SUMMER TIME

SUMMER TIME

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

THE DEEP IMPACT - METEOR CRATER, ARIZONA

As I am trying to re-capture the details of our Route 66 Adventure, I realized that the time shown on the photos did not match the time in the admission tickets and the receipts. On Sunday, June 27th, our next stop after Winslow was Meteor Crater. The time on the admission tickets was 10:05 a.m. (I am sure they keep very accurate time at the Crater) while the photos showed 11:15 a.m. (It probably because the camera did not change according to the time zone.)
Meteor Crater is located about 6 miles south of I-40 at exit 233. The crater was created approximately 50,000 years ago when a meteorite 150 feet across, weighing 300,000 tons, made an impact that left a huge hole, a size that would fit 20 football fields, in the desert. We learned that the Crater is the largest and best-preserved crater on the planet, 570 feet deep, one mile cross, and 3 miles in circumference.
We stopped at the snack bar for sandwiches, then walked around the interpretive exhibit, the gift shop and joined others on the observation platforms for a self-guided tour of the crater. We decided not to join the guided tour of hikers around the crater after we saw a woman who was in pains from a sprained ankle, being carried in a wheelchair by the tour guide.
At first I thought it was a mural of the San Francisco Peak but someone must have a clever idea to put this opening there to give visitors a great view of the mountain.
Not wanting to disappoint Bobby Troup, we did not forget Winona. Below is the Walnut Creek Bridge (built in 1925), a steel truss bridge, sometimes called the Winona Bridge. The bridge was featured in the 1994 film Forest Gump.
According to our original plans, at this point of the trip we were supposed to be heading toward Monument Valley in Utah. But then we decided to continue on to the Grand Canyon National Park. Somewhere along the way, I don’t remember what happened but somehow we “flew” by Flagstaff and I don’t have any photos to prove that we were there! Flagstaff will definitely be on the list of our next road trip.

2 comments:

Salabencher said...

Nice pics, cool car! Looks hot. I love hot weather.

Top-of-the-Arch said...

Thanks for your comment, Lone Gunman. It is always good getting your comment, much appreciated.
Since you love hot weather, perhaps Arizona/Nevada would please you. When we were there visiting Hoover Dam, it was 115 in the shade and 125 under the sun and it was only the first week of July!
I am trying to enjoy the summer before the snow falls again!!!
That is good the kids enjoy swimming - regards to the family.
TOTA

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