Meteor Crater

Right now as I type this it is Monday night, about 10:30. A few hours ago the Dodge family returned from our weekend getaway in Arizona. We hit the Grand Canyon. I was originally planning on blogging the two nights that we were out of town, but our hotel- the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel- essentially had few amenities more modern than the Grand Canyon itself. Ok ok. The hotel did actually have wifi, but only in the hotel lobby, and I like to blog in my underwear, and those are not the sights other visitors come all the way out to Arizona to see.

We left first thing Saturday morning. I have to point out as mundane as it sounds there is a joy I get during morning departures such as this one with my family. The quick drive through McDonald's...me driving as Tiffany divies out the McMuffins and milk and tea...everyone eating and thinking about what lies down the road. Those moments are actual gems to me. So we boogied as fast as we could to magical Barstow. We arrived there the moment the outlet stores opened. That was nice. After some shopping and moseying about we all clambered back into the wagon and hit Highway 40, which runs parallel to the old Route 66. I have to admit Route 66 looks twice as fun, with its flirty hills and windy curves. But if we took 66, we'd still be on our way to Arizona...

We stopped for lunch in Kingman, AZ, at MR. D'z (apropos) route 66 diner. Charlie claims their hot dogs are the best she's ever had - EVER. And Charlie's had a lot of hot dogs in her young age, so if anyone would know it's her. We grubbed and sundaed and then hopped back in the car, because we needed to make it to THE METEOR CRATER.

Any further description of the Meteor Crater would sort of be redundant. It's a giant meteor crater! I figured once Charlie saw the city sized hole in the ground and then read all the literature explaining what caused it she'd get a little worried that more meteors could hurdle our way, and she did. When we reached the top lip of the crater the winds were whipping us from every side. Chase loved the notion that we were so high up and that the wind was making everyone teeter hither nither, to her it was high comedic adventure. Charlie not so much.

But the eye of the prize for Charlie was the gift shop. The meteor crater gift shop sells minerals and gems and all sorts of rock samples and Charlie very slowly went through everything there was for sale. (Charlie loves rocks and minerals and gems.) She even came upon fossilized dinosaur poop. I think Tiffany picked it up without first reading what it was, which made it all the funnier. No matter how many times Charlie and I explained to her it stopped being "poop" millions of years ago...she still was looking around for her Purell.

So, in the end, Charlie bought two dinos carved out of soap stone and Chase bought a bag of polished rocks. Then we turned and headed back to our stop for the night, Williams - the gateway to the Grand Canyon. Why is Williams the Gateway to the Grand Canyon even though it is sixty miles away? Because they said so.

I'm just going to pretend that I'm writing this last Saturday, so you'll have to read about what happens at the Grand Canyon tomorrow...tomorrow.