We had a fun day with several “audible” changes as time got away from us.

Yesterday, we decided to eat pie for breakfast in one of the two Pie restaurants in Pie Town, but as with most days we were up with the sun, and decided to “hit the road” rather than wait until they opened (maybe) at 9AM.  Since we departed Pie Town around 8AM, there was lots of time to get to Meteor Crater and maybe make a Flagstaff run for the replacement towbar, since the RV place there was open on Sunday until 5PM.

Scott followed Tom in the Jeep (Polo.)  Scott hates driving, and is not wild about the Jeep.  While it is as sophisticated as most ICE (internal combustion engine) cars these days, it does not have adaptive cruise control, you have to steer it manually, and in general it is a rougher ride.  But Scott managed to follow Tom driving the somewhat distinctive looking Khan for over two hours, with a stop for fuel and bathroom break.

After we filled the tanks of both vehicles, Tom saw a sign for Petrified Forest National Park , which was directly on our route to Meteor Crater.  We agreed we had to spend an hour or two there.  When we arrived we parked Khan, Tom took the wheel of Polo, and off we went to use more of Scott’s Lifetime Senior American the Beautiful pass.

The park was fascinating – not just the cool petrified trees (which were everywhere,) but the landscape scenery was beautiful.  The colors were a stark contrast to the black lava and white sands we saw the last two days. So rather than an hour or two we spent 4 ½, killing any chance of visiting Flagstaff, which was not a priority since we were going that way tomorrow anyway.

We stopped at several scenic overviews, saw a park movie, and in general went way past lunchtime.  When Scott got very hungry we skipped a few sights knowing we could see them on the way back to get Khan and ate at the Northern Visitor’s center, the only place to get food.  It was mediocre and expensive, but necessary.  While waiting for them to prepare it we watched the same park film in the café – but it was a good presentation on the park, geology, anthropology, wildlife, etc., so that was fine.

On the way back we visited the Painted Desert Inn, which the park brochure promised had information on the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Fred Harvey Company.  While there was some information on both (the CCC renovated the Inn in the 30s, and the Fred Harvey company operated it for a while), there was not as much information about either as Scott had hoped.

Some of the best scenic overlooks were ones we stopped at on the way back to the Southern entrance and Khan.

It was then a short hour drive for both OWG’ers as we drove to Meteor Crater RV Park.  Part of the drive took us through Holbrook where we traveled part of the original Route 66. There were a few relics still left from those long bygone days before interstates, like the Wigwam Motel and Geronimo Trading Post in St Joseph where you can get moccasins, petrified wood, and various other regional iconic “things.” The claim the have the world’s largest petrified tree.

The RV park is owned by the same people that own the crater (no free pass for us tomorrow – it is privately owned.)  But the reviews seem to be good and Tom remembers – vaguely – stopping here as a kid.  They open at 8AM tomorrow…