El Malpais National Monument to Grand Canyon, AZ

May 20, 2019

El Malpais (el-mal-pie-EES)

A short jaunt to this natural arch

Too cold to hang aroundhttps://www.tourdesmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/img_8638.mov

May 21, 2019

Jackson Brown started writing this song for his first album but struggled finishing it. At the time he was living in an apt in LA and his upstairs neighbor (Glenn Frey) heard him playing Take it Easy and told Browne he thought it was great. Browne told him he was having trouble so Frey worked on it and gave him the lyrics “it’s a girl, my lord, in a flatbed ford, slowing down to take a look at me. Browned turned the song over to Frey, who finished and recorded it with The Eagles, as their first song on their first album.

Meteor Crater – 18 miles west of Winslow and visible on google maps.

50,000 years ago at a speed of 26,000 mph an iron-nickel meteorite estimated to have been 150′ across and weighing several hundred thousand tons, struck with explosive force greater than 20 million tons of TNT. In seconds, a crater 700′ deep and over 4000′ across was carved into this once-flat rocky plain.

https://www.tourdesmith.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/img_8683.mov

This Meteor Crater is the first proven and best preserved impact site on earth. The Apollo Astronauts trained here for the moon landing and continue to train here today. This Crater plays a dominant role in our understanding of planets, asteroids and comets.

Cool story.

Lo-Lo Mai Springs Campground $52

Sedona

A couple nights with buds Don and Gina. Thanks to you both for always being open to explore and play.

Off to the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

Fireplace at Hermit’s rest built in 1914.

2 nights at the Mather Campground – $18

Elk everywhere

We were supposed to have spent 2 nights on the north rim but snow sent us south. We retreated to Scotsdale and spent 2 nights at the Talking Stick Resort. AKA casino. $200