I don't think the guys who wrote that song about walking 500 miles, then walking 500 more had any concept how far 500 miles actually is.

Benson is one of those towns you pass through on the way to some other destination. It can also be a resting spot, as it is for me tonight. It's roughly thirty some-odd miles east of Tucson, and it's a gateway of sorts to Arizona's famous town of Tombstone, located 23 miles south of here.

I did drive through Tombstone this evening, in the hopes of finding a hotel/motel. However, everything was pretty much closed, including the Best Western (the office closes at 10pm), so my only real choice was to drive the 23 miles back to Benson and stay here for the night. (Mental note: Get there earlier, Henry.)

From what I could tell so far of my five minute drive through Tombstone, the old west seems very much alive here. If it weren't for the cars parked on the street and, well, the paved streets themselves, you'd swear you were in 1881. Anyhow, you'll find more about Tombstone in tomorrow's journal.

Oh. Silly me. I almost forgot to explain what happened earlier today. Duh.

We headed east on Highway 40 towards Meteor Crater, touted as "one of the most extraordinary places on Earth". I believe they say it's the largest "proven" meteor impact site, reaching almost a mile wide, two and a half miles in diameter, and plunging sixty stories deep. Here's a bit from the brochure...

"50,000 years ago, an unbroken plain stretched out in front of where you now stand. Suddenly, out of the northeastern sky, a pinpoint of light grew rapidly into a brilliant meteor. This body was probably broken from the core of an asteroid during an ancient collision in the main asteroid belt some half-billion years ago. Hurtling at about 30,000 to 40,000 miles per hour, it was on an intercept course with Earth. In seconds, it passed through our atmosphere with almost no loss of velocity or mass.

"In a blinding flash... a huge iron-nickel meteorite or dense cluster of meteorites, estimated to have been about 150 feet across and weighing several hundred thousand tons, struck the rocky plain with an explosive force greater than 20 million tons of TNT."

Ouch. That's gotta hurt.

While the site itself was impressive, I do have a few small complaints. It seemed a bit pricey. For a regular adult admission, the cost was $8.00. While I understand this is to help cover costs of running the facilities and paying employees, etc... I still think it was a teensy bit much. The only other real complaint I have is about the weather. Apparently, it's always windy up there. Now, I'm not talking mild winds here. My hat flew off in the parking lot and went from 0 to 60 in 1.6 seconds. I could almost stand at a 30 degree angle without falling over. I mean.. MAN! It was windy! That's probably why they sell t-shirts in the gift shop that proclaim "I Survived The Wind At Meteor Crater". (By the way, the crater has been used in many movies, including a final scene in "Starman")

After we left the big hole in the ground, we headed a little further east towards Winslow, Arizona. Winslow is a dying town, with what seems like only two things keeping it alive. Historic Route 66 is the town's main road, and it was made famous in the classic song, "Take It Easy'". Remember, "I was standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona..."? Well, I stood on that corner! How touristy can you get? The town of Winslow is planning a major conservation of the area by asking for donations. In exchange, you can have anything you want inscribed on a brick which will then be placed in a park by the famous corner. If you're interested, you may wish to contact the Winslow Department of Commerce (if they have one) or click here for information.

I dropped my dad off in Phoenix late this afternoon, after a long, long drive down from Flagstaff. It was wonderful having my good ol' dad join me for a portion of my trip. It made me feel a little less homesick. Kinda like having a fresh start. Thanks, dad.

See you on the road...

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