Sun Valley RV Resort
We had arrived at the Sun Valley RV Resort on the afternoon of October 26, 2017. This stop was chosen to allow us to visit three sites in two days and three nights. Two of those sites were active on Old Route 66 (US 66 Highway)—The Painted Desert and The Petrified Forest. Those two Parks were among the first of the National Parks. These were places I have wanted to see since I was a kid!
Our third stop was to be Meteor Crater, which has grown more popular with the I-40 traffic. It is a privately owned venture.
We passed the entrances to both Parks on our way to Sun Valley, AZ. We made a short stop to get our bearings at the Visitors Center for The Petrified Forest, where we purchased our National Parks Passport Book! As you visit National Parks, you can have that book stamped to show what parks you have visited.
In camp, we found that the wi-fi was weak and there was no TV reception. Since we had not signed up for cable or dish service, we attempted to watch a movie only to find out that our RV DVD player was NOT Blue Ray, like half of the DVDs we brought with us.
Reservations for the Grand Canyon
That afternoon, we called ahead to make reservations to see the Grand Canyon. That was one of the most important items on my bucket list. So, I wanted to make it as memorable as possible. With that in mind, we booked a stay at The Grand Canyon Railway RV Resort AND the Railway to ride up to the Canyon. I will share that stop in my next Post. We spent a lot on that stop. However, the experience was worth it!
Desert and Forest Photo Ops
It was 33 degrees when we got up on October 27. So, we gave the electric fireplace a workout that morning.
We packed and prepared for at least a four-hour tour of the neighboring Painted Desert and The Petrified Forest National Parks.
We entered the gate to The Painted Desert at 10:25 a.m. and finished at the South Gate of The Petrified Forest about 3:45 p.m. After five hours of roaming the area, taking many pictures, we made the drive on US 180 northwest to Holbrook, AZ, where we had an early dinner at Dairy Queen, finishing with ice cream!
Back to the Resort
After dinner, we got on I-40 to get back to camp. We discovered we were only about six miles east from Holbrook.
With no TV reception, we found two movies to watch. First, we watched The Man from Snowy River. Second, we watched Tears In The Sun, with Bruce Willis. Then, after those two adventures for the mind, we settled into some reading.
A Day at the Crater
We left the RV about 10:30 a.m., on October 28, to go see the Meteor Crater. We would have left sooner, however, I had to locate a new SD card for my camera. I had filled the old one, finally.
We passed through Winslow, AZ, on our way to the Crater, which was about a 50-mile drive. We planned to stop in town on our way back.
We were not sure what to expect at the Crater. We had only recently heard of the Crater from friends and family. Connie’s son, Jared, had tried to visit here several years ago, while in the service. However, he had arrived after they closed for the day. Bummer!
The Visitor Center was very well done, along with a video to watch and an actual piece of the meteor on display. Then, we climbed to the top of the Crater. What a site! A BIG hole—55 stories deep and about 4,000 feet across!
They said you could put 20 football fields in the bottom and build stands around the sides to fit 2 million people!
Miles from any town, we were glad they had a Subway in the Visitor Center!
Winslow, AZ
We stopped in Winslow on our way back from the Crater. However, we let our stops for a flu shot and a haircut at Walmart distract us from finding the Standin’ on the Corner Park. The park has a statue of a man with a guitar and a flatbed Ford truck, from the song, “Take It Easy”, made famous by the Eagles.
We missed that opportunity. However, if you go through there, be sure to stop and take a selfie!
Be Conscious
I should note that Connie and I had talked about trying to give a little to the homeless and down and out. We had such an opportunity, or so it seemed, at the Walmart in Winslow. We saw a dejected-looking, middle-aged Indian, just sitting on the sidewalk on this warm day. Connie had some Peanut Butter Crackers and a bottled water and I had a bag like what you get from the dentist—tooth brush and toothpaste. We gave those to him and he said thanks. It was not much, I agree. But, what have you done lately to help someone? (A sobering thought…)
Next Stop, Williams, AZ
When we left Sun Valley, our elevation was about 5,000 feet. We went through Flagstaff on our way to Williams. I had heard truckers talk of the altitude of Flagstaff, which is about 7,000 feet and Williams is about 6,000 feet. That area is much cooler than Phoenix, to the south.
We added days to our stay at Williams. I will share more about why we did in my next post. Until then, safe travels!