Winslow

Winslow, AZ's claim to fame is a BIG hole in the ground. 50,000 years ago a meteorite 150 feet across and weighing several hundred thousand tons struck the earth at 30 to 40,000 thousand miles per hour (48 to 64,000 kph) generating an explosive force greater than 20 million tons of TNT. The crater created is 700 feet deep, over 4000 feet across, and 2.4 miles in circumference. Over 175 million tons of debris were thrown out to form a continuous blanket for more than a mile in every direction. Owing to the weather (or the lack thereof) the crater is considered to be the best preserved impact site on earth.

The crater is privately owned and has an interesting museum. The gal that sold us our tickets is from St. Petersburg, FL. Go figure. The site was used previously to train the Apollo astronauts.

	Pat standing by a hole in the wall.
	Ok. It doesn't look like much. But considering that those small white things in the bottom are research structures it is pretty big. From this vantage point the crater is 550 feet deep, equal to a 60 story building.

Click For Crater Website

Petrified Forest/Painted Desert

Both these sites are in the Petrified Forest National Park.

Once on a floodplain, these trees were coverd by silt, mud, and volcanic ash. Silica- bearing groundwaters permeated the wood and crystallized it, preserving the trees as the Petrified Forest. These pictures ain't much as most of the forest was looted over time.

Pat in the Painted Desert	The Teepees, colored by iron, manganese, and other minerals.
The Painted Desert

 

Return To Our Trip Page

Return To Our Main Page