The Great Family Adventure: Close Encounters

When I was a child, my family drove through Flagstaff one summer on our way to see family in Kansas. I have vague memories of traveling through the blazing desert sun in our old brown Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon (complete with rear-facing back seat and paneling on the sides) listening to the songs of the 80's. I'm sure I complained then, as most kids do, but I look back on that road trip fondly now. I have vague memories of roadside shops selling turquoise, silver, and giant belt buckles. I remember seeing cigarette machines in front lobbies of local diners and motels. The exact details are lost to time, but the impressions remain, and they make me smile.

Being back in this part of Arizona as an adult has been a different experience. I find myself excitedly looking out the window to see what we'll discover and what I might remember. We try to spot things we wouldn't ordinarily see at home in the Pacific Northwest. I love talking to people who live here to get some sort of insight on what their daily normal is that's different from mine. Then I try to point them out for my kids, so they'll notice too.

Being here has been a lesson in changing preconceptions. We came to the Southwest thinking we might have to tread lightly to avoid scorpions. We thought we'd have to be careful of marauding javelinas or striking rattlesnakes. We envisioned dry, toasty days, and wide-brimmed hats. Needless to say, those fears were greatly exaggerated and inaccurate. Instead, we learned that scorpions tend to like the lower part of the state where it's warmer. Sedona has a cooler climate and we've been living in sweatshirts and coats. There is nary a rattlesnake to be seen at this time of year, in this locale, and javelina's do live in our neighborhood but we haven't seen one yet! Maybe it's because of our dogs?

Instead of finding what we anticipated, we've been discovering things we didn't. Things like how startlingly beautiful the scenery is here in Sedona every time you drive down the road. It's like a painting! Like how cacti naturally grow so that they almost resemble a forest. Like how amazingly huge the saguaro cactus is and how astonishingly long its growth cycle and lifespan are! Like how much we've missed having access to "real" Mexican food. We're enjoying ourselves, to be sure, and we've found a new appreciation for this part of the country.

Last weekend we started to explore beyond our own backyard and visited one of the tourist hot-spots, Meteor Crater. It's located just outside Flagstaff, so it isn't far from us. We were surprised to see cattle roaming on the roadside around the site. No fences or anything! It turns out the land surrounding the crater and the crater, itself, is all privately owned! The same family who owned the land when it was "discovered" owns it now and they run a cattle ranch around it.

We visited on a sunny, but windy day, and braved the elements to take the tour around the crater. It's a massive sight to behold and we learned that the terrain is so much like the moon that astronauts trained there for several missions. Outside the visitor building you can see a wall dedicated to them and a boiler plate from an Apollo test capsule.

Inside the building is an impressive museum explaining the history of the crater. How it was formed, how it became a tourist attraction, and things that have taken place around the site. It's all very interactive. You can view the site from the comfort of the building, or you can go outside on one of the viewing decks or take the free tour.

I would recommend the tour because the guide will show you and tell you about things you wouldn't ordinarily get to see and hear. Things like the ruins of a building on the edge of the crater where someone brought tourists at one time. Things like the shiny wing of a plane that crashed into the crater. Things like the cave that was built for people to take refuge from lightening storms. You just have to experience it for yourself to get the full effect!

Another thing I've mentioned before is that Arizona is famous for their energy vortexes and alien encounters. You'll find all kinds of shops that sell things like crystals and aura photos. With all this, you'll also find UFO themed restaurants and souvenir shops. My youngest son and I visited one of these places this week. He loved checking out all the alien decorations at the Red Planet Diner (also known as the E.T. Encounter Diner). We enjoyed milkshakes and the vintage sci-fi atmosphere.