Condé Nast Names Meteor Crater A 7 Wonder of the World

Above, Meteor Crater in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

50,000 years ago, if Winslow, Arizona existed and one was "standing on a corner", they would have felt the impact of a meteor striking the earth.

The Barringer Meteor Crater near Winslow has been named number three of the "7 Wonders of the World For 2020" by Condé Nast Traveller. I visited Meteor Crater four years ago. It is an interesting place with a visitor center filled with exhibits.

About the 7 Wonders of the World For 2020, they wrote:

Wonder is nourishment for the soul. We are the only animal on earth, as far as we know, that can be moved to tears by a sunset, that marvels at the stars at night, that feels awe, and humility, at the achievements of our past. Wonder defines us as human beings. 

Of the original Seven Wonders of the World, only the Great Pyramids of Giza remain. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Temple of Artemis, the Colossus of Rhodes have all faded to dust and memory. These, instead, are seven wonders for our time. They are the Acropolis of our day, the Stonehenge of now. Which also means they can be seen firsthand. And so they should. Because the real magic of wonder is not in the thing itself, but in the fact that the more you look for wonder in the world the more the wonder of the world becomes a part of you. 

Socrates said: 'Wisdom begins in wonder.' Studies show that the awe induces deeper levels of cognitive processing; it boosts empathy and helps us connect with the world around us in meaningful ways. Art and science are borne from it. Wonder is more than just a good feeling; it is a seed from which our greatest treasures grow. 

Explore, dream and feed your spirit well.

On Meteor Crater, they wrote (in part):

The Barringer Meteor Crater is the best-preserved meteor impact site on the planet and it’s an unsettling place. Some 50,000 years ago, a 300,000 tonne rock burned through the atmosphere, striking the Earth with a force 1,000 times more powerful than the nuclear bomb at Hiroshima. The ground melted instantly, leaving a hole 550-feet deep and almost a mile in diameter that can still be seen to this day.

Above, The Beast at Meteor Crater RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those who are out vacationing in a RV, Meteor Crater RV Park is just at the Meteor Crater exit off of Interstate 40.

To read more, go here.

Forbes: Best RV Park Apps

Above, The Beast at Meteor Crater RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those planning a summer camping vacation, there are a number of sources available for information on campgrounds and RV parks.

Forbes.com has an article on the best apps for your summer camping adventures.

They begin with:

Traveling in an RV is different than pulling a regular camper. You have to plan your stops and travel route more carefully. Maybe this is your first RV trip and you want to avoid rookie mistakes. To avoid unwanted surprises, you might consider downloading some of the best RV park apps. 

Whether you are a glamper or still a tent camper at heart, camping is an enjoyable way to sightsee.

To read more, go here. 

Arizona's Other Big Hole

Above a view of the crater. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last year, while en route to Metropolis, Illinois, I stopped at Meteor Crater in Arizona. It is the best-preserved crater formed by an impacting meteor.

AZCentral wrote:

Arizona is best known for its giant hole in the ground, a feature that became the state's license-plate slogan and has etched itself into the hearts of tourists around the world.
But Grand Canyon isn’t the state’s only hole in the ground that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. 

Meteor Crater is a geological warm-up act to the Canyon, an interesting diversion worth visiting for an hour or so (more if you browse the gift shop or have lunch at the sandwich shop). 

And you don't want to miss the story of how the attraction all started with a miner willing to sink his family's fortune into the pit. 

Fifty thousand years ago, give or take a millennium, a 150-foot-wide iron-nickel meteorite slammed to Earth, killing every living thing within a few miles. 

The mile-wide, 550-foot-deep gouge people see today was crafted in roughly 10 seconds when the meteorite, traveling at 26,000 mph, crash-landed in what was then a forest of juniper and piñon pines. 

Thanks to orbital physics, gravity and human-migration patterns, the meteorite hit a spot just 5 miles off the future site of a major interstate. Billboards to the east and west tout the privately owned landmark, beckoning travelers who could use a break. 

The crater is more a stopover than a destination, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The space-crafted bowl draws more than 200,000 people annually, and it’s likely the vast majority have pulled over on the way to Grand Canyon or while exploring Route 66. More than a few probably stood on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, 26 miles to the east and the closest town to the crater.

Above, the Meteor Crater Visitor Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A visit to Meteor Crater is worth it. The visitor center has plenty of exhibits to view. It has a parking lot designated for RV travelers.

There's a nice, handy RV park with a gas station and store at the exit off Interstate 40 for those who want to take a breather from driving.

Above, The Beast at Meteor Crater RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Meteor Crater RV Park

Above, some of the sites in the direction of the store at Meteor Crater RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After house-hunting in Gallup, New Mexico, we headed back into Arizona for the next part of the trip, a stay at Grand Canyon National Park.

Rather than driving all the way from Gallup to the Grand Canyon, we elected to spend a night midway at Meteor Crater RV Park. It is a few miles west of Winslow, Arizona on Interstate 40.

I saw Meteor Crater RV Park last year when I stopped to visit Meteor Crater. It looked to be a nice RV park.

Above, Meteor Crater RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We checked in at the registration desk inside their convenience store, which also include a gas station. It only took a few minutes, even though I made no reservations (a benefit of traveling during the off-season). I was given a map of the RV park and a gate code to get into the campground. The RV park is quite secure with walls and fencing around the perimeter.

The park is nice and clean and well-maintained. The sites are clearly marked a we were assigned to an end site, which gave us more room.

