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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsThe Meteor Crater, Arizona:
My husband and I are making a little road trip, and this was on the agenda.It's very interesting, and huge.
Behold:
From the parking lot:
Inside:
A piece of the meteor that survived the impact. It weighs about 1400 pounds, which is a little less than a Prius:
A view of the crater: About 20 football stadiums can fit inside...
Another view:
This shows where the original explorer dug several shafts as he looked in vain for the meteorite he thought would be buried underneath the crater:
A last look across the crater:
Rhiannon12866
(203,035 posts)I spent time in Arizona with my grandmother when she wintered there. Totally amazing country!
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)Oh, thank you, sweetie!
I'm glad you enjoyed these. It is amazing country. Quite beautiful and full of great sights. Very different from what I'm used to!
Rhiannon12866
(203,035 posts)My grandmother was in Florence, between Phoenix and Tucson, so we went north to Flagstaff and south to the Grand Canyon and crossed the border into Mexico. Mexico wasn't a whole lot of fun; I was only in my mid teens and my father made me carry bottles of gin back with me, LOL. But the Grand Canyon was spectacular! And her neighbor would take us out on the desert on his ATV. It was quite a memorable trip!
arcane1
(38,613 posts)I visited there during my 2-week move to California. It was quite cool
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)Very cool indeed, with much information available.
OffWithTheirHeads
(10,337 posts)If you decide to come to Tucson, you are welcome to stay at our home. ,just give me a heads up.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)I didn't hear about him!
And thank you for the invite! Awfully hospitable of you...
Walk away
(9,494 posts)"A large hole has appeared in Poland...Police are looking into it"
It's just insane how large a crater was created by a biggish rock.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)I hadn't heard that one..........thanks for the chuckle!
I kept thinking the same thing. So. Big.
Logical
(22,457 posts)CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)You can get down further than we did, though.
There are observation platforms partway down. I just didn't feel like climbing down and then up; it was windy today.
Logical
(22,457 posts)that one and others. You made my day much more enjoyable and educational!!
Wounded Bear
(58,440 posts)In all the years I lived in So Cal, I never made it over to the crater.
Thanks for the pics!
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)I'm sorry you never got there.
But you know, we all have regrets about things like this...
I'm really glad you enjoyed my pictures!
aint_no_life_nowhere
(21,925 posts)when I was a young boy and our family traveled through Arizona. I saw it on the map as we drove across northern Arizona heading to California. I believe at the time it wasn't called the meteor crater. I don't remember the name but I think it was listed on the map as a crater but not as a meteor crater.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)You know, they told us when this opened and now I can't remember!
It probably was the same crater........there's only one in the area.
For a long time, it was thought that this had been a volcanic crater, but that was a mistake.
It was the first meteor crater to be discovered.
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)But after seeing things like 'Godzilla' and 'The Blob,' I wasn't terribly impressed as a kid by a depression in the ground. I was more excited about Disneyland.
And they didn't have a huge visitors' center then with all those displays and educational info. That new center is a great addition!
dballance
(5,756 posts)/end snark.
Good pics. If I'm ever in that neighborhood I'll have to visit. I'm glad to you that pic of people standing on an observation platform. It really does provide scale.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)You are too funny!
I hope you can visit...it is certainly worth seeing in person.
It doesn't look all that big......until you see the people looking into it. During the 10 minute movie presentation, they show the crater filled with 20 football stadiums and all the people as they would be sitting around those stadiums. It was amazing.
Glad you enjoyed the pics!
panader0
(25,816 posts)Thanks for the tour Peggy.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)And isn't that always the way? There's so much in Los Angeles that we have never seen as well...
You practically have to move away to see things you used to live near.
Glad you enjoyed my little tour!
Nevernose
(13,081 posts)Which direction are you headed next?
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)We like it too!
Tomorrow we leave for Page and the Antelope Canyon. I've seen the pictures folks have taken there, and I want some of my own!
JesterCS
(1,827 posts)I don't remember much, other than it's a huge damn hole in the ground. lol
Fridays Child
(23,998 posts)I visited the crater, in the late '70s. The exhibits have probably been updated, since then, but I'm thinking that the crater hasn't changed very much, over the last 30+ years.
Nice to have you in Arizona, by the way.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Separation
(1,975 posts)It had Jeff Bridges, Martin Sheen, and Karen Allen. A really good movie IMO
Each time I transferred across country I always said we would stop and see this. For one reason or another we had to skip it.
On my last transfer though, we did stop at the Grand Canyon. It actually took my breath away seeing it for the first time. We would have loved to stay for a few days and take the train, do the donkey trail. But as always, time constraints we could only stay for a day. We did stop at all the corny road stops though, biggest TeePee, ball of yarn, rattler farm, etc.
alphafemale
(18,497 posts)There's really nothing to give it any scale in that photo.
I guesstimate 4-5' ish?
The building is architecturally astounding as well. The entrance at least. (The buildings in back look like a junior HS circa 1972.)
But the entrance blends perfectly with the landscape and also echos the crater itself a bit.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)My husband was thinking maybe a couple of feet at most in diameter.
Dunno!
VERY dense and heavy.
The building is new, just finished in the last couple of months or so.
We really enjoyed the exhibits.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)I love those humongous craters. It really gives us a sense of how tiny we are, and how powerful nature can be. Thanks for sharing!
GoCubsGo
(32,061 posts)The way things are going, I'm going to get stuck moving back in with my family. Fortunately, they live in Phoenix, so Meteor Crater is not that long of a haul. Thanks for giving me some incentive to get off my butt and make some moves to get out of here.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)MineralMan
(146,192 posts)I still have the little piece of meteorite I bought in the gift shop. I think it was 50 cents.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)You might be shocked...
WCGreen
(45,558 posts)CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)Great to see you!
Little Star
(17,055 posts)Last edited Mon Jun 23, 2014, 08:27 AM - Edit history (1)
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)Jim Lane
(11,175 posts)It's a striking juxtaposition of two nearby phenomena -- the Grand Canyon, carved out over millions of years, and Meteor Crater, created in an instant.
Thanks for the memory!
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)I hadn't thought of it that way..........thanks for making that connection!
They are both amazing places.
benld74
(9,889 posts)the day after seeing the GC. Took off from Flagstaff, east on 40. I kinda knew where I was going and what I wanted to see, the family didnt have any idea. They thought it ws pretty cool. ALong with the obligatory stop at Winslow, petrified forest etc.
Was it windy when you were there? Out tie was in April, and we had w-i-n-d to contend with at the Crater. Once can sii it on Google maps if your interested.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)My husband had heard of it and wanted to see it so we went!
We enjoyed it a lot, along with the history and geology of the place.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)Got a chance to go in 1988. Thank you for bringing it back to me.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,308 posts)LeftofObama
(4,243 posts)I just love it when you take us on vacation with you!