Meteor Crater

We left Camp Verde and drove from 4000 ft of elevation to 7000 at Flagstaff.  The Brave did its usual great job of this.

 6000 ft almost to the top

 

Mostly tall pines on this route through the Coconino National Forest.

Just outside Flagstaff

 After Flagstaff, pretty much an unbroken plain

Then we realized we were nearing Meteor Crater!  We decided to head off the I40 to see it.

The meteor hit 50,000 years ago at 26,000 miles per hour into what was then an unbroken plain.  The crater is 700 ft deep and more than 4000 ft across.  Over 175 million tons of rock were thrown to form a debris field over a mile.  

Crater in the distance

Visitor Center

 Meteor Crater

Fragment of the 45 m (150 ft) meteorite

Pretty much still an unbroken plain surrounding crater.

A little beauty right on the crater rim - Desert Primrose.

Parking lot with the Brave and Kirk

We had lunch in the parking lot because it had a great view of the mountain across the unbroken wastes.  Then we set out for Holbrook.  

We did miss one thing, the Jackrabbit Trading post. We didn't stop to ride the Giant (big as a horse) Jackrabbit with a saddle.  What a photo that would have been!

More unbroken plain

Meteor Crater Gas station where we filled up

 On the I40 and more unbroken plain

We arrived in Holbrook at the OK RV Park which is ok.  The best of the rest as they say.  Still out in unbroken plain.  It is sprinkling a little rain which will either keep the dust down or just make it stick not sure which it will be.  All in all though we are content, nice place to visit.

241 Km.