So this is a fun little town right in the middle of the Black Mountains. We had to double back here since the Route was too treacherous (think Road to Hanna….and we all know how Tom feels about that!)

Tom found a jackass, I found a cowboy and we both loved the burros roaming freely on the road and in town!!!!

You don’t dare miss these Highway treasure troves….because you just might miss something or someone incredible. In some stores we met folks we rocked in the porch with back in the Grand Canyon. Sometimes we meet folks who have restored a pice of history. Sometimes we meet artists. Often if find something that just must fit in the RB cubby for a new home in Michigan. It’s amazing how many folks have roots in MI…..and Frankenmuth was their destination or field trip years ago. Here’s some unique, zany and creative merchandise promotion!

Burma shave had some great marketing back in the day. They planted these distinct red and white ‘sentence signs’ along Rte 66 and every one ended with Burma Shave. We’ve enjoyed every one…..here’s a great sample!

After hiking between 5-6 miles yesterday a Pink Jeep Tour was a perfect way to see a whole new set South Rim formations. Have a guided tour at this time is very special as no park ranger tours have started up and the shuttle bus info is skimpy at best.

So let’s see if I can get it right this time (BTW the Meteor Crater does not have a circumference of millions of miles….that would be TWO miles!). The Canyon is one mile deep and about 12 miles across. It was once completely covered by water, the Colorado River. That is so incredibly hard to believe, but today we saw fossils of coral formations, a squid and a snail. Per our guide there are religious folk that believe that this formation confirms the flood in Noah’s day. White water rapids are typically classed up to Class 5….these waters have been ranked Class 8 with rapids 8-12 feet.

Employees of about 3,000 can live in a designated area of the park for about $300 per month and food costs of $48/month! Incredible!

Pine nuts harvesting is a very time intense job done traditionally once or twice a year by families. Pine nuts were once a staple of the Native American diet in the winter months. After seeing this process maybe $20/pound is a deal!!!!

This area does a wonderful job with controlled burning. California should take some lessons!

During the day it appears as if the River is all dried up in many areas. The cottonwood trees absorb all the surrounding water (up to 50 Gallons per tree) during the day and releases the water at night! What an amazing natural dynamic that balances water need and use.

We’ll board that train so thankful for the days we spent wrapped up in this natural beauty! My heart is just bursting with happiness.

NOTE: many folks apparently overestimate their hiking ability and embark on hikes to the bottom. Every one hour down equates to 2 hours back! Plus the temps are 20-25 degrees hotter at the bottom. They do about 300 helicopter evacuations annually….and did 4 just yesterday! Price tag:$12,000 if you go out dangling on a rope and $40,000 if you have to go inside the helicopter! By insurance agent said we weren’t hiking down!!!!

Have to pinch myself to really believe I’m here! To say it’s grand is not a big enough word to describe the colors, depth, breadth and magnificence of this treasure. We jumped a shuttle and can really say we hiked part of the Canyon with its 9 stops and hikes to the edge. BUT beyond this physical exertion and huge payoffs in scenery something extraordinary happened. God’s truth: Be Still became real. To LISTEN became real. Listening to the wind, the birds, the rush of the roaring Colorado River takes time and patience. Shutting out that quest for that perfect picture, other tourists, the buzzing phones and especially your conflicting thoughts gave space to truly listen, just be and absorb the peace this space provides.

One of the better decisions we’ve made is taking the 2 hour train ride from Williams to the Grand Canyon. I LOVED taking a break from sticking my head in the navigation book! The terrain changes from more MI pines to junipers to arris desert back to junipers and then the pines!

We wondered if we were back in MI when we say an engine that said Saginaw and Manistee!

Apparently these engines with workers were brought here to do the lumbering in the early days of development. MI sure had a spot in AR’s history.

Here’s a good one….having packed the RV we had no suitcases for our overnight stay at the Grand Canyon. Af the last minute I threw in a small backpack. I’ve become a super light packer and Tom and I shared this one pack for our detour trip. Thank you, Ryan foe this little lifesaver!!!

What’s as big as 20 football fields and seating for 2 million fans????

A meteor that hit in the middle of Arizona that left a crater one mile across and 2 million miles in circumference and 550 feet deep!

The meteorite was estimated to be 150 feet and weight in several hundred thousands to was going at a rate of going from Los Angles to NYC in 5 minutes!!!!

The impact caused a ball of fire in a circle 7 miles around this site and rocks from the explosion have been found up to 50 miles away……and the meteorite itself disintegrated.

Totally insane and worth the walk….all this enforce walking is really getting ridiculous!

All astronauts who go to the moon train in this crater!!!

You can buy about a 6 inch piece of the rock for a mere $2,000…. or I found a beautiful Navaho headdress for $22,000!

Take it Easy by the Eagles put Winslow Arizona on the map…..and let me just say it was a very cool corner to visit. After the exhilarating hours in the Painted Desert we really needed the fun standing on this corner!