Above, The Beast at Meteor Crater RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The RV park was empty except for about a dozen other RVs. It only cost $27 for the night's stay (after applying my Good Sam discount) for a water and electric site. I didn't need a sewer hook-up site, but they have them available.

The RV park has showers and restroom facilities (the water pressure seemed low). They have have free Wi-Fi that worked good.

Above, Meteor Crater. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I would recommend a stay at Meteor Crater RV park for an overnight stay or for visiting Meteor Crater (only a few miles up the road). I'd say it's a better-than-average RV park. Also, pay a visit to Meteor Crater. It is the best-preserved meteor crater on Earth.

My grade: A.

Twin Arrows Casino Resort

Above, Jes in front of the Twin Arrows Casino Resort. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the stops on my recent trip was at the Twin Arrows Casino Resort outside of Flagstaff, Arizona off of Interstate 40. We had left Meteor Crater RV Park and were looking for a place for breakfast.

Along the way, I saw signs for the Twin Arrows Casino Resort and figured they'd have restaurants there. One fun aspect to traveling is trying out new places to eat and visit.

Sure enough, they had several. We chose the only one that served breakfast, Four Elements Cafe. We weren't disappointed in their breakfast. It is an Indian casino resort located in the Navajo Nation.

According to their website:

After opening on Memorial Day Weekend, Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort quickly became Northern Arizona’s premier casino resort destination. In fact, We have been named “Best Casino Resort Destination of 2013” by the readers of Experience Arizona Magazine. 

Tucked within a picturesque view of the majestic San Francisco Peaks just east of Flagstaff, Twin Arrows is the centerpiece of the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise's properties. 

Here, art and architecture have combined to both embody and showcase the rich history of the Navajo people, while providing an unparalleled casino resort experience.
Twin Arrows provides the very latest in gaming, often debuting new slot machines before they hit other casinos. 

Along with excellent gaming, Twin Arrows is also known for the lavish resort amenities, including luxury guest rooms (available in three configurations), gourmet dining, culturally infused casual dining, a fitness center, heated indoor pool and more than 11,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting space.

Above, the main lobby of Twin Arrows Casino Resort. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While waiting 10 minutes to be seated, I wandered into the casino. I noticed that, like Las Vegas, the slot machines don't accept coins, just credit/debit cards or ticket vouchers. It seems odd to me that to play a 25 cent slot machine, one has to use a card or a voucher and no coins. Progress?

Twin Arrows Casino Resort looked fairly new and it had a nice modern appearance.

For more information, go here.

RV Park Reviews Posted

Now that I'm back from the "little" trek to New Mexico and Arizona, I reviewed three campgrounds I've never stayed at before at RV Park Reviews.

The first, USA RV Park in Gallup, New Mexico:

Above, The Beast at USA RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The second, Meteor Crater RV Park near Winslow, Arizona:

Above, at Meteor Crater RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Lastly, Trailer Village at Grand Canyon National Park:

Above, at Trailer Village in Grand Canyon National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

So Far, So Good!

Above, Sierra conked out. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Thus far, the trip to New Mexico has been a fun one.

The first night's stay was at the Grand Canyon/Williams KOA in Williams, Arizona, where I stayed at a year ago. I liked the site they gave me this year over last year's.

Above, The Beast at the Grand Canyon/Williams KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The next three nights were at the USA RV Park in Gallup, New Mexico. It is right on historic Route 66. In fact, Route 66 is the RV park's theme in its signage. Very nice RV park and very patriotic! I enjoyed my stay there, despite the frigid cold nights.

Above, the sign to our campsite's row at USA RV Park in Gallup. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, The Beast at the USA RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After that, I spent the night at the Meteor Crater RV Park that's outside of Winslow, Arizona. (No, I didn't go into Winslow to stand on a corner.)  This is also a nice RV park.

Above, The Beast at Meteor Crater RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The next few nights will be at the Trailer Village in Grand Canyon National Park. That will wrap up this trip for me.

On The Road Again

Above, Teepee Trading near the New Mexico-Arizona border. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My "little jaunt" to Gallup, New Mexico was a fruitful one.

I became enamored with the town when I drove through it last year while traveling to Illinois. Frankly, I am disgusted with California.

Above, a teepee just isn't complete without a satellite dish. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I met with a realtor in Gallup and looked at three properties. Two of the three were favorable. One of them was an old home at downtown Gallup that was built in 1920. It was in good shape and had built-in wooden cabinets and a big root cellar. I told the realtor that it could be Grandpa Munster's laboratory. But, I wanted something more contemporary. It would be interesting to restore it to its 1920s appearance. This would be more appropriate for someone a little younger than me.

The other property was on the outskirts and I liked it so much that I am considering putting in a bid for it.

Above, The Beast at Meteor Crater RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

That done, I retired for a final night at the USA RV Park. It got down to 20 degrees last night, but I had plenty of heating inside the RV.

The return trip to California began this morning and I made a stop at an Indian trading post (a kitschy place) to pick up some cigars called Teepee Traders.

Above, the big teepee has a gift shop and a big humidor stocked with a large assortment of cigars. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I will be staying at Trailer Village at Grand Canyon National Park this weekend.

Above, Meteor Crater RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For tonight, I decided to stay at the Meteor Crater RV Park near, you guessed it, Meteor Crater. Since I toured Meteor Crater last year, I have no desire to do another tour.