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Today was a MASSIVE day. We did 230 miles with about 5 hours of stops... but we saw so much:
- Walnut Canyon Cliff Dwellers site
- The 'Standin on the corner' corner in Winslow Arizona
- The Meteor Crater
- The Petrified Forest
- The Painted Desert
- AND we changed States! (now onto our third state of Route 66 - New Mexico and one hour closer to London and one hour further away from Australia)
Meteor Crater video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-yioMUFXkQ
Photos: (I'm not putting the photos on this blog site anymore) http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/104094667716148238316/AcrossTheUSByHarley?authkey=Gv1sRgCNCOwOP3qpGlugE&feat=directlink
Today was doubly tough as we were out till 1am painiting Flagstaff red, and then had an early start this morning as we knew it would be a big day.
I've been waking up at 6 most mornings, so this morning I left Sleeping Beauty (Jason) sleeping and went up the road to a coffee hut to get a proper coffee and sit in the sun on the bike and just take it all in. Its so cool over here as only 2 of the 8 states that we ride through have helmet laws, and Arizona isn't one of them. So this morning to get my coffee I just jump on the bike, turn my cap backwards, and go. Sooooo cool. We also do the same when we go for dinner of a night time (but Ted usually wears his Danielle, its just us rebels that don't :)
Anyway, had my coffee, rode back and went through the ritual of packing as we do every morning... a good system is starting to develop (I know you'll be pleased to know :) We rode out of the motel, made it 50 meters and found a great little roadside diner for breakfast.
We (ok I) weirded-out the waitress this morning... they're just not used to being personal... This morning the waitress comes over and starts on her routine... "Hi, my name is Becky and I'll be your waitress", so I said "Hi Becky, I'm Andrew" and perfectly on queue Jas and Dave intrroduced themselves too. :) She just looked at us and had no idea what to say (we broke the programme). Bloody funny though when instead of just doiing their usual routine they actually have to interact in a personal way with customers. It obviously broke Becky's mind this morning.
First stop was to see the cliffs of Walnut Canyon where back about 2000 yrs ago some distant relative of the American Indian used to live on the cliff-faces in caves. Must have been a death-defying trip to work each morning... :)
As we came down off the range (we were at 7,000 ft) we went back to the tree-less plains and mega-straight roads. Its such 'Big Sky' country out here. The sense of space is very very freeing. And the throbbing engine in the two-wheel tractor beneath you is also very reassuring... it feels very dependable. As I often sit there with my hands on the tank on straight roads, I often muse that the bike would just actually carry on for miles and miles if I fell off. :)
From Walnut Canyon we went to the famous corner in Winslow Arizona, immortalised, or actually created I should say, by the Eagles in Take It Easy. It was pretty much the most they could milk out of two lines of a song... a statue, and 2 shops. It was extra funny though because as we pulled up and took our helmets off we became aware of the Eagles music playing in the street. :) I think the people who work there will probably go insane and end up shooting a bus load of tourists or something... its inhumane to listen to the Eagles EVERY SINGLE DAY.
From Winslow we went to the meteor crater, which for me was the highlight of the trip (non-Rt66 related category). Its where a 50m meteor smashed a pretty big hole about 50,000 years ago. It must have been like a nuclear bomb. You'll see in the photos how far up the rim is raised above the surrounding terrain. Its mind-bending to think of that massive lump of metal hurtling through space for who-knows how many millions of years before smashing into earth and leaving a pock-mark. They have a chunk of the meteor in the museum there... a chunk big enough that I reckon I could cradle it in my arms... and it weighs 650kg!! (apparently iron and nickel for the scientists amongst you). You'll see above that there is a link to a youtube clip taken at the crater. :)
From there it was on to the Petrified Forest. It was a Big News Day at the PetFor (as I shall now call it) because they arrested 2 school techers for pinching some petrified wood (its a criminal offence). So, no souveniers for any of you at home :) The trees apparently fell over about 250 million years ago when... wait for it... Arizona was where Panama is today (tropical). It could NOT be further away from tropical if it tried today.
Speaking of further away, I got chatting to the ranger at the park entry gate because he of course asked "Where you-all from?" and when I told him Australia he said that he had friends in Perth. I guessed in reply that he was ex-Navy and he said he was. I told him I though he must have REALLY wanted to get away from the sea when he retired if he took a job in the middle of the Ariizona desert. Oh how he laughed. :)
So, anyway, PetFor, not bad. Lots of rocks shaped like trees, and thats because the silica replaced the tree's cellulose cell-by-cell over many millions of years. Ta-da! A rock-tree! :) Or as they say over here "Boom! There you are" (as the ranger at the Grand Canyon put it when telling us how to find the Grand Canyon from the visitors centre)
The PetFor is actually in the same park that is the Painted Desert which saved us a lot of looking for it. The road is 26 miles and winds through some of the most amazing terrain. The photos give you an idea, but they obviously can't capture the scope of it. Its like being on another planet.
From there we high-tailed it (look at all these new american words I am using! :) to Gallup, the worlds longest town (according to us). It literally is about 8 miles long, and the road is just lined with motels, servo's and fast food. We are now staying at the RoadRunner Motel on the east end of town. Ted and I get to share a room while Dave got his own as it was his turn to organise accom (we take it night about)
Dinner was fun as we ate at the El Rancho, the most famous place in town. Its famous because back in the 40's and 50's several movie stars stayed there while shooting films in the surrounding desert. And its also quite a 'ranch' style place with massive uses of wood and cow horns (check out the picture of the furniture made from cow horns!)
We are right in the heart of Navahoe Indian territory here, so every second shop is selling Indian Jewelery (don't get your hopes up laydees :) Its also very Spanish / Mexican so its a pretty weird blend that I'm going to call Navmex.
As you know, I don't dig Mexican food, so I continued my Ribs theme with some of the most tender ribs I've ever had. With Corn. :)) And a local ale to wash it all down.
Its been a good day. :)
- comments
Penny Great photos. The meteor crater is amazing ! I like that your writing was slurred after your big night out with jail girl :) I was going to say have fun, but it seems you are. L Pen x