8/22/05

America The Beautiful

Up at 7/10 MI time. It's time to stop adding MI time on to every watch check. OK so I guess there are levels of camping or degrees you might say. KOA's are not hardcore whatsoever. Pools, hot tubs, WiFi, stores, continental breakfasts, need I go on? So today's sightseeing excursion is the Petrified Forest National Park, Painted Desert National Park, and Meteor Crater National Park. Some of the most gorgeous and awe inspiring views ever. So did you know that they think a meteor struck the earth 50,000 years ago and left this big hole? Seriously, and they called it Meteor Crater. I thought it was just another big canyon that they named meteor, because it was so big. Who knew. Apparently, Ben did since 7th grade and has wanted to see it ever since. Science lesson for the day: without impact earth would not exist. The Discovery Channel as a babysitter finally paid off. Anyway...storms chasing us all day, but never really catching up...mac's and cheese with view of painted desert felt like we were at 5-star restaurant. Short stop in Flagstaff to stock up on essentials...video tapes, iTrip, hamburger, and shampoo, and then the ride of our lives to the North Rim. 
Let me just say...2-lane roads, canyon walls you could reach out and touch, impatient semi's pushing you from behind and taking 3/4 of the road coming at you-YIKES. No gas stations, no electricity running to the dilapidated, occupied trailers and old school buses that dotted the roadside. Ben drove it all, only to have our family true colors revealed while backing into the campsight at midnight. And so the morning and the evening were the 3rd day.

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