane was really fighting the Zmonster.  She was exhausted but did not want to miss anything.  She is our furry toddler.

SOOOOO TIRED

We were home by 7 and everyone was happily tired.

Another great day in this thing we call life.