OK RV Park, September 19 to 26, 2019

Rating: 4.5 on a scale of 5

Location:  We included Holbrook, AZ, on our itinerary because of our desire to visit nearby Petrified Forest National Park. It is a very short distance from I-40, but we did not hear any traffic noise. The RV park proved to be a very convenient home base for our one-week stay. 

Lot:  This is a huge park with all pull-through sites and plenty of room to maneuver. We were in lot 16 Green and while there is not much shade there are some trees scattered throughout the park. 

The roads are wide and navigation through the park is simple with any size rig. 

Amenities:  The park offers cable TV (at no additional charge) with many channels. Also, the wifi was very good here, although the park was not crowded when we visited. We did our laundry for the week in the large laundry room that was near the bathrooms. Both require a code, provided at check in, to access.

Cost:   $228/weekly rate which equates to $32.57

Management:  This is large park that is managed well. Check in was quick and efficient.  The folks in the office/store were all friendly.

Check out the petrified logs on display next to the office!

General Comments: This park is in a very convenient location with easy access. It wasn’t a place where we wanted to hang out at our lot, but it had everything we needed, was a reasonable price, and worked out perfectly for us. We would definitely stay here again.

Website:  www.okrvpk-llc.com

Meteor Crater and Winslow, AZ, 9/22/2019

When we were in Holbrook, AZ, we heard about the Meteor Crater site (about 60 miles west on I-40). 

The Welcome Center has exhibits about the incredible meteorologic event that happened here 50,000 years. 

An iron-nickel meteor (150’ across) weighing several hundred tons, travelling at 11-miles per second (or 40,000 miles per hour), struck here with a force of 20M tons of TNT. In 1902 Daniel Barringer, a Philadelphia mining engineer, became interested in the crater as a mining site for iron. He was convinced a large meteorite was buried deep in the center of the crater.

After 25+ years of research, Barringer determined the meteor came in at an angle and was buried beneath the south rim of the crater. A 1,376’ shaft was dug before the rotary drill-bit jammed. Today it is known that the iron and rock underwent some vaporization and extensive melting and fragmentation upon impact. Below is the Holsinger Meteorite, the largest fragment discovered thus far of the meteor that created this crater.

The giant bowl-shaped cavity created on impact was originally 700’ deep (now 550’ deep due to erosion) and 4,000’ across with a 2.4 mile-rim circumference. Limestone and sandstone (175M tons of it) were thrown out and formed a continuous band of debris for miles. 

There are multiple observation platforms providing views into the crater. Several viewfinders enable visitors to see various points of interest in the huge crater. One is focused on the place where Barringer attempted to drill into the crater. The floor of the crater is closed to visitors. Guided rim tours are, however, available.

Astronauts scheduled for the Apollo mission to the moon were trained here from 1963 to 1970, because the basin floor was similar to the lunar surface. A training capsule is on display here.

A 3’ x 5’ American flag (the same size as the one left on the moon) can be seen on the crater floor. Next to it is a “cutout” of a 6’ astronaut. 

In addition to the exhibits in the Discovery Center, there is a restaurant, the Gift & Mineral Shop, and 3D movie theatre. Also, there is an RV Park nearby for those who want to be near this attraction. 

Although there are many terrestrial impact sites, Meteor Crater is considered the best-preserved impact site on Earth. It is worth a visit if you are in the area and is located right off of I-40 about 35 miles east of Flagstaff. Admission is $16/seniors ($18/adults) and includes the movie and rim tour. For additional information about Meteor Crater, go to www.meteorcrater.com.

On our way home to Holbrook, we decided to make a quick stop at the Standin’ on the Corner Park in Winslow, AZ. The town, situated along Historic Route 66, frequently entertained traveling artists that led to the famous song,Take it Easy. First recorded by the Eagles in 1972 (and their first single), It was written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey.

Winslow almost disappeared when Route 66 was decommissioned and replaced by I-40 (that bypassed the town). In the 1990s, a group of volunteers formed the Standin’ on the Corner Foundation with the goal to develop a park on the corner made famous by the song. They decided to commission a mural and a statue. Below is the mural, painted by John Pugh. 

Inspired by American musicians of the 1970s, the statue, by Ron Adamson, is named Easy. When Glenn Frey died in January, 2016, a new statue in his likeness was commissioned and dedicated in September of the same year.

Music festivals are now held annually here in September.  A bandshell is located nearby. 

This was a fun stop! There were many other people there snapping photos of the famous corner, too.

We both enjoyed the memories of the fantastic music of the 1970s this place evoked!  For additional information about the roadside attraction, go to www.standinonthecorner.org.

The Painted Desert at Petrified Forest, 9/21/2019

Today we were anxious to see the Painted Desert in the northern part of Petrified Forest National Park. As always, we stopped first at the Visitor Center. In addition to the books and souvenirs at the gift shop, beautiful pieces of polished petrified wood were available for purchase. Check out the clocks…because AZ does not follow daylight savings time and the Navajo Nation does (that is partially in AZ), knowing what time it is can be a little tricky.

The Painted Desert is 7,500 square miles in NE Arizona. Deposited 227-205M years ago, the mudstone and sandstone are called the Chinle Formation. As we walked out to Tawa Point, the long-distance views of the desert were amazing. In the distance is the historic Painted Desert Inn.

Originally, Stone Tree House was built at this location by Herbert Lore in the 1920s. He offered 6 small rooms for overnight guests and gave motor tours of the area. It was purchased by the National Park Service in 1936 resulting in its redesign by architect, Lyle Bennett. The new Pueblo Revival Style structure was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). 

The panes of the beautiful skylight were hand-painted CCC workers. And the murals of Hopi culture were painted by renowned artist, Fred Kabotie. The inn reopened in 1940, but closed in 1942 due to WWII. It reopened in 1947 under management of the Fred Harvey Company which continued through the 1950s. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Work continues to preserve the inn for future generations.

Continuing south on the park road, we stopped at several overlooks for views of the Painted Desert (Chinle, Pintado, and Whipple Points). 

Our next stop was at Blue Mesa Trailhead. It is a one-mile loop trail into the heart of the Petrified Forest badlands. And the best part, leashed pets are permitted! 

The trail descends into the Blue Mesa basin where we saw canyons, petrified logs in various stages of erosion, and the many colors of the layers of rock. 

Check out the many pieces of petrified wood in the basin. The second photo is the remainder of a log on a stone pedestal; a common sight in the park. Eventually, wind and water will cause it, too, to tumble. 

This was a great, easy hike…highly recommend! We were so impressed with the unusual beauty of this place. Spend at least two days exploring the park, if you can. For additional information about Petrified Forest National Park, go to www.nps.gov/pefo.