Roadtrip Southwest - Day 3

 

Good morning!

The pre-dawn full moon says hello.

I leave Camp Verde early today to make the drive to the Meteor Crater.

I later realized that I could have chosen a hotel more north of Sedona,

instead of south and not have to make myself drive so far in the early morning,

 but every trip has at least one dumb decision, so I guess that was it.

I did still manage to get the Meteor Crater just a bit after opening.

The best time for such places. Before the crowds arrive.

When it's just yourself and that grey alien over there.

Wait. What?

Due to the desert climate, this is one of the best preserved meteor craters in the world.

It's about 6 miles from the highway, surrounded by desert land, much of it private

property. So no trespassing!

There is a portion of the bottom of the crater that had filled in before the climate shifted to 

its current desert state, so it was originally a bit deeper.

At this observation deck, you can peep into the telescopes to see specific features.

This one is focused on the mine shaft that was dug into the crater,

when the man who studied the crater decided that the meteorite must still

be underground and he tried to dig for it (most of the meteorite burned up

in the atmosphere or smashed into smaller pieces, so he was wrong, but he

still made several other valuable observations).

At the mine shaft entrance is an astronaut mannekin.

You can barely see the 6 foot astronaut from even this vantage point.

It is a very big hole in the ground.

There is a simulation game you can play.

I set up a very heavy comet to smash into Earth at high speed and at a nearly

square direct hit.

Here you can see the result of such a scenario.

A chunk of the meteorite.

My hand for scale.

Front Seat Shark.

Doin his job.

About 20 minutes from the Meteor Crater, you can visit Winslow, AZ.

Sing it with me now!

"Well I'm standin on the corner in Winslow, Arizonaaa!"

I spent more time here than I thought I would.

Because I had such an early morning, I popped into the

bank turned cafe/deli for a surprisingly tasty veggie sammich

and an iced latte for the road.

For much of today's drive, I'd be on, or parallel to, the old Route 66.

I had to stop a few times.

If only to get out of the car and stretch my legs.

This trading post had some funny dinosaurs and petrified wood.

Another trading post sold Navajo frybread.

I got myself a cheesy frybread snack.

And a bottle of Mexican-made, cane sugar Coca Cola.

I'm not really a soda drinker, but I'll make exceptions for the good stuff.

It was on I-40, around the border of Arizona and New Mexico, where 

I found a Navajo radio station, that I really enjoyed until I drove out of

range and lost the signal. Between the old country tunes, they played

Navajo songs and chants. 

At a third trading post, I picked up a Mexican Baja hoodie sweater (half the price of what I can

get one for here in the Midwest) and decided I'd worry about how to get it

into my suitcase for the flight home later.

The sun was going down, but I finally arrived at Roswell, the 

starting point for Day 4.

It's a long road between Sedona and Roswell, New Mexico.

And I can check another state off my 50-states list!

Get yer kicks.