We made another pilgrimage to the Backcountry office and came away with camping permits for Monday and Tuesday. Not exactly what we wanted, but it was better than nothing. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Grand Canyon National Park

Getting a sneak preview. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Grand Canyon National Park

Group photo at the 15th National Park in the country that covers over a million acres and has five different climate zones.

Williams

Passing through the last city on Route 66 bypassed by Interstate 40. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Williams

Checking out a tourist trap. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Williams

Did the Civil War really end in 1865? Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Williams

The local haberdasher didn’t have my size in stock. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Williams

Nice place to visit, not a nice place to be buried.

Williams

Loose women pickpocketing.

Williams

Jailed for the above. Missing one. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Williams

Close shave. Especially at 5am. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Betty Boop

A throwback cartoon character welcomed us to the Goldie’s Route 66 Diner that used to be a Denny’s for our lunch.

Williams

The vehicle that was responsible for opening the West to settlement and its eventual development.

Route 66

Driving on a short stretch of the now defunct roadway that stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Route 66

Stopping at a general store that harked back to the old days. Old products as well.

Pumpkin patch

You can thank the Irish for bringing their tradition of carving Jack-O’-Lanterns to America. Luckily pumpkins were more in abundance than the turnips they used back home. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Meteor Crater

We waited with baited breath as the signs marked down the arrival to the crater that is privately owned by the Barringer family.

Alien Tinder

Swipe up. Photo by Quan Haberstroh.

Meteor Crater

What the Covid mask will evolve into.

Holsinger Meteorite

A visual recreation of the estimated 300,000 ton meteorite that dimpled the Colorado Plateau over 50,000 years ago.

Meteor Crater

Looking into the crater that was also a money pit that swallowed most of Daniel Barringer’s fortune in his failed quest to find huge deposits of iron ore. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Meteor Crater

Look but don’t touch the largest fragment of the meteorite that has been found to date.

Meteor Crater

We made sure the sky was not falling or raining meteorites as we left to drive to the nearby town of Flagstaff. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Not Abbey Road

Crossing in front of the historic and haunted hotel that dates back to the 1920s. Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Flagstaff

Transplanted or appropriated? Photo by Lilyn Avendano.

Flagstaff

Trying to blend in with the locals.

All pau

Our post driving meal was at Pato Thai. The food wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, as even the homeless didn’t want the leftovers. Photo by Aida Gordon.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers.