A view of Meteor Crater, created by a collision with a meteor.
Meteor Crater, Painted Desert
Arizona - Trip to Arizona Meteor Crater, crossing Painted Desert, a desert so called because of the many different rocks and sands colors.
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A view of Meteor Crater, created by a collision with a meteor. |
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50.000 years ago, a huge iron/nikel meteor, falling at a speed of about 64000 Km/h, impacted with the Earth on a plain in northen Arizona, with an explosive power greater than 20 million of tons of dynamite. It is estimated that the meteor was about 45 meters large, with a weight of several hundreds of tons. Altough it was so "small", the violence of the impact has created a crater 215 meters deep and 1200 meters in diameter. |
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We then cross Painted Desert in late evening. As the name itself tells, the colors of the ground are amazing, sometimes they seem man-made ! |
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CALIFORNIA PICTURES - ARIZONA PICTURES - UTAH PICTURES - NEVADA PICTURES |
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Los Angeles and San Diego (California) Los Angeles is the starting place for this "USA on the road" trip, driving south to San Diego and east to Yuma (Arizona) for the first overnight in a motel. GO. |
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Driving thru Sonora desert in southern Arizona with our rented car, between arid landscape and fields of cotton. GO. |
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Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is located in Southern Arizona, up to Mexico border line, and is so called because of a large concentration of Organ Pipe cactus. GO. |
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Excursions to Tucson, Phoenix and Montezuma Castle Tucson day tour, to the Old Tucson Studios, to desert museum and to Saguaro National Monument where there are thousands of giant Saguaro cactus. GO. |
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Meteor Crater and Painted Desert <YOU ARE HERE> Trip to Arizona Meteor Crater, crossing Painted Desert, a desert so called because of the many different rocks and sands colors. |
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Day tour to Grand Canyon by car. Hikes to some of the trails accessible from Grand Canyon South rim. GO. |
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Day tour to Monument Valley by car, along the Arizona and Utah border line. Excursions between the famous rocks. GO. |
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Driving along the shores of Lake Powell north and west into Utah, in a lunar landscape made of strangely shaped rocks. GO. |
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Day excursion to Arches National Park by car, known for the oddly shaped rocks, most of those looking like arches. GO. |
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Day trip to Bryce Canyon by car, visiting this natural wonder known for the hoodoos, rock formations shaped by wind and water. GO. |
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Short visit to Las Vegas, hiking in the city at night, between theme casinos, known to be the Entertainment Capital of the World. GO. |
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The Death Valley is an area in California south east, interesting for the extremely arid landscape, dominated by a dried salt lake, actually below the sea level. GO. |
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Day tour in Yosemite National Park, looking for wildlife and giant sequoia having thousands of years. GO. |
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Excursions around San Francisco and the Golden Gate, before driving back to Los Angeles where we return our rented car and where this USA On The Road tour finishes. GO. |
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